This book started off with a bang (sorry, tasteless pun) that led nowhere. It was one big missed opportunity. Such a shame. A fascinating and prescient topic rendered dry as a bone, and the narrative construct that required it be marketed as "fiction" was exactly its downfall. The author attempted to paint a picture of a vibrant historical figure through the perspectives of the people in his orbit, but since all the dozen or so voices were the same, they basically told us nothing. The childhood friend was interesting, the wife was interesting, the nemesis was interesting. The rest were unnecessary. Part 2 involving AI was engaging on its own merits, but clumsily tacked on to the rest of the story.