科技泡沫：熱潮背後是機會還是炒作？教你識破下一個投資陷阱

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

哲學家黑格爾曾說：「人類從歷史中學到的唯一教訓，就是人類沒有從歷史中吸取任何教訓。」在 AI 浪潮隨著股市行情一波波上漲之際，矽谷的科技巨頭們卻大舉裁員與凍結人事，讓美國資訊科系畢業生面臨前所未有的就業危機。對比 2021 年時，矽谷工程師擁有令人稱羨的年薪與大筆分紅，如今盛況已不可同日而語。產業趨勢發生如此大幅度的反轉，當然有數不清的成因，但這本《科技泡沫》裡面提到的問題，或許正是壓垮駱駝的最後一根稻草。

Google、亞馬遜、臉書和 Netflix，在網際網路產業中，有太多耀眼的科技公司由原本的默默無聞，蛻變成富可敵國的跨國企業，同時也讓許多早期投資人賺得盆滿鉢滿。因此，創業投資（簡稱創投）在美國投資產業中一直是撐起半邊天的熱門項目，而科技創業也成為許多青年才俊前赴後繼的職涯選項。然而，本書作者伊曼紐．馬喬里卻明確指出，現今創投產業與新創公司之間存在著日益嚴重的弊病，造就了無數的資源錯置與財務損失。

2000 年爆發網路泡沫時，那斯達克股市大跌 75%，矽谷裁員 20 萬人。此後 20 多年間，又陸續發生許多經濟危機，以美國為首的各國政府，像老狗玩不出新把戲般，只能靠大量印鈔救市。不論是量化寬鬆還是日本行之有年的零利率政策，都是助長泡沫的貨幣政策。1998 年亞洲金融風暴助長了網路泡沫，網路泡沫又助長了 2008 年金融海嘯；而 2019 年因新冠疫情產生的量化寬鬆，正是促成矽谷新創公司如雨後春筍般湧現的背後活水，但過多的資金也導致亂象叢生。

新創公司追求爆炸式成長，最後多半演變成一種吹牛比賽，在經營公司時忽視顯而易見的風險，更仰賴三種類型的奇蹟來促成自身的成功：

市場奇蹟：消費者行為突然改變（例如：突然願意為原本免費的服務付費）。

技術奇蹟：宣稱將推出目前做不到、未來也尚不知如何達成的技術或服務（例如《惡血》一書所描述的情節）。

人才奇蹟：深信只要聚集足夠的人才與頂尖人物，就能做出前所未有的商業成果（目前 AI 產業的投資氛圍恰好類似於此）。

原本創投資金會採分批投入的種子輪方式，從小額資金開始嘗試，當新創公司逐步證明自身價值後，才漸進式投入更多資金以降低風險。然而，在資金氾濫的大環境下，亂槍打鳥的投資卻變成了有心人士蓄意欺騙的溫床。

跑馬圈地是中國大陸網路產業最常採用的競爭手法，利用龐大的資金補貼搶占目標市場的高市占率，隨之而來的是連年巨額虧損。但創投公司非常吃這一套，畢竟資金來源源源不絕，只差一個能把故事講好的對象。其背後的投資邏輯是：只要有足夠的耐心與資本，等到新創公司達到足夠的規模，總有一天會帶來鉅額獲利來彌補先前的損失。

然而事實上，這些燒錢的新創公司根本沒有打造出超額補貼以外的護城河。一旦有其他資本雄厚的公司意圖投入同一市場，就會影響原本預估的獲利，爭相削價競爭便演變成深不見底的紅海市場。在網路產業中，真正算得上護城河的經營優勢，除了網絡效應（適用於社群網站、電商平台）之外，就是轉換成本（適用於手機與電子裝置）；至於規模經濟、商業模式與先行者優勢，都不是可以長久依賴的靠山。這種護城河的幻覺包含了「十倍」的迷思、「規模」的迷思與「品牌」的迷思。

