The logo is not here to scare you away
-Don’t Procrastinate
-Don’t plagiarise
-Do research
-Don’t leave everything to the last minute
-Do things in advance
-Revise (regularly)
-Do your CAS
-Underestimating yourself is better than overestimating
-Use your HL choices wisely
-Don’t underestimate TOK (Try to understand it)
-Don’t make some vague things up for your EE and then proceed to have no idea what to do
-SLEEP
I think this is pretty self-explanatory, but good luck.
In this part, I’ll be going over how to paint a model, as well as give some brief tips for decals and final assembly.
At this point, I will assume that you have a competent airbrush and/or spray paint, and that you have followed all appropriate safety procedures to ensure you don’t suffocate of toxic fumes before actually spray painting. With that in mind, here’s some brief tips regarding spray painting:
I cannot stress how important this is. If you get your paints too thick, you will end up clogging your airbrush as I have many times before. If they are too thin, you will end up spraying coloured thinner on your model and ruin it.
So please, thin your paints appropriately using some pipettes to help you through your way.
When thinning acrylic paints, I would usually thin them at a 1:1 paint-to-thinner ratio, while it would be at 1:2 or even 1:3 for lacquer paints. I give different ratios as it could be different for each paint and brand. If in doubt, you could just eyeball it and add thinner to your paint until it feels and looks like liquid and not like some paste.
Once you’re done with that, pop the paint in the airbrush and apply paint on the model. But before that:
2. Use primer
I would suggest applying some hobby primer on the plastic before spraying, as it lets the paint stick better on the surface. I personally use Tamiya primer from a spray can, though there exist primers in paint jars that can be thinned before spraying.
3. Keep your distance
When spraying paint on the model, it’s usually best to keep you distance between the nozzle and the plastic to ensure maximum coverage and that you don’t end up spraying too thick of a surface on the plastic. It has happened before, and it isn’t pretty to watch.
As long as you keep your distance, spray thin but even coats of paint on the model, with about 2-3 coats being the optimal amount. Don’t worry too much about paint drying as it seems to do so very quickly in my experience.
As long as you keep these tips in mind, it shouldn’t be too hard to achieve a consistent coat of paint on the model, and you should be in business.
Once you’re satisfied with your paint job and have let the paint settle enough, it’s time to apply decals and the finishing touches.
For any small tools and accessories, I would just advise using enamels or acrylics and a brush to apply paint on any necessary areas to give them hints of detail.
As for decals, I would strongly advise using decal solution before starting. Usually you get waterslide decals with your model kit, which require you to cut them out and soak them in water before applying. I would suggest using warm water, so that the decal can slide off effectively onto the model and won’t break up that easily.
Once you’ve got the decal on the model surface, and you’ve ensured there are no pesky air bubbles preventing the decal from sticking, add some mark setter to make sure the decal stays there, and doesn’t flap off when the wind blows. When in doubt, add some decal softener so that the decal literally binds to the surface. With that, you should be set.
Another thing worth considering is using very thinned black or brown enamel paint to apply on any panel lines or bolts on the surface of the model to give it the illusion of depth. I tend to use it quite a bit for my sci-fi models, and it helps certain surfaces to pop out and gives it some depth.
I won’t go over weathering here as I don’t think it’s necessary for an excellent model, and it can get very complicated for a beginner. But if you want to find out more, there are many great tutorials on the web explaining it better than I could.
Finally, you may or may not want to apply a finishing coat to protect the paint job and the decal from the elements, and preserve your hard work. You can either apply a dull or gloss coat depending on your preferences, and both will give great effects.
That’s probably all I have as advice and tips for beginners in scale modelling based on my experience. Everyone will have their own challenges and successes in this hobby, but the most important thing, in my opinion, is that everyone has fun in doing so. Don’t feel discouraged by others’ masterpieces, and just go at your own pace. You’ll get there someday.
