The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles

by Noam Nisan
The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles cover
Good Books rating 4.17
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  • ID: 4707
  • Added: 2025-10-21
  • Updated: 2025-11-01
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
ebay.co.uk · Unknown · 2025-10-22
informative 4.00

The reviewer initially had low expectations for the book due to the author's affiliation with the New York Times, but was pleasantly surprised by the book's balanced perspective on Venezuela's crisis. The book provides a detailed analysis of U.S. policymaking towards Venezuela and the rise and fall of Juan Guaidó, making it invaluable for understanding the current situation in Venezuela.

The reviewer began reading 'Things Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse' with low expectations due to the author's affiliation with the New York Times, which the reviewer has criticized for its one-sided coverage of Venezuela. However, the reviewer was pleasantly surprised by the book's balanced perspective, which acknowledges the failures of Chávez and Maduro but also highlights the role of U.S. policies in Venezuela's crisis. The book is divided into three parts, with the third part being the most absorbing. It provides a detailed analysis of U.S. policymaking towards Venezuela and the rise and fall of Juan Guaidó, making it invaluable for anyone interested in understanding Venezuela today.

Quick quotes

    The responsibility for the disaster in Venezuela lies with Maduro, and Chávez before him. Chavismo has been in power for more than two decades. They own the wreck of Venezuela.

    Chávez was a populist. The point of government for Chávez was staying in government. The point of power was staying in power.

    Neuman’s account of José Vicente Haro’s “kidnapping” by Maduro’s Special Action Force (FAES) is gut-wrenching and offers a harrowing and horrifying picture of state repression in action.

goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-10-22
informative 4.00

The book provides a comprehensive profile of Nicolás Maduro and the collapse of Venezuela, highlighting the country's economic mismanagement and the impact of oil on its development. The author, William Neuman, captures the grittiness of Venezuela's situation and the pessimism of its people.

William Neuman's book is a welcome addition to the chronicles of Venezuela's _Chavista_ experiment. It provides a comprehensive profile of Nicolás Maduro and the collapse of Venezuela, highlighting the country's economic mismanagement and the impact of oil on its development. Neuman captures the grittiness of Venezuela's situation and the pessimism of its people, especially those who have left the country. The book also explores the relationship between oil money and public spending, and how Maduro's inability to make decisions has hurt the country. However, the book has a few weaknesses, such as the limited discussion of the roles of Cuba, China, and Russia in Venezuela's decline.

Quick quotes

    The country that emerged from the depths of this underdevelopment was in almost every way shaped by the economics of oil and the social and political relations that oil imposed on it.

    In the eyes of its citizens the Venezuelan state is little more than an ATM — the magic box that stands between the oil in the ground and the outstretched palm, the device that performs the alchemy of turning oil into money in my pocket.

    Maduro governs week by week. One week after another he goes about building an administration that might wind up lasting twelve years.

news.ycombinator.com · Unknown · 2017-01-16
brilliant 4.50

The book provides a detailed account of Venezuela's collapse, highlighting the human cost and the failures of both the government and opposition. The narrative is engaging and personal, though some metaphors and comments may detract from the overall impact.

The book offers a comprehensive look at the disintegration of Venezuelan society, focusing on the petro-state's perils and the widespread corruption that has plagued the country. The author skillfully weaves in personal stories and interviews, giving a human face to the crisis. However, some of the metaphors and comments come across as heavy-handed and patronizing, which can slightly detract from the powerful geopolitical insights and heartfelt laments presented. Overall, the book is a riveting exploration of Venezuela's slow-moving collapse, providing a searing indictment of the political and economic failures that have led to the current state of affairs.

Quick quotes

    Neuman skillfully explains just how insane ... Neuman homes in on the latter — the nationwide electricity blackouts of 2019 — as an effective narrative means of introducing us to ordinary Venezuelans and what the great disintegration reduced them to.

    Journalist Neuman presents a jaunty, intimate look at the recent (and ongoing) implosion of Venezuelan society that emphasizes the perils of the petrostate and the human cost of endemic corruption.

    ... a searing indictment of the Venezuelan petro-state ... Neuman denounces Chávez and Maduro but gives the conservative opposition and U.S. foreign policy their fair share of criticism as well.

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