其實作者著手撰寫本書，源於他在新創公司任職時發現的奇怪現象：科技業在資金過剩的情況下出現招募狂潮，以優渥的福利與薪水，搶占市場上能找到的所有資訊工程師。然而，許多新創公司甚至是矽谷科技巨頭，根本沒有足夠的任務分配給這些超額徵聘的人力。這導致許多人只好裝忙，或是把原本簡單的工作拆解細化，讓每個人手上都有事可做。而敏捷開發的風行也帶來了另一種浪費工時的反效果—墨守成規地要求每天開會，卻沒有將時間花在真正的開發工作上，反而讓許多想混水摸魚的工程師樂得輕鬆。

《科技泡沫》是一本難得一見的好書，鞭闢入裡地點出前幾年網路產業中的種種亂象。我認為最近矽谷幾次的大規模裁員，表面上是 AI 工具確實帶來了效率提升、降低了企業的人力成本；但實際上，可能是這些大公司借題發揮，想利用 AI 當作擋箭牌，在利率上升、零成本資金消逝之際，趕緊修正先前過於樂觀的擴張策略，回歸理性的營運步調。

The philosopher Hegel once said, "The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history." While AI trends keep pushing stock markets higher, tech giants in Silicon Valley are cutting jobs and freezing hiring. This has created an unprecedented job crisis for computer science graduates in the U.S. Compared to 2021, when Silicon Valley engineers enjoyed enviable salaries and big bonuses, today's situation is completely different. There are countless reasons for such a big shift in industry trends. However, the issues mentioned in the book The Tech Bubble might be the straw that broke the camel's back.

In the internet industry, bright tech companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix grew from unknown startups into super-rich multinational corporations. At the same time, early investors made huge profits. Because of this, "venture capital" (VC) has long been a major part of the U.S. investment industry, and starting a tech company became a popular career path for many talented young people. However, the book's author, Emmanuel Marot, clearly points out that growing problems between today's VC industry and startups have caused wasted resources and massive financial losses.

When the "dot-com bubble" burst in 2000, the Nasdaq dropped 75%, and Silicon Valley cut 20,000 jobs. Over the next 20 years, more economic crises followed. Governments led by the U.S. seemed to have no new tricks and could only print large amounts of money to save the market. Whether it was "quantitative easing" (QE) or Japan's long-standing "zero-interest-rate policy," these monetary policies all fueled economic bubbles. The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis helped create the dot-com bubble, which then contributed to the 2008 global financial crisis. Similarly, the QE policy during the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic fueled the rapid growth of Silicon Valley startups—though too much money also led to widespread chaos.

Startups chasing explosive growth often end up in a bragging contest. They ignore obvious business risks and rely on three types of miracles to succeed:

Market Miracle: Consumer behavior changes suddenly (for example, people suddenly pay for services that used to be free).

Technology Miracle: Promising technology or services that cannot be built today and no one knows how to make in the future (like the story in the book Bad Blood).

Talent Miracle: Believing that gathering enough top talent will naturally lead to unprecedented business success (a mindset very similar to today's AI investment trend).

Normally, VC funds invest step-by-step through "seed rounds," starting small and adding more money as startups prove their value to lower risk. But in an environment flooded with cash, random investing became fertile ground for scammers.

"Land grabbing" is a favorite competitive strategy in China's internet industry. Companies use heavy money subsidies to grab market share, accepting years of huge losses. Yet, VC firms love this approach because money keeps flowing, and they just need someone who can tell a good story. The logic is simple: with enough patience and money, once a startup grows large enough, it will eventually make huge profits to cover past losses.

In reality, these cash-burning startups never built a real "moat" beyond cash subsidies. Once another rich company enters the market, expected profits drop, and price wars turn the market into a deep "red ocean." In the internet world, true moats are "network effects" (for social media and e-commerce platforms) and "switching costs" (for phones and electronics). Things like "economies of scale," "business models," and "first-mover advantage" are not reliable over time. These fake moats include the myths of "10x," "scale," and "brand."

