gotofritz reviewed Blockchain Chicken Farm by Xiaowei Wang
Bait and switch. Promises reports on how tech impacts daily life in China (good), but mostly it's the author's political ramblings (who cares). #book #technology #society
3 stars
A lot of the book is Wang's political pontifications. The reports from China are interesting, the political ramblings unreadable. I couldn't finish it.
They traveled to location related to new technology (mostly ML and blockchain). Those parts are reasonably researched and summarised, and read like something from Wired or Vox. If that was the only content the book would be good. Sadly, it isn't.
Politically, they display all the maturity of a 14 years old. For example they give an anedocte about some tech guy in silicon valley awkwardly hitting on them as proof of the failings of technology. But how can anyone draw any meaningful conclusions from that single episode? And even if one could, how would the conclusions be relevant to the tech scene in China...
A lot of the quotes and discussion in their ramblings are not relevat at all to the subject matter. For example, they …
A lot of the book is Wang's political pontifications. The reports from China are interesting, the political ramblings unreadable. I couldn't finish it.
They traveled to location related to new technology (mostly ML and blockchain). Those parts are reasonably researched and summarised, and read like something from Wired or Vox. If that was the only content the book would be good. Sadly, it isn't.
Politically, they display all the maturity of a 14 years old. For example they give an anedocte about some tech guy in silicon valley awkwardly hitting on them as proof of the failings of technology. But how can anyone draw any meaningful conclusions from that single episode? And even if one could, how would the conclusions be relevant to the tech scene in China...
A lot of the quotes and discussion in their ramblings are not relevat at all to the subject matter. For example, they quote extensively from post-colonial female philosphers like Sylvia Wynter and others. But what has European colonialism and the black diaspora got to do with modern China's tech scene? The author just wanted you to read their rants. Not interested.
technology #society