Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful book, best SF of the year 1995
Review: This book just won the Hugo for best Novel of 1995, and
it deserved to win. Snow Crash (his previous book) was a very funny book, a
great read but not completely coherent. This novel is
far more serious and better thought out. Stephenson has
managed with just two books to become one of the best SF
writers of the 1990s. I can't recomend this book more
highly.
Rating:
Summary: A realistic view of the future, I hope, I think.
Review: Diamond Age takes much of the existing knowledge of technology to another level.
Some of it wonderful, some of it disturbing. It speaks to the return to clans &
protecting your own, because no one does it for you. Tubes into your home that you get necessary property from & smart paper that acts as a sheet computer...
A MUST READ!!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent concepts, excellent execution, a heroic tale.
Review: This story contains a well thought-out universe of a cyberpunk
future that has transcended cyberpunk, going straight to nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology is an entirely different path and opens up entirely
new possibilities. But what I found most fascinating is the concept
and execution of the Primer itself! A godlike role playing master
that fulfills all of the potential of our minds and imaginations!
Yes, brilliant possibilities are explored here. Neal Stephenson
has created a worthy rival to his groundbreaking "Snow Crash".
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic, visionary journey!
Review: The best sci-fi I've read this year. Stephenson's view
of the future is based around nanotechnology and is amazingly
well thought-out and detailed. Every aspect of life in
a fast-paced, futuristic society is well thought out.
This is a must read - it pushes the envelope of science fiction
standards.
Rating:
Summary: Best I've read in years
Review: Science fiction is so often wrapped up in the details of its ideas that it forgets about stories or about the characters that bring these ideas to life. Stephenson's novel is different. It is fashioned after the great Victorian novels of Dickens, Eliot, and others, providing complex, intricate plots and equally interesting characters. It is as exciting, as surprising, and as rewarding as any book I have read in years
Rating:
Summary: More thought provoking than Neuromancer. A great read.
Review: More sincere and less sophmoric than Snow Crash. I passed
it onto more girlfriend who loved it. An incorporation of a
future world view with history and fantasy and science.
The book is addicting and I wished it would have never ended.
-Michael (and Fran)
Rating: 
Summary: Diamond Age Is Great Nanofun!
Review: The Diamond Age is equal, but not better than Snow Crash and Zodiak.
It hooked me at the beginning, and I'm still hooked half way through.
Neal Stehpenson's portrayal of nanotechnology as an everyday part of
life intrigued me, and I hope will intrigue you. The only drawbacks
to this book are typographical, whereas even though it's easy to read,
Text from the Primer is lacking in quality. Could've had a better title
as well. Great Book.
Rating:
Summary: This is the kind of book I like to recommend to friends.
Review: If Umberto Eco wrote about technology, sociology, and the future, a book like this would be the result. This book is humorous, thought provoking, deep, and full of memorable passages that will require me to re-read it to fully savor them. I really like this book
Rating:
Summary: fascinating vision of nanotech-driven future
Review: This book is pleasantly dense with interesting ideas about what the future holds. The title refers to the progression of material-driven stages of human progress -- the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, etc. In "the Diamond Age", matter compilers can easily create diamonds out of raw carbon. Basic foodstuffs and many other material wants can be satisfied by these matter compilers. This has created a world in which no one need starve. However there are still tremendous disparities between rich and poor, because many human comforts such as entertainment and fine food still require the services of other people, which must be bought in hard currency. Networked nano-technology is all-pervasive, with microscopic robots putting these poorer citizens under constant surveillance. Faced with this hyperactive stew of technologies, ancient instincts and traditions run strong. Crime, poverty, and tribal conflict are still rampant in this world. People cling to old ways of thought (a strong Confucian motif runs through the book) to help make human sense of the rapidly changing world. Against this backdrop, a fantastically advanced piece of technology (a sentient child's primer) is stolen, and winds up in the hands of a destitute young waif named Nell. Her resulting world-class education, and what she does with that education, is the binding for the various threads of the story. The book's characters are well-realized for the most part, the writing style is honed and mature, the plot is intricate and engaging. The ending is controversial in its ambiguity, but that does not diminish the power of the book as a whole. In all, a very thought-provoking read.
Rating: 
Summary: Starts with a Bang, Ends with a Whimper
Review: I picked up "The Diamond Age" with a glee so intense that it borders on embarassing. Like most of the other reviewers, I loved "Snow Crash." I assumed... no, I HOPED that I'd love "The Diamond Age" as much, but unfortunately that didn't happen. It started off promising, with an interesting concept, likable characters, and that unparalleled Stephenson sense of style. But those qualities didn't gel into a cohesive story for me, and I have to admit that it was disappointing. The story itself is intriguing. The main focus is on Nell, a little girl in possession of an interactive Primer that not only teaches her but also nurtures her in the absence of parents or loved ones. But really, it's an ensemble tale (it's no accident that a reviewer compares Stephenson to Quentin Tarantino, who creates incredibly complex ensemble films). It's also about Miranda, who provides the nurturing quality in the Primer. It's about Elizabeth, who has a Primer of her own. It's about Harv, Nell's brother. It's about the society they live in. Ultimately, this is where the book falls short of the high standards set in "Snow Crash." After all, "Snow Crash" has a similar format, a number of subplots all converging in the end to reach a final, stunning (perhaps too stunning) conclusion. What's the difference between them? I cared about all of the subplots in "Snow Crash" and all of the characters in them. I was as wrapped up in them as I was in Hiro Protagonist, the focal point of the book. I didn't feel the same way with "Diamond Age." I cared about Nell, yes, but the other characters were secondary to her. I really didn't care about what happened to them. Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time learning about them; they're central to the plot. They end up acting as plot devices to get the story where it needs to be rather than fully developed characters that we can sink our teeth into. Do I recommend that you read this book? I can't say that I hated it. I was interested enough to get to the end, but I finished the last page with a feeling of disappointment. The best thing it did for me is made me understand why "Snow Crash" is so terrific. If you're a Stephenson fan, I'd say go for it. If you've never read him before, start with "Snow Crash."
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