The author wrote this book based on strange things he saw while working at a startup. Flush with excess cash, tech companies went on hiring sprees, offering high pay and great perks to snap up every engineer available. However, many startups—and even Silicon Valley giants—did not have enough work for all these hires. As a result, many employees pretended to be busy or broke simple tasks into tiny steps so everyone had something to do. The popular "Agile development" method also backfired by wasting work hours—forcing daily meetings instead of real coding work, allowing lazy engineers to slide by easily.

The Tech Bubble is a rare and great book that clearly explains the chaos in the internet industry over recent years. In my view, the recent wave of tech layoffs may seem like AI tools are boosting efficiency and cutting labor costs. In reality, large companies may just be using AI as an excuse. As interest rates rise and free money disappears, they are rushing to fix their over-optimistic expansion strategies and return to sensible business operations.

生活科學大哉問

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

大語言模型走入大眾的視野也不過短短二、三年，已經讓許多學生、上班族習以為常地每天和 AI 互動對談。仔細想想人類的適應力真的很強，不論是什麼尖端科技製造而成的產品或服務，在不瞭解背後原理的情況下，人們依舊能運用自如地享受便利性。《生活科學大哉問》一書，便是介紹了許多你我日常生活中已經視為文明社會必需品的科技產物，深入瞭解後會感受到，人們能十指不沾陽春水地過日子，都是受惠於一代代先人日積月累下發明的成果。

像是沖水馬桶利用虹吸原理，不靠電力而善用水位的落差和重力，便有效率地清除排泄物，是造福全人類的偉大發明。微波爐則是運用磁控管來操作電場方向，讓容易受影響的水分子產生震動，進而產生熱能用來加熱食物。在介紹咖啡的文章中，學到咖啡一旦磨成粉就會開始劣化，所以沖泡前再磨才是講究的做法；過細的咖啡粉反而會萃取出雜質，讓咖啡風味變差。雖然看過好幾次解說飛機飛行的原理，但還是不明白機翼形狀如何讓氣流產生足夠的升力讓飛機起飛，據說學術圈也常常講不清楚，只能說飛行器的發明是種實證科學吧。

而白領上班族常看到的文具用品，像是3M便利貼是改變膠水型態成圓球狀，產生好黏又好撕的效果。魔術擦擦筆則是以使用感溫變色墨水，來讓墨水遇熱變成透明；有趣的是，在極低溫下（零下 20 度），擦擦筆的墨水會恢復到有顏色的狀態，這點小知識很有用！全視線眼鏡就是光致變色鏡片，但是如果配戴了無抗紫外線（UV）功能的太陽眼鏡，人眼的瞳孔多了遮蔽、少了刺眼的陽光照射而放大，反而會傷害視網膜，買太陽眼鏡時記得多看一下標籤。摩天大樓的玻璃帷幕，製造方法和鏡子一樣，是在玻璃裡面加上一層金屬用來反射光線；當金屬層薄到恰到好處的厚度，就會隔熱又透出些許的光線。夜間因為室內光線強於室外，所以室內反射光會強於外面，造成我們只會看到自己的倒影，但從外面卻可以清楚地看到屋內。

車輛的前擋風玻璃都是夾層玻璃（膠合玻璃），中間夾著特殊膠膜，即使用擊破器也打不碎，所以也被當作防盜玻璃。而側面的車窗則是安裝強化玻璃，雖然強度比一般玻璃強上 3 到 4 倍，卻可以針對特定一點輕易地敲破。現代人在夏天幾乎離不開的冷氣機，是利用空氣壓縮會變熱、膨脹會變冷的熱泵原理，將冷媒當作導體不斷在室外機和室內循環，讓我們享受舒適的溫度，而電冰箱也是用一樣的技術做出來的。一般認為，水的溫度不會超過 100 度，因為會變成水蒸氣。然而水波爐就是利用過熱水蒸氣的高溫，來達成將食物加熱到 200 到 300 度的高溫，食物的水分會因此蒸發而變得酥脆。我們之所以會認為月亮會一直跟著我們的背後走，其實只是因為它體積相當大，同時又距離我們非常遠，所以不管我們怎麼移動，都能看到它以同樣的大小和方向在那裡，因而誤以為它有在移動尾隨我們。

