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Review
‘Combines the real and virtual worlds in style. A cracking read’ Sun
‘Doctorow isn't afraid of taking on big ideas and difficult themes… An exhilarating, unputdownable novel’ Guardian
‘Topical, scarily believeable near-future novel’ Bookseller
Praise for Little Brother:
‘I’d recommend ‘Little Brother’ over pretty much any book I’ve read this year. Because I think it’ll change lives. It’s a wonderful, important book’ Neil Gaiman
‘Cory Doctorow’s novel could hardly be more relevant, scary and eye-opening … seriously entertaining.’ The Times
‘A cracking read’ Guardian
‘A well structured and superbly executed thriller with breakneck pacing and an emotional payoff to boot. Engaging, thought provoking, and at times harrowing.SciFi Now
‘An entertaining thriller and a thoughful polemic on Internet-era civil rights … a terrific read’ New York Times
‘A compulsive and chillingly credible read … would make a great discussion for any reading group’ New Books
‘A tale of struggle familiar to any teenager, about those moments when you choose what your life is going to mean.’ Steven Gould, author of ‘Jumper’
‘A timely and at times frightening read that is sure to resonate with a generation of computer-savvy teens, but also with those who have never heard of an arphid or re-built a hard drive’ Sun Herald (Australia)
Review
'Combines the real and virtual worlds in style. A cracking read' Sun 'Doctorow isn't afraid of taking on big ideas and difficult themes! An exhilarating, unputdownable novel' Guardian Praise for Little Brother: 'I'd recommend 'Little Brother' over pretty much any book I've read this year. Because I think it'll change lives. It's a wonderful, important book' Neil Gaiman 'Cory Doctorow's novel could hardly be more relevant, scary and eye-opening ! seriously entertaining.' The Times 'A cracking read' Guardian 'A well structured and superbly executed thriller with breakneck pacing and an emotional payoff to boot. Engaging, thought provoking, and at times harrowing.SciFi Now 'An entertaining thriller and a thoughful polemic on Internet-era civil rights ! a terrific read' New York Times 'A compulsive and chillingly credible read ! would make a great discussion for any reading group' New Books 'A tale of struggle familiar to any teenager, about those moments when you choose what your life is going to mean.' Steven Gould, author of 'Jumper' 'A timely and at times frightening read that is sure to resonate with a generation of computer-savvy teens, but also with those who have never heard of an arphid or re-built a hard drive' Sun Herald (Australia)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Those who play MMOGs will have many a little chuckle when they read this book, buying virtual money with real money is part and parcel of the online game scene, love it or hate it, it's there.
For the Win takes place in the near future, when multiplayer online games--descendants of Everquest and World of Warcraft have continued to rise in popularity.
Gold farmers work long hours under harsh conditions to harvest digital items and currency from the games so they can be sold for real cash. When they realize they are being mistreated, they begin to come together and fight for their rights, in both the real world and in their virtual world.
The story of unions, economics, and video games that Doctorow has created is exciting and eye-opening. It will probably appeal most to nerdier, technology-oriented types with an interest in the money game that makes the world go 'round, but almost anyone could find something to enjoy here.
For the Win takes place in the near future, when multiplayer online games--descendants of Everquest and World of Warcraft have continued to rise in popularity.
Gold farmers work long hours under harsh conditions to harvest digital items and currency from the games so they can be sold for real cash. When they realize they are being mistreated, they begin to come together and fight for their rights, in both the real world and in their virtual world.
The story of unions, economics, and video games that Doctorow has created is exciting and eye-opening. It will probably appeal most to nerdier, technology-oriented types with an interest in the money game that makes the world go 'round, but almost anyone could find something to enjoy here.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I had my doubts about this book, given that I often find myself disagreeing with most of Doctorow's journalism and hard-core tech attitudes - though never doubting his expertise. (To irritate the author, I'm reading the book on my iPad!)
