i have to say i was pretty disappointed by eastern standard tribe by cory doctorow (author’s website, including free electronic versions).

the story didn’t really seem to get moving until half way through the book, and ultimately the world he creates just isn’t as interesting as in his first novel, down and out in the magic kingdom.

i think another problem i had with the book is that i just didn’t find the central idea very well developed, or all that intriguing. and you might think i would, considering that i work with people in far-flung timezones, many of whom work schedules that are warped to sync up with non-local timezones. and i regularly use irc to coordinate and socialize with coworkers.