I was drawn to the cumulonimbus and it has some relevant things to say about the field I study. While I was mostly neutral on the story telling, the last segment on the game of Go was fantastic and asks several important questions about how we comprehend AI when viewed in the light to what‘s done in its infancy.

Isaac has an award named after him. So it was interesting taking a dive into who he was and what went down, which suggests the credit to him may be overhyped. As someone who work who works in this field, it‘s a humbling reminder, and it‘s a solid read.

An enjoyable short read. I was expecting a little more in regards to the structure of the Soviet Union‘s meteorological network and the work they did. It was less about that and more focused on the life in prison and brutality the meteorologist, Alexey Feodosievich, had to endure as a review on the horrors of the Great Terror. Paragraphs often hop in time which confused at times, but an overall good read for those interested.

If I were less patient for slow starts, I might have put this down. But the set up is worth it. After developing the setting, the remaining pages were thrilling. It‘s a product of its time in some ways, but in others, there are discussions of real, modern problems. Some actions characters take are repulsive, but it‘s not dwelt on for longer than needed to portray what despair can drive people to do. Good for those who like lengthy reads.