In this guide, I’m going to cover some basic essentials that everyone should know while assembling a plastic model. To demonstrate this, I’ve got my trusty 1/35 M26 Pershing as a demonstration model.
Since most of the steps will be identical for most of the parts, I’ll be focusing on how to remove the wheels from the sprues since one of the most finicky procedures is sanding down the nubs on wheels so that they can actually roll.
The first thing you see on the sprue is probably the rack of wheels. You’ll see how each wheel is attached to the plastic gate via a small strip of plastic. Unless the instructions tell you to do otherwise, cut the wheel from the sprue at a point on this strip using your nipper.
There are some who would cut off a large chunk of plastic to go with the wheel, before cutting and sanding the nub down with nippers and sandpaper. I personally like to cut as close to the wheel as possible, to avoid too much cleanup while also ensuring that the cut doesn’t leave a massive mark on the plastic.
Once you’re done with that, the next logical step would be to use a hobby knife to carefully remove the nub by slowly shaving the plastic bits off. Keep in mind where you place your fingers while doing this and try to have your knife facing outwards to avoid any unnecessary injuries. Also, avoid shaving too much plastic off or you’ll be left with a gaping hole.
When you’re satisfied with your handicraft, it may or may not be time to bring in the sandpaper. If you believe that sandpaper is not necessary, then feel free to attach the wheel to the main body. If not, it may be necessary to use some sandpaper to smoothen the surface.
When using sandpaper, I would advise using different grits, from lower grits (rougher) to higher grits (smoother) to avoid over-sanding parts, and to ensure a smooth, flat surface.
I personally recommend starting with something rough like 400 or 600 grit sandpaper, then 800 grit, before maybe 1000 grit if you want a really smooth surface. 2000 grit is really reserved for polishing parts, which is unnecessary if you’re going to paint the part anyway.
That’s pretty much it for preparing parts for assembly. The rest is basically following the instruction manual and putting parts together using plastic cement. It’s like gluing bits together. If anything I would advise slight caution when using the cement on brittle parts, to avoid completely melting them. Also, if parts are too small, use superglue instead of cement.
If you have stumbled across this, then that means that you’re interested in doing some scale modelling, and that you want to build a miniature plastic model in your spare time. Be it a tank, ship, plane, car or robot, you’re here because you want to get to know the basics from someone who has been engrossed in the plastic hobby for a few years.
Note that I am nowhere near an expert at this hobby, and that I’m more of an emerging intermediate rather than an advanced builder, but over my time building models, I’ve come to realise several tips and tricks that could be useful for someone who is literally just starting out and has no idea what to do.
If you’ve just bought your first model kit and you want to know how to get it built like the artwork on the box, then I could perhaps give you a few tips and tricks to get you moving along the way.
I’ll start with the basics first. The first thing you would need before building a model kit is 1) a model, and 2) the right tools and equipment.
Normally, if you’re already familiar with the ins and outs of modelling, then I would just say that you can choose a model to your liking. If you’re a complete novice though, I would strongly recommend that you stick to certain types of kits unless you wish to see your dreams of building a 1/700 aircraft carrier spontaneously combust as you lose all the tiny parts and end up ruining the paintjob. Ships would be a no-no for me, as would modern fighter craft as they tend to be a bit too complicated for a beginner. If you’re into military models, then I would suggest that you stick to 1/35 tanks or 1/48 WW2 aircraft, as these tend to have larger parts and are more forgiving if you make some mistakes. I personally recommend Tamiya kits, which are a joy to put together and require minimal fuss for a pleasant building experience. If you’re a fan of science fiction, there are some good snap-fit Star Wars kits by Bandai to help you get into the groove, along with their much-vaunted Gunpla line of model kits based on various Japanese robot series.
For this tutorial, I’ll be using a 1/35 M26 Pershing from Tamiya to explain some very basic teachings.
The next part is more complicated and will probably take some more time to explain. This involves the tools.
