It wasn't bad but could have been edited down a lot like about a 1/4 of it at least .

I like sci-fi, but man, a lot of these dudes are long-winded (and how do they manage to write so freaking many books regardless? Fantasy authors too especially). I picked this one up because it was lauded and I loved the concept: a future society where people sit on their asses on the couch and send out disposable one-use-only clones (made out of clay and color-coded based on brain power and durability, from dumb-as-Gumby Greens to sleek, efficient Ebonies) to do the stuff they don't want to do: go to work, run errands, walk the dog. Then the clones, already starting to break down, come home and upload their memories to the main user and voila! A whole day's work AND you got to watch The View.

Though there are some nifty ideas at work (what if the clone decides he doesn't want to run your errands? what would a religion that catered to creations that live only a day look like?), they aren't nearly interesting enough to support a 600-page book, at least when they've been wrapped in a smartass whodunnit with too many shifting points-of-view (which are technically the same point-of-view since the clones all have identical memories to begin with, argh).

I read about a third of it, didn't care enough to find out what was going to happen. Who knows, maybe it got really cool at the end. Still probably wasn't as cool as this.

One of my favorite worlds created by a sci fi author. David Brin does an incredible job not just of fleshing out this alternate future, but following through on the logical consequences of living in such a world, at both small and large scale. The characters are not as three dimensional as I would like, but the plot and pacing are good enough to balance that out. This is not the first time I've read this and I'll definitely come back to it again in a couple years.

This was one of the most fun books I've read in a while. Though it took a little patience getting used to the slang and culture of this book's setting, it was well worth it. I really enjoyed following the multiple threads of the story, character development, and multifaceted vision of a possible future world. Part detective, sci-fi, spiritual, and philosophical this had my brain tingling with possibility. Highly recommended.

A fun story with a novel and interesting core concept, which I enjoyed exploring, but unfortunately delving into areas too crazy and mystical for me to appreciate it.

Excellent book about "disposable people" and (mostly about) the social ramifications.

I thought this was a really good book, with a fascinating world concept that I'd love to see explored further. A post-internet technology without being alien, or space related. And sure the book did shove its head up its own ass towards the end and kind of lose its way it was still worth reading. I wish he, or others, would write more in this world.