The Family Chao

 Author:  Lan Samantha Chang
Publisher:  Norton
Copyright 2022

It took me a  while to finish reading this novel.  I was interrupted by other life responsibilities.  But, it is not as compelling a read as many of the less "literary" novels by which I often am consumed.  That doesn't mean I value it less.  Still, I was haunted by the book and kept checking it out from the library (3 different times!).  I definitely learned a great deal about immigrant lives and cultural differences.  As a Chinese-American Chang is uniquely qualified to write about the intricate and complex social and emotional currents immigrants and second-generation citizens face.  Add to that the personal connection I have to the mid-western United States and I'm "sold!"

Chang is the director of the Iowa Writer's Workshop (the first woman and first Asian American to serve in that capacity).  The novel clearly proves she has the "writer's credentials" to fill such a post.

The book tells the story of three Chinese-American brothers and their interactions with a Wisconsin community, their cultural heritage, and their parents.  Love, money, passion, and revenge all come into play.  

Futureproof: 9 Rules for Human in the Age of Automation

 Author: Kevin Roose

Publisher: Random House

Copyright:  2021

Roose offers some great ideas for taking back control of life from technology.  I was drawn to this book partly because it helps with ideas to get out of the social media/misinformation/echo chamber.  (And more significantly why we need to do so!)  The first part of the book offers a brief history and explanation of how technology guides and creates our world based on AI algorithms.  Although I'm not a big user of any social media sites it helped me understand why I need to be cautious with product recommendations that appear anywhere on the internet  (they are easily manipulated by AI bots).  Roose calls this "machine drift."  Your musical, reading, and viewing tastes may be heavily influenced by this drift.

I don't want to spoil the reading of the book.  Roose includes a very helpful appendix that gives a great reminder about actions to take (that are fleshed out with details in the book's text).  If nothing else you should check the book out from your library to scan or copy the appendixes.

The anecdotes about the histories of individuals who changed their lives to overcome machines and robots are very helpful touch points.  When I want to think about "scarce, surprising, and social" or "handprints" it is sometimes easier to remember the British ropemaker who through clever steps avoided the worst effects of the industrial revolution or the Japanese autoworker who wisely specialized and ultimately became Toyota's "first-ever chief monozukuri officer" and one of it's few who climbed from the training academy to executive ranks without a college degree.

One important fact that more of us need to know about is how tax laws are encouraging companies to automate.  Physical equipment, including computers and robots, are taxed at a lower rate than human labor.

Definitely worth reading!