Before we go on, it’s important to mention that safety comes first, and that most if not all of these tools are potentially hazardous and can cause grievous injuries to one if not careful. So keep in mind that you really shouldn’t be dozing off while building a kit unless you wish to lose a few fingers.
With that out of the way, it’s time to introduce you to some of the essential tools of the trade:
Probably the most important tool since these are supposed to be used to actually cut out the plastic parts. I know some people might use nail clippers because they don’t want to actually buy a pair, but if you really want to get the best experience, please invest some good money in buying a good pair of nippers. They’ll last you a very long time and will save you a lot of pain and money in the long term. I personally use a pair of Tamiya nippers, but any other reputable brand will do as long as it’s not some bizarre knockoff brand.
2. Hobby knife
It’s debatable whether this is actually necessary, but I personally think that it is essential if you want to make some clean cuts on your plastic parts. While I tend to cut the parts off the sprue with nippers as cleanly as possible, it’s best to leave a tiny bit to shave off with a knife to leave the least amount of residue on the plastic part. I’ve got an OLFA knife, but I know that X-Acto knives aren’t too bad either and have good value. When using it, keep in mind that the blade is really sharp and could probably kill. So pay attention if you wish to use it in shaving plastic parts off.
3.Plastic cement
If you’re building a snap-fit kit, you might not need this, but I’d suggest you buy some anyway to help save some time. This is basically the essential liquid to ensuring your model comes together one way or another and is basically plastic glue. Not only that, but it’s a very useful tool for repairing broken plastic parts or filling up seams, since it essentially bonds plastic together while melting it. When using cement, be sure to keep a window open cause it’s essentially thinner in a bottle.
4.Sandpaper/ sanding sticks
This is basically to help you achieve a smooth finish on any areas where you make cuts. Grab a piece with the right grit, rub it on the part until you’re satisfied, and you’re done. I personally use P400 and P800 grit most of the time but be aware that P400 could potentially destroy plastic if you shave it too much.
5. Putty
I don’t use putty very often and it’s not in this tutorial, but I’ll just very briefly say that plastic putty help to fill in some large seams where possible and is basically dissolved plastic. It’s useful for filling holes or patching up any damaged areas, though it does get finicky to use since it dries very quickly. If needed, you may want to use some thinner to thin it down to your preference.
6. Paint
Once again, I won’t go over this in much detail since there are better painting guides out there, but paint is pretty much essential unless you wish to display your tank model as a gray prototype with bare plastic. In scale modelling, there are 3 types of paint: acrylic, lacquer and enamel. Enamel is typically used for small parts and I do not recommend using it for large areas due to its rather sticky nature. Lacquer paint is wonderful for airbrushing and usually gets a smooth finish. The problem is that you might want to thin it down quite a bit and it’s the most toxic of the three. (This is also why I recommend buying a spray booth and a gas mask if using an airbrush.) Acrylic is somewhere in the middle, where it’s sometimes ok for brush-painting, and works well while airbrushing. I personally only use lacquers for airbrushing large parts, while I use enamel for weathering and detailing. Acrylics are used in both contexts depending on the situation, but it also takes some time to dry. Keep in mind that you will need to buy appropriate thinners for appropriate paints as well. The only exception would probably be Tamiya acrylics which work well with lacquer thinners in my experience.
7. Airbrush
This is optional and depends on whether you can brush-paint (I can’t.) As its name suggests, an airbrush is used for spraying paint on a model where applicable. I’m not a whiz with airbrushes so I won’t say much about them, but there are some good tutorials on the web teaching you how to use them effectively. The only advice I’d give is to thin your paints and clean your airbrush.
8. Mark fit/ softener
If working with waterslide decals, then keep in mind to use these to ensure the decals stick to the plastic. Simply apply a few drops where you wish to stick a decal and you’re set. Not much to say here.
9. Other random tools e.g. pin vise, scribe, chisel, weathering tools etc.
As a beginner, I would advise discretion as to whether you want to use them or not (it depends on you) but I would suggest that you master the know-hows of the first 8 tools and solvents before getting to these.
