Just+For+Fun

The Person Who Single-handedly Transformed the World of Computers Everyone knows who Bill Gates is; but how many know the creator who single-handedly created the Linux operating system? //Just for Fun// is a biography Linus Torvalds, the man remembers life not in the jobs he held, but in the computers he had and the man who created Linux. However, //Just For Fun// is not a book about how to use Linux, but a book which looks into Linus' personal life and his view of the world, which makes it an interesting read due to the novelty of the subject. The book encompasses the childhood of Linus' life up to the present. Even as a child, Linus had a fondness of computers. In the present day, his interest in computers haven't diminished, shown by the fact that he wrote this book. The book also talks about what keeps him interested in the computers between his childhood and present day. The experience with computers Linus goes through in his teenage and adult years would be interesting for people also interested in computers, since Linus is a computer legend, and it knowledge is obscure, giving it more appeal. This book also reveals the "darker" side of Linus, where he is engaged in internet flames. Readers might find appealing, since it is quite a surprise to Linus, portrayed as someone meek, flaming. One example of such passage is when Linus is arguing against the creator of Minix, which was competitor to Linux. "RE 2: Your job is being a professor and researcher: That's one hell of a good excuse of some of the brain damages of minix. I can only hope (and assume) that Amoeba doesn't' suck like minix[sic] does." These passages also add flavor to the book, since its style is different than the narrative. The book also contains a chapter of Linus' description of the “joys of programming”. It is a chapter programmers will enjoy reading, because they will feel the same way. A description Linus gives is that "[programming], to someone who does it, it's the most interesting thing in the world. It's a game more involved than chess, a game where you can make up your own rules.... And yet to the outside, it looks like the most boring thing on Earth." Aside from learning about the life of Linus, the book also educates the reader in the Free Software Foundation (FSF). Simply put, the FSF is a community-driven project to deliver free software, free as in the freedom for anyone to //anything// with the software, no strings attached. The educational value adds to this book's appeal. With witty passages and quick-paced emails, and a educational conclusion, the contents of the book are well-rounded. However, the book is not without its faults. Every few chapters, David Diamond, the book's co-author, writes a little "blurb" about Linus and his family in their present lives, such as the difficulties in taking care of children, or what Linus' sister does for a job. The passages is not related to the subject of previous chapter, nor does it provide a transition in the next one. The style of the writing is noticeably different, and is rather dry in comparison. They are also hard to read in the literal sense, because they are printed in smaller and italicized font.