I expect the vast majority of people on HN to be familiar with Lanier and already have an opinion on him, but for those few who are not I will highly recommend his writing. I love this book in particular. It presents itself as more serious and scholarly than it actually is, which is where most of the criticism comes from. The most valuable part is Lanier's insight into Silicon Valley culture from the 80's and 90's. The economics behind his plan are not rigorous, nor are they meant to be. He writes from an intensely personal perspective - perhaps at times leaning a little too heavily on his beloved music industry to predict where the rest of the internet is going. But I like that he doesn't compromise on who he is, he doesn't try to be an economist or a social scientist when all he is is a highly accomplished dreamer, innovator, and creative thinker. All in all, it's a pleasure to spend a few hundred pages inside his head.