This book was a mixed bag for me. Some aspects of it, was interesting and adding to my knowledge about computer programmers. But other aspects of the book irked me.

What I did like was learning about the computer industry, particularly the history that was provided, although it wasn't too deep. Thompson covered some personalities, and influences, such as computer programming in education. It's eye-opening how colleges can shape an industry, at least for a time. There was quite a lot about how women have been sidelined in the industry, and covering some of the scandals briefly. Overall there was a lot in the book, it is long, and sometimes felt meandering. I liked the breadth even though it wasn't expected.

Yet, there were too many generalizations as regards to the personality type of a true coder. Thompson used individual examples to extrapolate to the larger population. There wasn't any real studies or research done, it's cherry picking.

There were times when the language, the grammar was poor. For instance used this..."as Dropbox grew huger". Maybe huger is a valid word for very large, but there are better ways of getting to same point. In general it felt like sloppy writing, and sloppy research.

Another thing that bugged me was how Thompson used the word hacker interchangeably with coder or computer programmer. It wasn't until past the half-way point of the book, he explains that hacker is appropriate, as what many may think of "hacker" is actually termed "cracker". Generally "hacker" tinkers with systems to improve things, while a "cracker" breaks into systems for illicit motives such as personal gain or crime. Okay, well that information would have been better put in the beginning of the book, not in chapter 8 (out of 11).

Not to go on too long, particularly about what bothered me, but it is a mixed bag. Some readers may not be so picky, others maybe more so, it just depends on what you're looking for. This book is a generalization, but by no means definitive.

A detailed, inviting look into the origins of the internet as we know it, and the obsessive people who made it happen. If you liked The Social Network but wish it had more details and facts, you'll enjoy this book.