However this book immediately draws you in with it's brief episodic beginning. It's written like a screenplay with short scenes that paint a vivid picture of the characters and their situations. If you're familiar with online gaming you'll get the situation immediately, and if you're not, you will soon begin to wonder what MMORPGs have to offer.
The characters are all young, set up in some way against authority and the world of adults - adrift in a world where the only escape is to adopt a different character either in real life or the virtual one.
The characters are appealing, even if their situations are not, whether it's the poor quarters of China or India, or the more affluent suburbs of America.
Only one thing really jars with this book - the mention of Coca Cola as one of the games' producers. It just doesn't fit in an otherwise fictional world, this one beacon of specific reality (especially as they aren't, to my knowledge, in the software business). Why Coca Cola? It just sticks out like a sore thumb. That's why I only give it four stars - occasionally the book reads like it needed a stronger editor. But only occasionally.
Well written, with a powerful female character that makes this appealing to all genders and all ages, the battle sequences will have you gripped. Recommended for older kids or adults who like a good story.
However this book immediately draws you in with it's brief episodic beginning. It's written like a screenplay with short scenes that paint a vivid picture of the characters and their situations. If you're familiar with online gaming you'll get the situation immediately, and if you're not, you will soon begin to wonder what MMORPGs have to offer.
The characters are all young, set up in some way against authority and the world of adults - adrift in a world where the only escape is to adopt a different character either in real life or the virtual one.
The characters are appealing, even if their situations are not, whether it's the poor quarters of China or India, or the more affluent suburbs of America.
Only one thing really jars with this book - the mention of Coca Cola as one of the games' producers. It just doesn't fit in an otherwise fictional world, this one beacon of specific reality (especially as they aren't, to my knowledge, in the software business). Why Coca Cola? It just sticks out like a sore thumb. That's why I only give it four stars - occasionally the book reads like it needed a stronger editor. But only occasionally.
Well written, with a powerful female character that makes this appealing to all genders and all ages, the battle sequences will have you gripped. Recommended for older kids or adults who like a good story.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is the third Cory Doctorow novel I have read. The first, Little Brother is a tightly plotted techno-thriller, that examines the abuse of technology in the war on terror. The second, Makers is a much more bloated affair, detailing the use of future technologies to bring about an economic new world order. 'For The Win' sits somewhere between the two.
Again, we are in the near future. 'For The Win' features a host of disparate characters all tied to the multi-million dollar gaming industry. In essence, this is a tale about the powerful and rich exploiting the weak and poor. Many of the characters 'farm' computer world gold, which can then be sold for real money, through the black market. These farmers work on repetitive in-game tasks, in sweatshops run by unscrupulous bosses. They are paid a pittance whilst the bosses cream off all the money. The novel charts the exploits of a group of works campaigning for better rights for the oppressed farmers.
My game playing days are sadly now behind me, but I found the central premise intriguing. That there is serious money to be made by hoarding a virtual asset in something as facile as a computer game is barely credulous, but Doctorow knows this stuff inside out. There is no doubting the integrity of his information, or his vision of the future. Unfortunately the resulting novel just isn't that exciting.
There are some great sections in the novel, Doctorow's vision is breathtaking, but once again (like 'Makers') his story becomes bogged down in the details. For every exciting chapter, that has the Chinese police breaking down doors, or the Indian gold-farmers defending their livelihoods, there is a verbose chunk of pseudo-intellectual economic theory. It breaks the flow of the story, ruining the novel's pace.
Doctorow is well known in the blogosphere, a place where it's safe to ramble on as much as you want about whatever you like, and has an ardent following of like-minded readers. They will no doubt love this novel, but if like me - you are passing through, searching for an entertaining read, then brevity is what you will be looking for. 'Little Brother' had this. It was accessible, readable and exciting. 'For the Win' is crying out for a ruthless editor with a sharp pair of scissors.