《生活科學大哉問》是一本充滿著實用科學知識的小書，每個主題的內文都只有四頁，但內容從物理、化學到資訊技術無所不包，很多說明也不是能一看就懂，相當有深度。不過看這樣的讀物，也不用給自己太大的壓力，就挑選自己感興趣的主題翻閱，記得有趣的小知識，以後和朋友談天時當個小聰明，倒也就有所回報了～

Large language models came into the public eye only two or three years ago, but they have already become a daily habit for many students and office workers chatting with AI. When you think about it, human adaptability is truly amazing. No matter what kind of advanced technology creates a product or service, people can easily use it and enjoy its convenience without knowing how it works. The book Everyday Science Secrets introduces many tech inventions that we see as daily necessities in modern society. When you look deeper, you realize that living such a comfortable life is all thanks to the achievements of past generations over time.

For example, flush toilets use the "siphon principle." They don't need electricity and simply use water level differences and gravity to clean away waste efficiently, making it a great invention for humanity. Microwaves use magnetrons to control electric fields. This makes water molecules vibrate and generate heat to warm up food. In the part about coffee, I learned that coffee beans start to lose quality as soon as they are ground into powder. That is why grinding right before brewing is the best way. Coffee ground too fine will extract unwanted flavors and ruin the taste. Also, although I have seen explanations of how airplanes fly many times, I still don't understand how wing shapes create enough lift for a plane to take off. It is said that even experts struggle to explain it clearly, so maybe airplane invention is just a kind of "practical science."

Common stationery items for office workers also have cool science behind them. For instance, 3M Post-it notes use glue shaped into tiny spheres, making them easy to stick and peel off. Frixion erasable pens use heat-sensitive ink that turns clear when heated. Interestingly, at super cold temperatures (minus 20 degrees Celsius), the ink color comes back. This fun fact is very useful! Transitions lenses are photochromic lenses. However, if you wear sunglasses without UV protection, your pupils will dilate because of the darker view. This can actually damage your retina, so always check the label when buying sunglasses. The glass curtain walls of skyscrapers are made like mirrors by adding a thin metal layer inside the glass to reflect light. When the metal layer is just the right thickness, it blocks heat while letting a little light through. At night, indoor light is brighter than outdoor light, so the reflection inside is stronger. As a result, we can only see our own reflection, but people outside can see inside clearly.

Car windshields are made of laminated glass with a special plastic layer in the middle. They won't break easily even with a hammer, so they are also used as anti-theft glass. On the other hand, side windows use tempered glass. Although it is 3 to 4 times stronger than regular glass, it can easily shatter if you hit a specific corner. Air conditioners, which are essential in summer, use the "heat pump" principle—air gets hot when compressed and cold when expanded. They use refrigerant to move heat between indoor and outdoor units to keep us comfortable. Refrigerators are made using the same technology. People usually think water temperature cannot go over 100 degrees Celsius because it turns into steam. However, superheated steam ovens use high-temperature steam to heat food up to 200 to 300 degrees, evaporating moisture to make food crispy. Finally, we feel like the moon is following us simply because it is huge and extremely far away. No matter how we move, we see it at the same size and direction, so we mistakenly think it is following behind us.

Everyday Science Secrets is a small book full of practical science knowledge. Each topic is only four pages long, but it covers everything from physics and chemistry to IT. Many explanations take time to understand and have real depth. However, you don't need to feel stressed when reading it. Just pick topics you find interesting, remember a few fun facts, and share them with friends later to sound smart—that is already a great reward!

