This combination of Ray Bradbury and Steven King—with just a dash of H.P. Lovecraft—is a genuinely scary book.
Publications
The fault is in ourselves
As reports of foreign meddling in elections and vulnerabilities in voting technology multiply, keep in mind that the ultimate target in these attacks is us, not our machines.
Worth Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
If you like your revenge served ice cold, this is the book for you.
Battling the federal bureaucracy
According to federal CIOs, the greatest challenge to managing government IT is not technical; it’s manpower.
Worth Reading: The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Arguably the first modern novel, Don Quixote has aged little in four hundred years. Still as funny and moving as when its author created it.
Worth Reading: Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Ivanhoe has it all—once you’ve read this tale of knights in shining armor you won’t have to read any other medieval romance.
Worth Reading: Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Don’t be put off by the title—Bleak House contains a full complement of Dickens’ humor as well as social commentary and it introduces Inspector Bucket, the prototypical English detective.
GovernmentCIO: Simulations Are No Mere Game For Feds
Covering the show for GovernmentCIO, the government track at the Serious Games Conference in Manassas, Virginia was loaded with sessions addressing gamification and its role in government.
Worth Reading: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas–A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson
The preeminent work of gonzo journalism by its preeminent practitioner. Don’t let the drugs fool you—the writing is disciplined and crafted. The pictures are good, too.
Worth Reading: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Hacking, swordplay, virtual reality and high-stakes pizza delivery in a franchised future, circa now.