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On my copy of this book, one of the blurbs on the back says that the book is a "strange mystical Möbius strip of a novel," and I can't think of any better way to describe it than that. As other reviews here have indicated, there are two characters named Asle. Fosse's technical skill (and that of the translator) are such that the transitions between the two Asles, whose lives intersect in various ways, are subtle, seamless, and incredibly enchanting. The prose is stream of consciousness, and completely mesmerizing, and the minute detailing of everyday events and occurrences serves to illustrate that those events are, in fact, far more complex than they appear on the surface. The book begins in the middle of a sentence, suggesting that this stream has been flowing for a while and will continue to flow after you close the cover of this book.

What happens when we teach computers to do something, but they don't do what we expect? Christian explores this theme in The Alignment Problem. He investigates a number of issues in the field, devoting a chapter to each (fairness, transparency, uncertainty, and so on). This book is very historically grounded, taking a look at how computer scientists, philosophers, and others have wrestled with these issues for a ver long time, and then taking a look at the current state of the field. The result is a thoughtful exploration of the computers and human values. The interviews in the book give me confidence that at least a small percentage of people working on these issues are thinking about ethics, but it also illustrates the scope of the problem, which is enormous.

Bold, comprehensive interpretation of U.S. history which demonstrates -- regardless of their bleating about states' rights -- southern enslavers were more than happy to recruit federal power to support slavery.

Waite has done deep research and uncovered the fascinating history of support for slavery and the Confederacy in the antebellum American West. Compelling research and argument. Waite demonstrates conclusively why the machinations of pro-southerners in California, New Mexico, and elsewhere were a genuine concern for the Lincoln government, not a sideshow or historical curiosity. The depth of support in this region helps reorient our understanding of the South's potential prior to the Civil War.

Fascinating work, rigorously researched and argued, that places slavery at the center of U.S. foreign policy. I found myself underlining or scribbling in the margins of nearly every page. This is a work which I will return to frequently.