巴黎墓園的祕密生活──為逝者按讚！網路爆紅生命守門人，帶你體驗法國「拉雪茲神父公墓」多樣迷人的生態，在自然景致與逝者銘言間體悟生命美好

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

我觀察到台灣有個都市規劃上的矛盾而深感困惑：無論是哪任市長就任，總是把土地開發當成執政成績而大力推動，將原本綠意盎然的農田、林地，換成一座座鋼筋水泥打造的商辦、運動場、活動中心。附近的居民也會因此歡欣鼓舞地大喊德政，期望居住地的房價能因此一飛衝天。然而真正昂貴的精華地段，總是離不開綠地公園和樹蔭環繞，捨近求遠，吾未見其明也。

離題了。《巴黎墓園的秘密生活》是一本相當複雜而特異的書，它是由任職於巴黎市公墓部門的班諾瓦．加洛所著。主題是介紹位於巴黎市中心的拉雪茲神父公墓的點點滴滴，卻不是行禮如儀的生硬作品。由於法國政府無意間的一項政策調整，決議不再於公墓中施作除草劑等人工農藥，促成園區內草木欣欣向榮，儼然成為另一座自然公園，優良的生態裡甚至孕育出狐狸家族。讓身為守墓人的作者，在疫情封城期間於園內偶遇，之後也轉化成書中數張珍貴的照片。

不論是什麼國家，死亡、喪禮和墓園總是帶來負面和不吉利的印象。然而出身在殯葬業家庭的作者，卻因為從小的耳濡目染而沒有這樣的包袱，因而能帶著單純、直覺的眼光，欣賞甚至享受在墓園工作、獨處的時光。帶著真切的心，站在喪家的角度來處理安葬事項，並管理廣大而複雜的公墓機關，是他的日常工作。讀者未必會有機會去遊訪法國，更別說特地跑去法國公墓參觀，但一個如此管理得當、有如都市中綠洲般的林地空間，真的讓人傾倒。對比台灣都市逐年消失的公園樹木和被高樓阻擋的天際線，只能發出一聲嘆息。

I observed a strange problem in Taiwan's city planning and felt very confused. No matter who becomes the mayor, they always push land development as a major achievement. They turn green farmland and woods into concrete office buildings, sports venues, and community centers. Nearby residents happily celebrate this as a great policy, hoping their property values will skyrocket. However, truly expensive prime areas are always surrounded by green parks and shade trees. Looking for something far away while ignoring what's right in front of us really makes no sense to me.

Anyway, back to the point. The Secret Life of Paris Cemetery is a very unique and interesting book. It was written by Benoît Gallot, who works for the Paris cemetery department. The book introduces Père Lachaise Cemetery in the center of Paris, but it is not a boring or formal work. Thanks to a simple policy change by the French government—deciding to stop using chemical weed killers in the cemetery—the plants grew wildly, turning it into a natural park. The great environment even brought a family of foxes. The author, as a gravedigger, met them during the pandemic lockdown and captured them in several precious photos in the book.

In almost every country, death, funerals, and cemeteries bring negative and unlucky feelings. However, coming from a funeral family, the author grew up around these things and did not carry such a burden. Because of this, he could enjoy working and spending time alone in the cemetery with a simple and clear mind. Caring for grieving families with a sincere heart and managing a large, complex cemetery is his daily life. Readers may not have the chance to visit France, let alone visit a French cemetery, but such a well-managed green oasis in the city is truly impressive. Comparing it with Taiwan's cities, where trees are disappearing and tall buildings block the skyline, I can only sigh.