That’s all I have for some basic information regarding the tools needed for scale modelling. On to assembly!
Having read Asimov’s I, Robot, and upon finding his theories on robotics rather fascinating considering the rise of artificial intelligence, I decided to see if I would like his other ideas in the form of his long-spanning Foundation series.
What struck me when I first read it was how relevant Asimov’s writing is, even though it’s been almost 70 years since he wrote the first Foundation novel. This would mean that he was writing a story about people zipping around galaxies in an age where nothing from Earth had even reached space. Even so, the plot remains highly engaging, and surprisingly relevant with regards to its messages about society.
One of the interesting things about Foundation is that it doesn’t really have a main character- the closest thing to one would be psychohistorian Hari Seldon, but since he’s already old and rotting by page one and only makes recurring appearances via holographic recordings he isn’t exactly one to boot.
Anyway, on with the plot.
Essentially, the book is a compilation of 5 stories, each following a character as they use their own methods to preserve and expand the influence of the Foundation, supposedly an oasis for galactic civilisation against the backdrop of a declining Galactic Empire. Each exploits a facet of human society, from religion to trade to science, in order to maintain the Foundation’s integrity and ensure that human civilisation will thrive.
If I’ll be honest, the characters are probably quite weak here. But in all fairness, considering how they’re supposed to be cogs in a giant machines, I suppose I can’t complain when they just zip in and out of a 1000-year plan.
What did stand out to me, though, was the scale and ideas that were being presented by Asimov. As a thesis on human society and its evolution, it certainly does an excellent job at conveying how humanity can be easily blinded or deceived over the years. In a way, it serves to remind us of human history itself, from the Roman times to the modern day, as we see how the Foundation manages to subjugate its neighbours not with violence, but merely with technological sophistication in the form of religion or trade.
That said, though, it was a bit funny to hear of people thinking of nuclear power as the supreme technology considering what we know of it nowadays. The story could also be said to be dated in the sense that everyone walks around smoking cigars without a care in the world.
Still, those are minor nitpicks, and the story as a whole is remarkably coherent and insightful, especially considering the scale of Asimov’s ideas.
On a whole, I quite enjoyed Foundation, and I hope to see more of it soon.
So:
The Good: Grand scale, execution of plot, engaging insights and parallels made with history
The Bad: Uhhh… if I had to nitpick, the characters are a bit weak and it requires a bunch of mental gymnastics to understand how a man can predict history
The “uhh?”: Slightly dated as a story from the 1950s
Overall: Go read it if you want to read some engaging sci-fi.
Before I start the review itself, I should probably clarify a few things regarding the behemoth that is Kara no Kyoukai, as well as some of its connections with other types of media:
You got all that? Good. Now into the review itself…
Kara no Kyoukai (or the Garden of Sinners as it is known in English for some bizarre reason) is not a very well-known anime. Nor is it a very contemporary one. The novels of the same name the series is based on come from 1998, and the first film was released in 2007, when George W. Bush was still in the White House and no one had heard of Thanos. As stated above, the films weren’t released in chronological order as part of the plot’s intrinsic structure, and the plot is so loaded and complicated that you might want to get a chart to write down everything that goes on. But despite all those factors against it, the series has been widely lauded by those who have had the chance to watch it for themselves and realise what a masterpiece they’ve found themselves. And believe me, it really is.
I’m not going to explain each and every one of the films’ plots in this review, since that would be spoiling the experience, but it would be rather unkind to just rant on about how good the series is without giving you some background. So instead, here’s some dough on some of the main characters that appear to help you better understand what’s going on:
The woman above is Ryougi Shiki (Shiki is the first name here following Japanese naming traditions.) The intimidating dagger and cool-looking jacket notwithstanding, Shiki is a being of her own class. The glowing eyes you see in the image above are known as the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which basically allow her to see death in the form of red glowing lines and points. Cut them, and you’re toast. Not even supernatural beings like ghosts are immune to this. Personality-wise, Shiki is quite interesting. Initially, she was raised with two separate male and female personalities, which take control of the body whenever they each wish to, but after a car accident where she fell into a coma, she was only able to feel the female one, though she acts in a masculine manner to compensate for that loss. At the same time, she acquired her Mystic Eyes, and proceeded to start using them to get rid to supernatural threats to society. She might seem cold and detached (and harsh) when we first meet her, but over the course of the series, we slowly realise that she does have a heart somewhere.
