Forever Gate

Not good.  Bad rip-off of "The Matrix."  Juvenile plot lines, unappealing characters.  Interesting universe, though 2/5 stars.

What Every Body is Saying

Although the author's values and attitudes are terrible, the information is cogently delivered with fantastic text-book density, clarity, and organization.  It would take an enormous amount of practice and effort to make best use of the information; there is no "quick fix" to my inability to "read" people.  4/5 stars.  Worth it.
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synchronicity war part 2

I am not impressed with this series and won't read the rest.  The enigmatic aliens are too predictable.  The AI tech is stupid.  The physics is weak.  1/5 stars.  Avoid it.
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makers and takers

Interesting tour of data from poll data and some academic findings.  Not useful or interesting, 2/5 stars.

Being Mortal

5/5 stars. Must read!!

The military and political characters were interesting but a bit cardboard (two-dimensional).  I was also a little disappointed by the ending, expecting a "Russian boxing match" (fight to the death). But it was enjoyable otherwise, 3/5 stars.

Liars and Outliers

​I always enjoy Schneier's books and have added _Data  and Goliath_ to my queue.  This one was a little simplistic at the beginning and weaker on the nuances of the sociology of his examples but the last few chapters are fantastic.  3/5 stars, worth reading.

Armada

​Not nearly as good as Ready Player One but still fun.  Worth reading 4/5 stars.

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Prador Moon

Neal Asher's Prador Moon introduction to his space opera universe is not bad.  It is complete with complex heroes, hybrid AI/humans, evil space aliens with better technology, and odd politics.  There is some bad physics and odd motivation  But on the other hand there are some cool ideas I hope he explores further in the series.

Dust

Although the plot and "awe & wonder" nanotechnology are fun, there are no clear boundaries in the nanotech magic system and this gap is abused for deus est machina plot twists that harm the story. It is still a fun ride. 3/4 stars.