加薩日記

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

之前路過台北車站時，總會看到無國界醫生的志工們擺著攤位，不知道是要向路人募集個資還是有其它目的。當時對這個團體單純只覺得大概和綠色和平組織一樣，是某種宣揚理念的非政府組織（NGO, Non-Governmental Organization）。在讀過《加薩日記》後，藉由洪上凱醫師第一手的紀錄，讓我了解並欽佩這個跨國組織為人類福祉的盡心盡力。看來本書確實間接促成了無國界醫生的核心使命—「見證與發聲」。

作者於2023年7月啟程前往加薩走廊參與無國界醫生在當地的任務，沒料到10月便發生實際控制當地的武裝團體哈瑪斯攻擊以色列的阿克薩洪水行動，導致以色列全面封鎖並反擊加薩地區，使得作者於11月終止當地的任務，撤離至鄰近的埃及後返國。本書內容為這近五個月來，洪上凱醫師在歷程中的心情記事。讀者能從中對巴勒斯坦和以色列兩國的紛爭，以及對身處加薩地區的居民們帶來的苦難與無奈，有著近乎第一手的觀察與省思。

先前透過新聞媒體接觸到的第一印象，哈瑪斯是一個盤據加薩走廊的極端武裝團體，然而其源起卻是基於公益互助理念的地方兄弟會。只能說戰爭令人瘋狂，以色列對加薩居民長期進行經濟管制與軍事騷擾，試圖蠶食鯨吞地擴張國土，數十年來在國際社會的默許下日益劇烈。對抗只會帶來更多的仇恨與報復，以巴問題始終未能逐步改善與化解，光靠人道救助團體的無私義舉終究只是杯水車薪。《加薩日記》替讀者點出了目前主流媒體不曾傳播的敘事角度，從當地居民的生活中看待以色列對加薩施加的壓迫，讓人體會到國際正義一詞的空洞，以及戰爭所帶來的破壞是多麼無情與非人道。

When I walked past Taipei Main Station before, I often saw volunteers from "Doctors Without Borders" (MSF) setting up booths. I wasn't sure if they wanted to collect personal information from passersby or had other goals. At that time, I simply thought they were like "Greenpeace"—just another non-governmental organization (NGO) promoting their ideas. However, after reading Gaza Diary, Dr. Hung Shang-kai's first-hand accounts helped me understand and admire this international group's hard work for human well-being. It seems this book indirectly helped fulfill MSF's main mission: "to bear witness and speak out."

The author traveled to the Gaza Strip in July 2023 to join MSF's mission there. Unexpectedly, in October, Hamas, the armed group controlling the area, launched the "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" attack on Israel. Israel then completely blocked and fought back against Gaza. As a result, the author had to end his mission in November, evacuate to nearby Egypt, and return home. This book shares Dr. Hung's feelings and thoughts during those five months. Through his writing, readers can get a first-hand look at the conflict between Palestine and Israel, and think deeply about the suffering and helplessness of the people in Gaza.

My first impression from the news was that Hamas was just an extreme armed group in Gaza. However, it actually started as a local group based on community service and mutual help. War truly makes people crazy. For decades, Israel has controlled Gaza's economy and used military force to expand its territory bit by bit. With the international community staying quiet, these actions have gotten worse over time. Fighting only brings more hatred and revenge. The problem between Israel and Palestine has never improved. Relying only on the selfless work of humanitarian groups is simply not enough. Gaza Diary shows readers a fresh perspective that mainstream media often misses. Seeing the pressure from Israel through the daily lives of local people makes us feel how empty the words "international justice" can be, and how cruel and heartless war really is.

偽裝的改革者：破解鄧小平和蔣經國神話

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

在台北市長選舉前哨站開始烽煙四起之際，時任北市市長的蔣萬安又因為他蔣家子弟的身分，興起一波網民之間的唇槍舌戰。說實在的，台灣走出蔣介石、蔣經國兩代強人統治數十年，在六年級以上的多數國民都是經過忠黨愛國的填鴨式洗腦教育長大，因此對於蔣家，特別是蔣經國的個人評價多半是正面，甚至能庇佑子孫，為選情加分。但是，如果有空翻閱這本《偽裝的改革者》，或許能替你摘下粉紅色的眼鏡，更客觀地思考蔣家、國民黨對於治理政府的能力與功過。

