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dm81's review
5.0
Collection of short essays on how a Brave New World type dystopia might come to be. Huxley was particularly visionary on the subjects of over-organisation, the rise of mood-altering drugs, advertising and media control. Just as relevant today, this is well worth reading.
livvygirl's review against another edition
I’m struggling to stay engaged with this writing style and story
jcal9's review against another edition
3.0
The philosophy of over-population, over-organisation, and propaganda in totalitarian and capitalist societies will always be a debatable. Huxley does a decent job in trying to explain how scientific and technological advancements will/have influenced these topics.
Unfortunately, the short coming of the text resides in the fact Huxley did not predict the development of the internet. We are lucky, despite the NSA etc, that the internet has extended our civil liberties, rather than degraded. However, as the key message of the book continually enforces, concentration of power in few hands can destroy the power of the technology to extend our liberties.
In summary, the first half and last two chapters of the book present ideas that are as salient today as in the 1960s. However, Huxley's ideas about psychology, biology and psychiatry in the remaining chapters are well and truly dated.
Unfortunately, the short coming of the text resides in the fact Huxley did not predict the development of the internet. We are lucky, despite the NSA etc, that the internet has extended our civil liberties, rather than degraded. However, as the key message of the book continually enforces, concentration of power in few hands can destroy the power of the technology to extend our liberties.
In summary, the first half and last two chapters of the book present ideas that are as salient today as in the 1960s. However, Huxley's ideas about psychology, biology and psychiatry in the remaining chapters are well and truly dated.
ul1845's review
3.0
Personally…the book as far as story is concerned, is not very good. It’s not something that you can make a movie out of. If made into a movie, people would not walk out. They would die in their chairs.
But what makes this book so great is the concept behind the boring story line. Although I am a slow reader (and slow in general), this book took me longer to finish than excepted. It is one of those books that you would get side tracked on because it would make you think. Think about our present society and its crazy issues. I was amazed how many of my own thoughts were described in this book. In the end I sided with the society. I find this interesting because I am usually naive towards societies in books where the theme is “me against the world.”
But what makes this book so great is the concept behind the boring story line. Although I am a slow reader (and slow in general), this book took me longer to finish than excepted. It is one of those books that you would get side tracked on because it would make you think. Think about our present society and its crazy issues. I was amazed how many of my own thoughts were described in this book. In the end I sided with the society. I find this interesting because I am usually naive towards societies in books where the theme is “me against the world.”
clthompsn's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
2.75
it's just a really odd book. i don't think i am a big fan of dystopian worlds but whatevers. They're also just gay for eachother like: "In spite of their sadness-because of it, even; for their sadness was the symptom of their love for one another-the three young men were happy."
icesloth's review
5.0
A book every politician to read to make society better or learn to control us. As Huxley states that knowledge can be used for good or ill.
quaestus's review
5.0
A prescient account of one possible future, the novel highlights many advances in science that have already come true.