The other main character is Kokutou Mikiya, and compared to near-invincible Shiki, he’s… relatively normal.
Mikiya basically serves as a character for us to relate to in the story, mostly because he’s the most normal one in all the crazy shticks that go on in the series. But that doesn’t mean he’s useless. He is actually quite helpful and altruistic, and also pretty faithful. Mikiya first met Shiki when they started attending the same high school, and since then, they’ve remained pretty close friends (I’m not using the term boyfriend/girlfriend here, cause initially their relationship doesn’t get to that level), even working at the same supernatural detective agency run by a puppeteer who’s secretly a magus(magus here just means magician). He’s got no special abilities, if you’d like to know, and he’s as useless as sand in a fight, but he does have a heart of gold, and does provide a welcome respite through the development of his relationship with Shiki.
There’s a bunch of other side characters, but I’m only going to list these two cause they basically form the backbone of the story. Even so, most( if not all) of the characters are pretty well written and executed, and those who have watched the Fate series may even find some similarities between the two in terms of characters.
The reason why I decided to talk about the characters before the plot is simply because the plot is a) non-linear and b) stretched out across 10 hours. But to get the gist of it, it follows the relationship of Shiki and Mikiya as they both work to solve the many seemingly random and supernatural mysteries that pop up, only for them to be interconnected in one way or another. That’s an oversimplified version of what happens, but while it seems simple, it’s not. In fact, it gets really deep, partially due to Shiki’s connection to all these mysteries and the nature of her powers.
Without going into too many details, the story has a consistently dark and grim atmosphere that deal with very sensitive themes such as drugs, suicide, murder, rape and so on. One defining example would be the first two minutes of the film, where we basically see a girl fall to her death to the tune of some harmonising vocals. Yeah. But even so, the writing does shine in these spots, as Nasu uses the best of his abilities to shock and suspend us whenever he sees it fit.
The non-linear plot, while initially annoying, actually helps the plot development quite a lot. When you first watch the first film, you’d find potentially nonsensical things being spouted by the characters and you might feel confused. Cue the 5th, and you’d be marvelling in awe at the genius of the writers. The fact that stuff gets thrown around helps to create more of a sense of mystery and suspense, that hooks viewers on and pushes them to go further.
That said, I do understand that some may find all this really confusing, and the initally slow pacing doesn’t help much, but once you get over that, I guarantee you that you’re in for quite a ride.
So I’ve gone on for a long time about the plot and characters, but that doesn’t mean the series is hampered by the visuals or music. On the contrary, they are what elevates Kara no Kyoukai to such a highly-regarded status.
The animation for the whole series was done by Ufotable, which would go on to continue adapting other works by Nasu or connected to him, such as Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works, both of which are held in high regard for their god-like animation. Clearly, the studio had to start somewhere to get that quality nailed down. And that ‘somewhere’ was Kara no Kyoukai.
Without delving into spoilers, here’s a scene from the first movie, which was produced in 2007:
This was made 12 years ago. And it still looks amazing. That’s how high the production standards were for this series. The fights, while not as plentiful as those in an Ugandan Wakaliwood movie, shine when they do with their carefully choreographed movements and camera angles. I mean…
The music adds yet another layer of epicness and mystique to the already ominous atmosphere and tone. If you’ve watched the two clips above, then you’ll note the chorus in the first and the ‘epic fighting music’ style instrumentals. Yuki Kajiura, known for composing scores for other shows such as Fate/Zero and Sword Art Online(ok SAO is a bad example, avoid this one like the plague), doesn’t fail at all when it comes to composing epic music soundtracks, and even elevates the viewing experience to an all-new level. Kajiura even had a completely new band, Kalafina, created to make the ending songs for the movies, and the results were so spectacular that Kalafina continued soldiering on and making songs for other anime until 2018 when they broke up due to unfortunate circumstances.
