I’m in California. I read Digital Fortress.

I’ve made it to Los Altos: I’m going to be staying with my dad, but during the next couple weeks visiting Berkeley to go to a conference, and to meet up with my advisor.

I ended up talking Route 22 on VTA, and then walking a few miles to go here, in the dark, using GPS to guide me. I was amazed that this method worked!

I guess I should warn you that I am about to reveal plot details of Dan Brown’s books.

I read Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, which was an unfortunate use of time. That book, for starters, is isomorphic to the Da Vinci Code; they are both about a female cryptologist, who gets involved with a university professor, who is himself dragged into a global conspiracy. Humorously, at one point, they use a 5-letter password (which just happens to the female cryptologist’s name, just like in the Da Vinci Code). And like every Dan Brown book, this book also happens to begin with someone dying, who, as the holder of a secret, tries to reveal his secret before he dies.

The more unfortunate thing was the portrayal of mathematics and computer science in Digital Fortress. Terrifying, really.