對於中國大國崛起、幾乎可以和美國比肩的當下，在共產中國喊出改革開放、打開市場經濟的鄧小平，無人敢否定他的歷史定位。然而，就如同退居台灣一方的蔣經國，這兩位是否真如普羅大眾認知般，是洞燭機先的改革者？本書是直接給了否定的大叉叉。就像日本漫畫《刃牙》曾經提出的共時性，觀察全球的政治局勢時，常常會在某個特定的時間點上，由具有相似人格特質的政治人物所主政。近的來說，英國前首相鮑里斯．強生和美國總統唐納．川普就非常雷同，書中提及的鄧小平和蔣經國又是一例。他們的前任都是擁有領袖魅力的政治強人毛澤東和蔣介石，而且都曾遠赴蘇聯學習共產主義思想，在史達林眼皮下過著共產黨員的日子。而蔣經國從蘇聯共產政體所學到的統治手法，例如以黨領政、特務機關等，之後也深遠地影響了台灣中華民國的政治制度。不論是軍隊的政戰體系以及法務部調查局，當初都是源自於國民黨主席的專制統治需要而成立。相較於中國走向馬克斯主義的極權政體，蔣家父子則是打造出牢不可破的威權政體，隔海相對。

在經濟政策上，他們本質上都是計劃經濟的信徒，認為私人企業的價值不能高於國營企業，自由市場經濟應該要受到國家監理、管制。王家衛電影《一代宗師》裡的台詞有一段：「人活一世，有的成了面子，有的成了裡子，都是時勢使然。」相當適合用來形容世事變化。其實不論是鄧小平還是蔣經國，他們所身處的，都是經歷千辛萬苦才能安穩活下去的亂世。一方面要伴君如伴虎地成為領袖最信賴的接班人，另一方面得面對各方派系、大老，將自身勢力深入黨政軍，以確保自己不被推翻。

有趣的是，這兩位領袖都是打從心裡反美，但又是從美國獲得最大的助益，最終成就了當下台灣的經濟成就以及中國的大國崛起。就結果論，在中國近代史上，兩位領導人是成功的。但誠如作者余杰所言，破除這些治國神話的迷思，其實更能讓讀者理解那些看似不合理的歷史片段究竟從何而來，還能察覺當初他們基於個人私心排除異己與改變體制，反而阻礙了國家朝向更正面的發展契機。

As the Taipei mayoral election begins to heat up, the current mayor of Taipei, Chiang Wan-an, has once again become the center of heated arguments among internet users because of his family background as a member of the Chiang family. To be honest, Taiwan spent several decades under the rule of two strongmen, Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo. Most people who are now in their 60s or older grew up with an education that strongly emphasized loyalty to the ruling party and love of the country. As a result, many people still have a positive view of the Chiang family, especially Chiang Ching-kuo. In fact, his reputation can even help his descendants gain support in elections. However, if you have time to read this book, *The Fake Reformer*, it may help you take off those rose-colored glasses and think more objectively about the Chiang family and the KMT, including what they did well and what they did wrong in governing Taiwan.

Today, as China has grown into a major world power that can almost stand alongside the United States, few people would deny Deng Xiaoping's place in history for launching "reform and opening up" and opening China's economy to the market. However, just like Chiang Ching-kuo, who moved to Taiwan, were these two really the great reformers that most people believe they were? This book gives that idea a big red X. As the Japanese manga *Baki* once introduced the idea of "synchronicity," when we look at political situations around the world, we often find similar types of political leaders coming to power at certain points in history. A recent example would be former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. President Donald Trump, who are surprisingly similar in many ways. Deng Xiaoping and Chiang Ching-kuo, mentioned in this book, are another example. Their predecessors were both powerful leaders with strong personal charisma: Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek. Both Deng Xiaoping and Chiang Ching-kuo also went to the Soviet Union to study communist ideas and spent time there as members of the Communist Party under Stalin's rule. Chiang Ching-kuo later brought some of the governing methods he learned from the Soviet communist system to Taiwan, such as the party's control over the government and the use of intelligence and secret police organizations. These methods had a deep influence on Taiwan's political system. Both the political warfare system in the military and the Investigation Bureau of Taiwan's Ministry of Justice were originally created to meet the needs of the KMT's authoritarian rule. While China developed into a Marxist totalitarian state, the Chiang family built a strong authoritarian state in Taiwan. The two sides were almost like two different versions of the same system across the Taiwan Strait.

