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Originally Posted by PocketInfinities
Been reading & enjoying The Caesars Palace Coup:
https://www.amazon.com/Caesars-Palac.../dp/163576677X
So far (as of Ch 6) it reads much like Barbarians at the Gate (debt is king, especially the details of that debt). Though the transactions aren’t as large as in Barbarians, and where Barbarians ends (KKR wins the bid) is basically Chapter 2-3 of Caesars.
Also has a large cast of characters that are (so far) developed well.
Gave up on this about ~50% of the way through a few months ago.
Prior to reading, I didn’t know Gary Loveman’s history, so learning about the origins of Harrah’s Total Rewards was pretty fun (and likely of interest to folks who still browse 2p2 to scratch whatever that math/process/gambling itch is).
I think I lost interest after a few consecutive chapters were basically the same “hey what Apollo did was shady but ultimately legal per the letter of the law.” (Plus, you can find out “how it ends” by reading Wikipedia or having followed financial markets + related reporting at the time.)
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Originally Posted by Bluegrassplayer
Exhilation: Stories by Ted Chiang was damn good. I love short story collections and wish I'd read them more often, although it's possible a large part of the appeal is that I don't read them that often.
All of the stories were good, but a few definitely stood out for me. The opening story really drew me in, largely due to the setting being in medieval Baghdad. Not only do I love the setting and timeperiod, but it was an interesting start to what I had heard was a sci-fi book.
The Lifecycle of Software Objects really blew me away and I wasn't too sure why until Ted explained it to me after the story was told (my version has some notes from him on the story at the end of each one).
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes short stories, sci-fi, or both.
Man I love Ted Chiang’s stuff. I only recently discovered him and I’ve tried to find + consume everything he’s written.
Lifecycle of Software Objects is probably my favorite of his (I also have the version containing his notes - great stuff). I also highly recommend “Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom” and “Story of Your Life” (the basis of the movie
Arrival).