camboron's review
3.0
First I thought, how wonderful, a non-conventional non-fiction book that is so interesting and reads more like urban legend. I really got into it. But then it got muddy
voya_k's review
5.0
This book contains worlds within worlds. Some are familiar (Wrightsville Beach, Jam On It by Newcleus, an empty bottle of Texas Pete) and some are beyond esoteric (Ray Bradbury's teen years, Churchill's secret phone, Rammellzee's apartment). Time has no meaning and EVERYTHING is connected. For best effect, this book should be enjoyed with a highly caffeinated beverage and Youtube handy.
You are going to meet many inventors -- from the inventors of compression technology to the inventor of bubble letters. This singular work is a salute to people who live in the future and who are kind enough to bring some of it back for the rest of us. In fact, some of that has rubbed off on Dave Tompkins because he has written a new kind of book.
You are going to meet many inventors -- from the inventors of compression technology to the inventor of bubble letters. This singular work is a salute to people who live in the future and who are kind enough to bring some of it back for the rest of us. In fact, some of that has rubbed off on Dave Tompkins because he has written a new kind of book.
patthebook's review
3.0
Tompkins has an astounding depth of knowledge on display here, and this is clearly the product of a life-long love/obsession. But his writing is so constantly veering into metaphor it's astoundingly confusing at times. Maybe he's trying to replicate the disorientation one felt when hearing vocoders for the first time?
tubegeek's review
5.0
An ambitious, wide-ranging dive through the military-industrial-funk-hip-hop complex. Which I didn't know was a thing, and I suppose it's not, but this book makes a case that it sorta is. Combines tech and zeitgeist in a fresh, unexpected, and freewheeling manner. A lot of fun. I can't say I was able to predict what was coming in the next ten pages at any point, and the constant surprises were amusing and informative and outrageous more often (MUCH more often) than not.
Oddball outsider nonfiction. Great stuff.
Oddball outsider nonfiction. Great stuff.
squideye's review
3.0
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Lots of interesting interviews and fun facts, but it the writing itself seems really episodic, so there were times when I had no clue really what was going on. I do, however, now want to go and listen to lots of vocoder jams.
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