'For the Win' is readable enough, but too often it feels like you are reading somebody's intellectual ponderings rather than a coherent novel. The tension does build well towards the end, but ultimately, realistic though the ending is, it is something of a damp squib. The excitement and tension ebbs away, leaving me only with the frustrating sense of opportunities missed.
Again, we are in the near future. 'For The Win' features a host of disparate characters all tied to the multi-million dollar gaming industry. In essence, this is a tale about the powerful and rich exploiting the weak and poor. Many of the characters 'farm' computer world gold, which can then be sold for real money, through the black market. These farmers work on repetitive in-game tasks, in sweatshops run by unscrupulous bosses. They are paid a pittance whilst the bosses cream off all the money. The novel charts the exploits of a group of works campaigning for better rights for the oppressed farmers.
My game playing days are sadly now behind me, but I found the central premise intriguing. That there is serious money to be made by hoarding a virtual asset in something as facile as a computer game is barely credulous, but Doctorow knows this stuff inside out. There is no doubting the integrity of his information, or his vision of the future. Unfortunately the resulting novel just isn't that exciting.
There are some great sections in the novel, Doctorow's vision is breathtaking, but once again (like 'Makers') his story becomes bogged down in the details. For every exciting chapter, that has the Chinese police breaking down doors, or the Indian gold-farmers defending their livelihoods, there is a verbose chunk of pseudo-intellectual economic theory. It breaks the flow of the story, ruining the novel's pace.
Doctorow is well known in the blogosphere, a place where it's safe to ramble on as much as you want about whatever you like, and has an ardent following of like-minded readers. They will no doubt love this novel, but if like me - you are passing through, searching for an entertaining read, then brevity is what you will be looking for. 'Little Brother' had this. It was accessible, readable and exciting. 'For the Win' is crying out for a ruthless editor with a sharp pair of scissors.
'For the Win' is readable enough, but too often it feels like you are reading somebody's intellectual ponderings rather than a coherent novel. The tension does build well towards the end, but ultimately, realistic though the ending is, it is something of a damp squib. The excitement and tension ebbs away, leaving me only with the frustrating sense of opportunities missed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Worth a read, but...
If you're on this product page, chances are you've already read the synopsis posted above, so I won't go into the subject matter in too much detail. Read more
Published 8 days ago by Mr. David Wackett
Modern writing that illuminates issues
Doctorow is one of the vibrant new voices of english-language literature. He's writing about a reality that already around us yet describes it in a way that makes it seem like the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Simon Phipps
The What If Scenario
`For the Win''s premise had much potential and largely that potential is adeptly explored by the author, but overall my impression of the novel was that it was too bogged-down in... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Fantasy Lore
Entertaining, educational and genuinely moving
"For The Win" is a return to form for Cory Doctorow after the rather disappointing "Little Brother". Read more
Published 5 months ago by Clever Spud
A strong novel about gold farmers in China and India
The near future. In India and China many thousands of gamers are slaving in PC sweatshops, working as gold farmers, accumulating virtual money in various online games and then... Read more
Published 12 months ago by A. Whitehead
Didn't really connect
The writing was excellent but somehow the characters left my daughter, the teenager reader for this one, cold. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Richard Hammond
A hard-to-read polemic
Last year, I very much enjoyed Doctorow's Little Brother, part YA novel about civil liberties and part how-to guide for civil disobedience in the 21st century. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Stephan Burn
Best book I've read for ages
I found this compelling in a way I haven't found anything since Cryptonomicon. The style is very much Stephenson meets Freakonomics. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Karmicnull
Little Brother has grown up good
Doctorow weaves a highly original story setting from three observations.
* Currency and assets in virtual worlds have significant real world value and large economies... Read more
* Currency and assets in virtual worlds have significant real world value and large economies... Read more
Published 18 months ago by J. Dawson
C21 social(ist) cyberpunk
When Gibson and the other cyberpunk writers gave us cyberspace in the 1980s their supposed near-future vision seemed remote and overly pessimistic. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Ray Blake
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