Microserfs - Douglas Coupland

Microserfs is a thrilling contemporary portrait of life in Silicone Valley at the height of the 'dot com' boom. The novel is written as a set of haphazard diaries, following the everyday lives and thoughts of programmer Daniel and his co-workers. He's struggling to navigate the treacherous career ladder at Microsoft, and ascend to success, prosperity and - stock options - without feeling like a treadmill robot drone. He's trying to figure out where work ends and life begins. Along with his friends Michael (genius and lover of flat food), Bug (paranoid android), Karla (girlfriend with IQ of 900), plus a whole lot more, he risks everything to start anew and be ...  Read the complete review

I found out about Douglas Coupland through an article in a computer magazine a while back. The description of Microserfs sounded like it could be a good read, so when I was next looking for a book to read to waste a few hours, that was the one I bought. Microserfs is basically an account of a young man called Dan who works for Microsoft. I should point out that this is neither a pro- or anti-Microsoft book, and in fact the author could have used any famous I.T. firm, but probably chose Microsoft because it is the most famous. He explains his hopes and dreams in a diary type form so that, over the period of a short time, you get to see what happens in his life. ...  Read the complete review

Douglas Coupland is one of the few authors who I will actually make an effort to buy a new book of his when it comes out. This book is probably one of the main reasons for this – it’s gotta be one of my favourite books of all time. It’s a story written from a diary perspective of a guy called Dan. At the start of the book he is single and working for the Microsoft Corporation in America. It progresses though the book with him and his friends leaving their jobs and setting up their own company. The thing I like about this book and his book’s in general is the way that he makes such accurate observations on life in the world ...  Read the complete review

I had never heard of this writer before and the book was bought for me for a present, because I am into computers, and the cover notes give reference to Microsoft and Bill! I easily got into the book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! "Microserfs", written by Douglas Coupland and published by Flamingo is the story of a group of freinds who work for Microsoft but decide to fly solo in the world and start their own software company. The book is written in a diary style, with a humorous manner and ongoing jokes and themes throughout the novel. We see the world from Dan's point of view, as he discusses life at Microsoft, life without ...  Read the complete review

This was the first Coupland book I read and so far I think it's better than either Generation X or Girlfriend in a Coma. It is basically the diary of a computer programmer (Dan) working for Microsoft and then working for his mate's company with his other ex-Microsoft mates. Given this background it is a bit geeky in places, but I loved it - maybe that's because I work in computing! The book is filled with plenty of cynical comments on modern life in the computing industry, but I think non computing folks would find it almost as entertaining. If nothing else it gives something of an insight into the strange world of the computer geek. ...  Read the complete review