Review: John Smith: The last known survivor of the Microsoft wars

John Smith: The last known survivor of the Microsoft Wars by Roland Hughes is not your typical post-apocalyptic piece of fiction but also a well written piece of philosophy. There are no AI programs, killer robots, zombies, mutants, alien invasions or even nuclear war. It is a quick reading book that teaches use lessons of how that current events, human greed and not paying attention to our past can be the downfall of civilization. The story follows John Smith as Susan Krowley interviews him, about the Mixcrosoft Wars, after his bunker is discovered. At times you might not fully grasp what is being conveyed in the answers that Mr. Smith gives but as you read it will become more clear urging you to read on to discover what other lesson are to be learned in the pages of this book. As you read on you will also find yourself questioning some of the things you have always taken at face value in today’s society.


Mr. Hughes' book reminds me of reading Plato's books Phaedo and Meno. When you first start it is not what you are expecting and you kind of question why you are reading it. Just like those books once you do read a few pages you realize that you are getting much more out of the page than you though possible. Just as Plato sometimes confused his students before they would gleam the lessons he was teaching them, John Smith would some times confuse Susan Krowley with the answers to her questions.


One of my favorite aspects of the book how it ties in what many of us just consider totally made up fiction and points out how that many of them were based on some kernel of truth. One example of this is when John Smith mentions how that the submarine in the book 20,000 leagues under the Sea is based on stories of submarines that the people of Atlantis built thousand of years earlier.


I would recommend to anyone to enjoys philosophy, history, fiction or just studying human nature. No matter which one of these genres you prefer there are valuable nuggets that you will be able to gleam from this book.