Comments on: 25 books I’ve read in the last two years that have influenced, interested or amused

By: Don’t tell the COI but every government news stream now has it’s own twitter account. | Podnosh Blog

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:07:36 +0000

[...] What’s interesting about this is the whole process is unofficial. I’ve no doubt Tom Watson will be delighted, but what will the COI make of this unofficial use of information? [...]

By: Naguib Mahfouz, Echoes of an autobiography | Tom Watson MP

Naguib Mahfouz, Echoes of an autobiography | Tom Watson MP — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:18:26 +0000

[...] did read another book. Perhaps I might add Echoes of an Autobiography by Naguib Mahfouz to the list of 25 others, that have interested more book readers than I anticipated last week. (Is it only a week since I published the list? Seems like an [...]

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:27:12 +0000

Some great advice in there friends, than you.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:06:58 +0000

Not enough fiction can make Tom a dull boy!!

Read Chris Cleeve’s brilliant ‘The Other Hand’, or Dave Eggers’ ‘What is the What’ about the tragedy of refugees in Sudan.

By: Hadleigh Roberts

Hadleigh Roberts — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:03:43 +0000

I shall be sure to take a look at a few of them at least! Thank you.

By: John Pollock

John Pollock — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:53:23 +0000

Thanks for this list.

Couple of suggestions to fill lacunae you may not, like me, realise existed:

http://www.everythingismiscellaneous.com/ David Weinberger (of http://www.cluetrain.com fame, @dweinberger on Twitter) makes the subject of organisation, digital and otherwise, and the implications thereof, gripping.

Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty & Happiness After the Digital Explosion http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blown-Bits-Liberty-Happiness-Explosion/dp/0137135599 which forensically unpicks the complexities, and important issues, around intellectual property rights. Bar one lengthy aside on ciphers, remarkably interesting in lots of directions.

The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom by Yochai Benkler http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wealth-Networks-Production-Transforms-Markets/dp/0300125771/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239277825&sr=1-1 Harder going, but insightful.