"Against the Day" by Thomas Pynchon
Pynchon has been one of the most astute American writers on media for
quite a while now and this book is somewhat of a summation of theories
he's explored in his other books. Mostly it's a slam at the
increasingly bourgeois attitude of Americans regarding globalization.
Yes, it's long and convoluted at times but worth the effort. He even
manages to use Jasper Johns as an oblique reference point.
"Day of the Jackal" by Fredrick Forsyth
I've access to a trove of classic cold war spy novels and find Forsyth
fascinating in terms of systems aesthetics. Plus I learned how to go
about knocking off a world leader.
Robbin Murphy
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