It’s clear that from my long-winded explanations and rants, I found Kara no Kyoukai to be an epic experience. And it is. If I’ll be honest, though, as amazing as all the films were (well, the 6th was perhaps a bit off, but it was understandably necessary), if I were to choose a favourite out of the saga, it would have to be the 5th instalment, Paradox Paradigm. I wish I could explain more about why, but to avoid spoiling you all, let’s just say that you should prepare to have your mind played with in a very unpredictable manner and get good headphones to listen to this epic track again and again to recall the feels you get from the scene it plays in:
Or if you just want to recall some epic fights, listen to this instead:
So if you happen to have stumbled across this review (or others) and are still a bit undecided about whether you want to watch it or not, and have the time and effort to spare, let me put it this way:
THIS IS A MASTERPIECE. GO WATCH IT NOW.
TL;DR:
The good-A lot. Masterfully executed writing, stunning visuals, godly soundtrack, deep thought-provoking themes, very likeable and relatable characters, epic fights etc. etc.
The bad-Admittedly it can get very confusing at times, slow pacing at first, sometimes there’s too much exposition
The ‘Eh’- The only legal way to watch this with English subs is buy spending $300 on some Blu-Rays from America. For some reason, German and French dubs exist. You may have to ‘sail the high seas’ to watch this.
Conclusion: WATCH IT. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED AT ALL. AT LEAST I WASN’T.
Fun fact: Most people probably only knew of Kara no Kyoukai‘s existence through a certain smartphone game after blowing a few hundred dollars to get Shiki as a playable character. I would not advise people to do so unless they are desperate. Still, here’s the commercial:
Also, try to watch this in the highest definition possible for the best experience. Trust me on this.
The Hunt for Red October, written by the now-famous Tom Clancy, has always been one of my favourite books to read on a plane. Not because it’s too long and a behemoth to carry around, but rather that its story will grip you for the duration of the flight and keep you awake. It’s got a thrilling plot, Cold War politics and naval jargon all rolled into one package, so what’s not to like?
For those of you who haven’t had the chance to read this book, it tells the tale of Jack Ryan, a CIA agent, and his interesting encounter with one of the latest Soviet submarines, the Red October, at the height of the Cold War. The Red October is outfitted with state-of-the-art stealth technology that could render it invisible to American radar, so when the submarine’s captain and officers all decide to defect to the United States and bring their ship along with them, both Washington and Moscow are whipped into a frenzy as each side scrambles to grab the submarine’s precious technology for themselves. Ryan himself, meanwhile, gets roped into all this mainly because he was the one who figured out the Soviet captain’s plot.
The story is definitely a fun and intense one, with the author’s thorough research of naval technology shining throughout the book as he translates mere numbers on control panels into painful moments of anticipation and suspense. All the characters have their own distinctive characteristics as well, with every Soviet submarine officer having their own separate motivations for defecting. At the same time, it’s quite funny to read about the cultural differences between America and the Soviet Union, which rear their ugly heads out when officers from both sides begin interacting with each other.
That said, this book isn’t without its flaws. For starters, there might be a bit too much technical detail here for its own good, boosting the total page number to a whopping 650. Also, this was written during the Cold War, so expect a lot of bias towards American freedom. Aside from that, however, it’s a fun read. Do grab it if you haven’t.
The Good: Intense, suspenseful plot will keep you in your seat for hours, very accurate technical detail ( the guy did his research here)
The Bad: It can get very long, you may find yourself lost/drowning in technical jargon halfway through
The Eh: It’s set during the Cold War, so there’s a lot of pro-American stuff here
Conclusion: If you need something to pass the time with on a plane, read this. Or just read it when you can.
