Microserfs (1995)

It's a strange time to read a book like this. When it came out it would have been very current regarding technology and computers and even other cultural details like the GAP. Now it's practically retro, almost like an old 80s movie. "How geeky we all were then." And yet it still has a futuristic, almost dystopic feel. Yet read this book in 20 or 30 or more years from now, and it will be an excellent historical fiction depicting this lifestyle in a profound way. It's a great commentary on consumerism, technology, social units...
Bound to be a classic. ( )

I appreciate the clever 'geekiness' of this novel and was initially quite amused. But then I just got bored. Maybe it was intentional but I found the caracters to be a bit like cardboard pop-ups and not like 'real' people. Althoughy I would say that the author did hit the nerve on the dark side of the software industry.

I think I prefer stories about geeks from real life such as [b:The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage|18154|The Cuckoo's Egg Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage|Clifford Stoll|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166885571s/18154.jpg|19611], as opposed to fictitious ones.

I listened to an interview with Douglas Coupland on BBC Radio 4 and really like the man. He sounds like a gentle soul. Wish I could have liked his book more.

Am curious about the cover of the edition that I read. The original one that featured Lego seemed more apt. Maybe a legal issue (sigh) in there somewhere ? ( )

" At computer Giant Microsoft, Dan, Susan, Abe, Todd and Bug are struggling to get a life. The job may be supercool, the pat may be astronomical, but they're heading nowhere, and however hard they work, however many shares they earn, they're never going to be as rich as Bill. And besides, with all the hours ther're putting in, their best relationships are on e-mail. Something's got to give....."
when this was first published in 1994 this would have been a new and fresh approch, now it just seems a little dated. Back then I would have been enthralled by the sytle of this book, with its constant reference to the way that Geeks minds work - the lists of things that are used to describe the differences in personalities. but now it just sems a little flat.
The cover also says that it is a funny book - guess the humor simply missed me or did not translate into my non geek head.
Giving this book to a 16yold as this might be a better fit

Cute book about 'nerds' who met working for Microsoft and then branch out to start their own company. Set in the early 1990s, so of course many of the computer references are outdated, but that adds to the charm (and also shows how far we've come!) I didn't always understand all the computer and nerdy references, but I did enjoy Dan's perspective of the world as well as his subconscious files. The characters were very unique and fun to read about. ( )

http://alliscballread.blogspot.ca/2012/03/book-14-microserfs.html ( )