This is quite a funny book and I mostly enjoyed it. There are a few things left to the reader's imagination/extrapolation which is ok except when those things are semi-interesting plot points. Nicely wrapped up in the end and it's a pretty good read overall. The "mostly enjoyed" part is because it spends a lot of time giving the reader background in places where I feel it's unnecessary and that process slows the story down. Probably would not read again.
I really wanted to like this book. It has amazing concepts (recursively embedded multiverses for one) and brings together a wide range of characters, locations and is very inventive SciFi. The writing is fluid and I can see where the story wants to go but it just doesn't "come together" in a way which gels with me. Pity because I think it could be truly amazing. This is my second time through this book and there won't be a third.
This is a 20+ year old book and some of the advice in it is pretty dated. In fact, just reading the first few tips (out of 102!) I almost put the book on my "discard" pile. But there are some worthy stories and "rules" (some appropriate contradictory and called out as such by the author) so it wasn't a waste of time re-reading this. Not a great book for today; but a light and fast read with some good advice.
A second-time read for me. I came across this bok in a second-hand bookshop a few years ago and grabbed it because I'm a big fan of Stephenson. His collaboration with Galland on this particular book is excellent - it's a little easier to read than some other Stephenson books (I'm looking at you, Anathem) but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book. Great read although very long. I see that Galland has written a sequel (witout Stephenson) so will pick up a copy and see how it goes. Definitely worth the time to read again.