The English and the French. Ever since William the Conqueror stepped onto the shores of England, the two countries have shared a contentious relationship with each other. Even today, you can find plenty of French-bashers in Britain, or plenty of English-haters in France who refuse to speak in the ‘Anglo-Saxon’ tongue when communicating with foreigners. At the same time, however, the two countries have proved themselves to be capable of cooperation (for limited periods of time), and remain firm allies of each other.
As well-known(or infamous) as this ‘frenemy’ phenomenon is, however, it can be quite hard to put this relationship down to one event. On the other hand, it is necessary to understand the shared history of both countries over more than 1000 years to truly experience the fervent love/hate they have for each other.
This is where this book comes in. 1o00 Years of Annoying the French is a comprehensive history of the Anglo-French relationship (from a very Anglophile perspective), that aims to catalogue almost every instance of the English uprooting the French in a tongue-in-cheek manner. From Joan of Arc to the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate, the author never fails to find an opportunity to mock the French and their bad luck when he sees one. Take the Battle of Waterloo for example. As we all know, Napoleon lost, and the Duke of Wellington became the national hero he is today. To add insult to injury, however, the author decides to remind the (probably already-incensed) Francophile readers that whenever they enter the British embassy in Paris, they will be greeted by a portrait of the Duke in grand old age as they explore its grounds. Other instances, such as the croissant being Austrian and the incompetence of modern French politicians, only serve to pour more salt on French wounds.
For all its mockery of the French, however, the book is surprisingly optimistic about Anglo-French relations in the future. Yes, the author says, the English will probably view themselves as better than the French, and the French-bashing shall go on, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for cooperation-or, as he puts it-cooperation through gritted teeth. For as long as the two countries exist, they shall never end their rivalry.
The Good: Surprisingly informative, very entertaining read
The Bad: Endlessly mocks the French (not a bad thing for me, but perhaps for those who are Francophiles), very biased to the English
The ‘Eh’: It’s very long (1000 years is a lot), some references might fly over your head
Conclusion: Recommended for all Anglophiles. Francophiles should be kept away from this book unless you want to see it in your garbage bin the next day.
I, Robot, to say the least, has been one of the most well-known and influential science-fiction works of the 20th Century. Written by visionary Isaac Asimov, the book is famous for introducing key concepts of artificial intelligence, such as the 3 Laws of Robotics, that continue to influence the development of both science fiction and the ethics of artificial intelligence. It’s had such an impact on literature, that even today, the book still holds up quite well, and is cited by many as inspiration for their own works.
Consisting of 9 connected short stories spanning over more than half a century, Asimov serves to bring across to his audience what he perceives to be the evolution of robotics-from mute, crude automatons to massive artificial brains that dictate the flow of society- and express his hopes for mankind’s future with robotics. Granted, the stories were published in the 1940s, and so some of the story’s elements might seem dated, or even bizarre, but the basic themes and ideas remain just as relevant today, in an era where artificial intelligence is getting more intelligent than ever.
Throughout the different scenarios presented in each story, Asimov aims to show how robots could help improve mankind, as long as their actions can all stay within the ‘three laws of robotics,’ and ensure that no harm can come to any man. As straightforward as it sounds, Asimov skilfully creates differing situations, such as a robot gone mad due to over-exposure to sunlight, that demonstrate how these laws could be bent or upheld in the most bizarre of ways. I wish I could explain it a bit more, but the scenarios are unfortunately too complex to summarise in two lines, and I’m afraid you’re going to read through the book to understand the very intellectual arguments put forward by Asimov.
While I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but realise that perhaps, instead of the human or non-human characters populating the different stories, Asimov intended for the three laws themselves to be the main character of the book as a whole. After all, they formulate the basis of discussion around whether robots benefit humans or not, and despite the never-ending evolution of robots throughout the course of the book, the words that comprise of these laws remain the same, and continue to form the basis for robotics’ advancement. At times like these, I wonder if Asimov was trying to predict the future, and urging us to place these safeguards in place for all types of artificial intelligence, lest a Skynet-esque incident occurs within our lifetimes. Given his intelligence, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was.
