xz

could've been an email really

a bit sloggy and boring, but still manages to deliver some good talking points and ideas

Very weak collection of essays. Does a semo-good job at naming some of the problems plaguing the Czech Republic, however, these lack any kind of sources and more in-depth discussion. Quality of essays varies from garbage to medium, none include any kind of solution other than "the state should somehow solve it".

If anyone is interested in the problematic, just read Slepé skvrny instead.

A short but gripping account of the fall of the Baltic republics in the midst of raging WW2. And timeless too, as we can learn many lessons from it today: on the importance of cooperation in face of greater enemy, on the dangers of ideologies and forced equality of communism.

Another interesting exercise for this book is also to compare the actions of the USSR described within with the actions of Russia of today, where the reader sadly can find many very accurate parallels.

If I had to list any downsides, it is that Waltari does not provide any sources, although this is somewhat expected given its age and lack of data sources in it. The book would also profit from a more detailed description of the events, but as the author himself notes within, this can also be attributed to the lack of data.

A very approachable and interesting essay on the philosophy of the Turing test, its supporters and opponents, and on the general possibility whether a machine can think.

It is a bit outdated and thus does not mention novel approaches to the problem such that are LLM based, however, it does not take away from the experience, rather it adds to it as the reader can compare the arguments in light of these new technologies.

Generally a very nice read with which you will enjoy (dis)agreeing.