My main problem with the book is that, like most culture these days, it caves to our ever-shrinking attention spans. At its best, culture elevates, instead of reflects, humanity. But more and more, we see films with five-second scenes and read books with "vignettes" (read: chapters that can be leaked as snippets accompanying a photo slideshow). We come away titillated, but learning very little. In short, I might like the book more if, instead of trying to tackle 15 different players in 20-page chapters, it tackled only one. Character development, in film and literature, is a lost art, and I'm dismayed when I see authors like Mr. Ryan furthering, as opposed to bucking, that trend. It reveals a certain laziness and makes me, at least, less likely to accept what I'm being told.