Algorithms of Oppression

 Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism

By Safiya Umoja Noble

Pages: 256

"In Algorithms of Oppression, Safiya Umoja Noble challenges the idea that search engines like Google offer an equal playing field for all forms of ideas, identities, and activities. Data discrimination is a real social problem; Noble argues that the combination of private interests in promoting certain sites, along with the monopoly status of a relatively small number of Internet search engines, leads to a biased set of search algorithms that privilege whiteness and discriminate against people of color, specifically women of color."

I started reading this as a part of a class assignment and got pulled in to finish the rest of it. The conversation that Safiya has started with this book really makes me rethink how I use the internet and the repercussions it has on minorities. My one critique is that she often repeats the same examples and re-explains her concept that she outlined in the first chapter throughout the whole book.

Rebel by Marie Lu

...So I have lots of feelings, as usual. And last chapter--I am thriving.

Human rights! Yes. Quality of life and equal rights for the homeless and under-privileged. I have such a heart for the homeless and seeing them as human...Because everyone is human and deserves to be treated with human dignity.Call out society! Preach. I am living. I will rail against the machine, so help me.
Commentary on technology. Chef kiss.

"UN-Limit-ed. Together we're unLIMITed".... does my brain default to musicals... Yes it does.
It also defaults to Disney (Lion King and Oliver and Co....and there's more, but that's just me), Star Wars (...because you can't forget the first one no matter how much you bleach your brain), and How to Train Your Dragon....Because I picture fight scenes in animated form....

I love Eden. The cute little nerd brain with a heart of gold.
Protective siblings. I love getting back into Daniel's head...but I had so much anxiety for some of this because I had no fear and then I had one fear. Sibling bonding time with "Stranger Like Me" in the background.

Daniel you cute little romantic. Marry me. You are a ball of anxiety you little kitten. I must protect.

June. Heart eyes... My sunshine. I love her. Encouraging clear communication and working on relationships. She is a goddess; we all know.

384 Pages

Flashmob by Christopher Farnsworth

As a fixer for America’s one percent, John Smith cleans up the messes of those rich enough to afford him. But he’s no ordinary gun for hire. Smith is a man of rare gifts, including the ability to read minds. Arriving at the wedding of Kira Sadeghi, a reality television celebrity he recently saved from kidnappers, Smith witnesses a group of gunmen open fire, hitting the bride and others. Though he’s unarmed, Smith cripples one of the killers and is able to pry one word from his mind: "Downvote."

Eager to learn more, Smith hacks into the brain of an FBI agent investigating the attack to discover the Bureau has been investigating a nefarious new threat called "Downvote," an encrypted site on the "dark net" that lists the names of celebrities and offers a hefty bounty for anyone who can kill them—unleashing an anonymous and deadly flashmob with a keystroke.

Finding a mastermind on the internet is like trying to catch air—unless you’re John Smith. Motivated by money and revenge, he traces a series of electronic signatures to a reclusive billionaire living at sea, accompanied by a scary-smart female bodyguard who becomes Smith’s partner in his quest. The hunt for their prey will lead from Hong Kong to Reykjavik to a luxury gambling resort deep in the Laotian jungle. Yet always this criminal mastermind remains one step ahead.

The only way Downvote’s creator can stop Smith is to kill him . . . because while this diabolical genius can run, there’s no hiding from a man who can read minds.

While I did enjoy and finish this series from Mr. Farnsworth, his President's Vampire Series is much better (imo).  This book would be exactly what someone who enjoys tech sci-fi and thriller action would love.  The characters are interesting, the stakes high, and the plot swift, I'm just not as impressed with the villain or the overall story arc in this series like I am with his other works.

3/5

368 pages

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files 01) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than a speck at the edge of the universe. Now with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to evacuate with a hostile warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A plague has broken out and is mutating with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a web of data to find the truth, it’s clear the only person who can help her is the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, maps, files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

I am totally into this kind of novel.  The unique formatting and storytelling is refreshing, especially when done well.  I did audiobook this, and I wish I hadn't.  I did get a full cast performance, but I think I missed something by not reading it in print.

This is an emotional, deep story with some serious plot twists and turns.  Highly recommend.

5/5

608 pages

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a solid, enjoyable read that ended up being very different from what I expected, but it still held my attention well. It was appropriately broody for a pre-batman story, though young Bruce Wayne himself wasn't too broody or angsty, at least, not for a teenager. It's more like the whole overall story has that dark cloud hanging over it, and the antagonist is delightfully hostile.

It's definitely a bit more psychological thriller than action story, though there are still action scenes. We also got to experience some high-tech gadgets, as is necessary for any Batman story.

Book 116 read in 2018

Pages: 272

"Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation and GPS Technology" by Caroline Paul, illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton

This very cute true story covers the adventures of Tibby, a cat who wonders off for five weeks, worrying her human, Caroline Paul, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a plane crash.  She and her girlfriend, illustrator MacNaughton, post fliers and comb the neighborhood but cannot locate him.  However, he wanders back home one day fatter and sleeker than when he left.  He also won't eat his usual food, so Paul knows he was being fed somewhere.  She tries two tech devices to track his gallivanting when he leaves again:  a tiny camera attached to his collar and then a GPS device.  Will one of them give her a clue about where he goes and who feeds him?

I really liked this book for several reasons:  amusing writing, wonderful watercolors of the cats (Tibby has a twin sister, Fibby), and an entertaining adventure.  Read more about Tibby and his adventures here.  Highly recommended for cat lovers!  176 pages.