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Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary Review

This is a very quick read. You could even say fluffy. But I really enjoyed it. I use Linux everyday and it has become my preferred operating system for almost everything except managing the Windows environments that pay my bills.

The moments in the book I most enjoyed were reading about Linus' family life, his introduction to computers, and the culture he grew up in. I found all of this very interesting and inspiring.

I didn't enjoy the somewhat "serious" chapters toward the end - and in terms of a "good" bit of writing the book falls short. I suspect Diamond had his work cut out for him trying to coax the material our of Torvalds to produce an entire book.

None the less, I'm happy I picked it up and it was quick and fun read. It is not a technical book, so if you are looking for an in depth technical analysis of Torvalds and the early development of Linux this is not it.

If you are looking for a glimpse of the Linus Torvalds you could sit down and have a beer with, this book is for you.

Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary Overview

Once upon a time Linus Torvalds was a skinny unknown, just another nerdy Helsinki techie who had been fooling around with computers since childhood. Then he wrote a groundbreaking operating system and distributed it via the Internet -- for free. Today Torvalds is an international folk hero. And his creation LINUX is used by over 12 million people as well as by companies such as IBM.

Now, in a narrative that zips along with the speed of e-mail, Torvalds gives a history of his renegade software while candidly revealing the quirky mind of a genius. The result is an engrossing portrayal of a man with a revolutionary vision, who challenges our values and may change our world.

Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary Specifications

Most 31-year olds can't boast of being the instigator of a revolution. But then again, the world's leading promoter of open source software and creator of the operating system Linux does humbly call himself an accidental revolutionary--accidental being the operative word here. Just for Fun is the quirky story of how Linus Torvalds went from being a penniless, introverted code writer in Helsinki in the early 1990s to being the unwitting (and rather less than penniless) leader of a radical shift in computer programming by the end of the decade.

OK, perhaps "story" in the traditional sense of the term is stretching it a bit. This whole book is more like a series of e-mails, an exercise in textual communication for someone more used to code language than conversation: choppy sentences packed into short paragraphs, and sometimes just one-liners. The pace is fast, but the quippy tone can get somewhat tiring, though it definitely suits the portrayal of a computer-dominated life. And like an e-mail conversation, the tense often changes, the topics jump back and forth, and the narrators occasionally change, mostly alternating between the Linux man himself and Red Herring executive editor David Diamond, who convinced the difficult-to-pin-down Torvalds to write his story (or at least allow Diamond to poke, prod, and pull it out of him, all the while giving his own impressions and interpretations). But Torvald's tale contains enough informative and entertaining tidbits--on growing up in dark, strangely silent but communication-gadget-obsessed Finland (which boasts more cell phones per capita than anywhere else), on what makes passionate code writers tick, on making the transition from unknown computer geek to world-famous computer geek, on the convergence of technology and ideology, on his work for Transmeta and involvement (or lack thereof) with all the players worth mentioning in Silicon Valley - to keep more than just computer programmers engrossed in his story. For the latter, of course, Just for Fun will be required reading.

If you pick up this book as a geek's guide to the meaning of life (which, believe it or not, Torvalds does ramble on about at the beginning and the end), then you're in for a bit of a shallow take on the whole thing. But if you're interested in the idea of technological development as a global team sport, and how a nerdy Finnish transplant to California got the whole game going in the first place, check out Linus's story... just for fun, of course. --S. Ketchum

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Customer Reviews

Very interesting reading - Carolyn H. Niemann - California
I bought this book for my 12-year-old son, who requested it and he is a kid who NEVER reads. It's like pulling teeth getting him to read, but even though this book is certainly written at an adult reading level, it captivated him. We were in Paris and he brought the book along...instead of taking in the sights, he was walking along the banks of the Seine with his nose buried in this book. Unfortunately he lost it on the plane ride home, but requested another copy for his birthday so we've now bought it twice. Can't imagine a better recommendation for a book than that!

Humanity vs Greed. A true life story where the good guys win - V. Bradley - CA USA
Industrial secrecy stifles scientific progress, because science thrives on free communication.

Why do you think Linux, in it's various forms are popping up in cellphones, DVR's, and computers all over the world?

Free communication is the lifeblood of science; secrecy is it's bane.

If you doubt it, just read the story of Linux and it's creator, in the book "Just for Fun" by Linus Torvalds. You will come away understanding the concept that "money isn't everything".

This book has personality! - Steven -
This book is a great look into the history of Linus and Linux, at least as he remembers it. It is not authoritative, it is not serious. You get a large taste of Linus' personality, which most Linux users will never get to experience in person. You end up wanting to take Linus out for a beer, and to discuss the Finnish religion of "sauna".

Bottom line, this is a lighthearted, fun to read look at the creation and creator of the Linux kernel.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 20, 2010 15:26:05

Source: http://booksbybubu.blogspot.com/2010/08/great-price-for-431.html