So, to sum up my review in a few words, if you want to understand artificial intelligence, or if you fear the advent of robotics, read this book if you want to understand more about these subjects, or at least to soothe your fears. Don’t worry, robots aren’t here to take our jobs, they’re here to improve humanity.
The Good: Interesting theories regarding the development of robotics and artificial intelligence, 9 fascinating stories, a holy grail for sci-fi fans
The Bad: Can get very philosophical, quite a bit dated
The ‘Eh’: The plot is spread out across 9 stories and 50 years, the robots aren’t the main characters (for those who do want them to be)
Conclusion: Pick this book up. In the 21st Century, its core message is probably more relevant than ever
Amazon. The company that changed the way we all shop, for better or worse. And did so within 20 years, surpassing titans such as Apple and Microsoft, making it one of the most valued companies on Earth, and its founder, Jeff Bezos, one of the richest living men. How Bezos, and his company, did so, though, had rarely been discussed in public, as a result of the corporate culture established. That is, until this book was released.
Through countless interviews with key people, as well as recounts of key incidents made by both the author and his interviewees, Brad Stone aims to establish a biography of both the now-legendary company, and its founder, that is as objective as possible, including both positive and negative perspectives of Amazon and its business practices, and bringing them under close scrutiny. In the book, he makes it clear that he wants to create as much of an all-rounded view of the company as possible, and as mentioned in the prologue, he made it clear to Bezos too, who didn’t have much objections.
Stone starts his narrative of the Amazon titan by going back to Bezos’ roots, a child born to his biological parents when they were barely 19, and later grew up with a different father along with his biological mother. As he slowly matured, however, it was clear to his teachers that he was naturally gifted, and so it was no surprise that he already had a lucrative job in the financial sector by the time he was 30.
Being the man he is, though, Bezos decided to give up his financial stability, and invest most of what he had in establishing Amazon, a website originally meant to sell books, but very quickly expanded into different products. At the same time, Bezos went through with his vow to present consumers the lowest prices, going to aggressive ends to achieve his ends. Some of these ‘aggressive’ acts might include abruptly laying off entire departments, or tolerating miserable conditions in Amazon warehouses, just to squeeze out every last dollar for profit. All these incidents are presented in as much of an unbiased light as possible, and feature opinions from both sides of the debate.
Stone additionally lists off some of Bezos’ own separate ventures, including Blue Origin, the potential SpaceX competitor, and his controversial purchase of the Washington Post, in an effort to understand what drives Bezos in his quest to change the world and its fundamental structures, to benefit consumers. Ultimately, his consensus is that as long as Amazon, and Bezos, continue to innovate, there is no stopping them unless a new competitor emerges.
For a book meant to be about business and finance, I found it to be surprisingly readable and relatable, with the author choosing to describe events in such a manner that lets readers be immersed in the situation. It’s also interesting to find such an objective view of Amazon’s business practices, with both their positive and negative aspects brought out into full view. For instance, while it it true that streamlining warehouse sorting processes can save money and bring profits, the workers are still maltreated and underpaid to ensure low costs. It’s definitely an issue that is quite concerning, and while there’s not much detail on how Bezos reacted to it, being in a position as reputable as the richest man on Earth, he should perhaps do (or have done) something about it as soon as possible.
Regardless of whatever views you may hold of Amazon, this is bound to be an enthralling read for all, despite the very technical subject matter, and an absolutely necessary addition to the book collection of any potential business disruptors.
The good: Very readable, excellent anecdotes, unbiased views
The bad: Technical subject matter might not interest everyone
The ‘Eh’: It can get long
Conclusion: Recommended for everyone, especially anyone who wants to be the next Elon Musk.
A Layman's Reviews 