#82 - Empire of Storms by Sarah Maas
From Goodreads: The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.
As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.
Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?
I'm still enjoying this series very much. The world of the novels and the cast of characters have expanded rapidly over the last two books, but it never gets hard to follow or confusing because each character is so unique. But the book ends on a major cliffhanger so the wait for book six is going to be a long one!
#83 - The Third Wave by Steve Case
From Goodreads: In The Third Wave, which pays homage to the work of the futurist Alvin Toffler (from whom Case has borrowed the title, and whose work inspired him as a young man), Case takes us behind the scenes of some of the most consequential and riveting business decisions of our time while offering illuminating insights from decades of working as an entrepreneur, an investor, a philanthropist, and an advocate for sensible bipartisan policies.
We are entering, as Case explains, a new paradigm called the “Third Wave” of the Internet. The first wave saw AOL and other companies lay the foundation for consumers to connect to the Internet. The second wave saw companies like Google and Facebook build on top of the Internet to create search and social networking capabilities, while apps like Snapchat and Instagram leverage the smartphone revolution. Now, Case argues, we’re entering the Third Wave: a period in which entrepreneurs will vastly transform major “real world” sectors like health, education, transportation, energy, and food—and in the process change the way we live our daily lives. But success in the Third Wave will require a different skill set, and Case outlines the path forward.
The Third Wave is part memoir, part manifesto, and part playbook for the future. With passion and clarity, Case explains the ways in which newly emerging technology companies (a growing number of which, he argues, will not be based in Silicon Valley) will have to rethink their relationships with customers, with competitors, and with governments; and offers advice for how entrepreneurs can make winning business decisions and strategies—and how all of us can make sense of this changing digital age.
This was surprisingly accessible and did an excellent job combining anecdotes, history, and predictions for the future of technology into a compact and concise book. Case's premise is really interesting, talking about the "internet of things" taken to a logical if not immediately obvious next step, and his pragmatic view of the role of government was unusually insightful and balanced compared to a lot of the hyper-partisan theories that dominate these days. I would have liked to see deeper, more in depth discussion of some of the ideas and concepts the book touched on, but it was a good primer that made me want to explore the subject more fully.
