Dawn of the New Everything: Encounters with Reality and Virtual Reality

Jaron Lanier

I think Jaron Lanier is among the most interesting people in the world. This, his memoir, shows just how fascinating he is. Raised largely by a single father in a house Jaron built himself as a child (yes, really) he has carefully carved out a life of creativity and innovation. He is in many ways the last true weirdo of Silicon Valley milieu.

The book is broken into two interchanging parts – memoir and then a sort of technical / philosophical history of VR. I loved the memoir but was far less interested in the VR parts. Lanier himself says you can skip that if you want and I’d take his advice. Still worth the price of admission for a glimpse into a fascinating person.

Recommended.