Review of What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?
- John Owen
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Review of What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?
"What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?" by Neal Bialostosky follows Ben Collins, a network manager who finds himself embroiled in strange events after a meeting with his boss, Hippleton. Hippleton assigns Ben to lead a new project investigating free will. However, Ben soon discovers the project comes with mysterious circumstances and challenging definitions.
Ben witnesses an awkward encounter between Hippleton and a new employee, Evelyn Broadwell, fueling his suspicions. He is approached by an unhinged Russian coworker with a warning about Hippleton. At the same time, Ben crosses paths with an enigmatic figure known as the Black Hole.
Ben researches more about the project but finds no answers to the complex questions of consciousness. He spies further odd interactions between Hippleton and Evelyn from his office window. Confused and concerned over what he's uncovered, Ben receives a cryptic message from Hippleton about an important meeting. But everything just seems to throw him into a continuous loop of paradoxes and uncertainties. Grab a copy to know how it all went down.
This was a very interesting and suspenseful novel to read. It raises philosophical questions about the nature of mind, choice, and determinism through its sci-fi speculative plotlines and array of mysterious characters. It leaves the overall scenario and their interrelations ambiguous, which serves to maintain suspense and tension throughout. The book mirrors the challenges of defining and investigating free will, especially in the age of technological advancement, robots, and AI.
I like how the characters are drawn and the fact that their roles are played out quite well. The story expands to introduce other characters who help enhance the storyline. For example, it introduces Eddie and his friend Nigel, who are experimenting with advanced brain enhancement technology.
There are disturbing visions and realizations in the book that kept me hooked. The only thing that was a little difficult for me was establishing the connection between the separate storylines and subplots, which involve AI experimentation, brain hacking, and the overall theme of the uncertainties of human free will and control. I was able to piece it all together when I finished reading, though. Despite this, I still award the book 5 out of 5 stars because I had a wonderful reading experience. The book was exceptionally well edited.
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What Do You Think, Mr. Collins?
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