There were some interesting ideas in this book. The world (or one fragment of the world) from the future that Doctorow writes about is creatively designed, but not too well explained. I do appreciate Gibson style: drop readers right in the middle of the story, letting them find their way around. However, it didn't work here. The most interesting part of this book was the world itself. I have so many questions unanswered, and the dragging plot felt most of the time like just an annoying distraction.To summarize: amazing setting but a boring story