In terms of economic policy, both leaders were essentially believers in a planned economy. They believed that private companies should not be more important than state-owned companies, and that the free market should be supervised and controlled by the government. There is a line from Wong Kar-wai's movie *The Grandmaster*: "In life, some people become the face, while others become the inside. It all depends on the times." I think this line is quite suitable for describing how history changes. In fact, both Deng Xiaoping and Chiang Ching-kuo lived through turbulent times when simply surviving safely was already extremely difficult. On one hand, they had to become the leaders' most trusted successors, while on the other hand, they had to deal with different political groups and powerful figures. They also had to build their own influence throughout the party, government, and military to make sure they would not be overthrown.

Interestingly, both leaders were strongly anti-American, yet they also received some of their greatest benefits from the United States. In the end, this helped create Taiwan's economic success and China's rise as a major world power. Judging by the results, both leaders were successful in modern Chinese history. But as the author, Yu Jie, points out, breaking down these political myths can actually help readers better understand where those seemingly unreasonable parts of history came from. It can also help us see that their personal interests, efforts to remove political opponents, and attempts to change the political system may have actually blocked opportunities for their countries to develop in a more positive direction.

Spring Boot：建置與執行

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

在漫長的 Java 語言開發平台發展路途中，自從由官方主導的 Java EE 被開源社群擁護的 Spring 攻城掠地後，長期不動如山的 Servlet 網頁程式開發技術，也逐步被 Spring MVC 取代。然而，Spring 框架越來越龐大的類別庫相依性，卻成為 Java 工程師建置開發環境時的夢魘。Spring 開發團隊敏銳地發現，如此龐大的開發成本將會阻礙框架的普及，因此推出了 Spring Boot。其簡化的依賴性管理、簡化的部署以及自動組態三大特性，讓 Spring Boot 重新成為 Java 開發者喜愛的程式框架。

其實之前就已經看過兩本 Spring Boot 的專書，也已經將手上的專案全數改成 Spring Boot 框架。因此，閱讀這本《Spring Boot：建置與執行》的原意，只是單純想湊齊看完市面上這一主題的書。特別是由O'REILLY出版的電腦叢書，早期在 Java 領域裡幾乎等同於官方教材般的尊榮地位。雖然隨著網路興起，類似資訊隨手可得，讓系列叢書逐漸變得乏人問津，不過這兩年開始發現，碁峯和O'REILLY聯手出版的新書，有著充實的技術說明，輔以實用的程式範例，相當類似我最欣賞的Manning出版社In Action系列書籍。而在看完這本《Spring Boot：建置與執行》後，一方面吸收到之前兩本書中所沒有的內容，另一方面也重新溫習了已經學過的技術。

書中從最基礎的Spring Initializr專案建置工具講起，先用最單純的 Hello World 程度 REST API 程式，向讀者展示 Spring Boot 是如何簡化網頁程式開發的複雜度。接著再話說從頭，細數應用程式組態在 Spring Boot 框架下的規則，以及如何靈活運用。有如JMX 的致動器（Actuator）便是這本書獨有的章節；其他像是如何打包、部署成容器，也都是其他書裡沒提過的內容。和資料操作有關的 Spring Data 幾乎是必講的重頭戲，書中一次展示如何連接關聯式資料庫、MongoDB、Redis 三大儲存體，讓讀者不論挑選哪一種儲存技術，都可以找到參考範例。

全書我覺得最值回票價的部分，是學到了 Spring WebFlux 的反應式網頁程式（Reactive Programming）技術，以及之前一直沒有實作的 WebSocket 應用。也因此茅塞頓開地弄懂了 React、Reactive、WebSocket 三種常同時被提及，卻又截然不同、用來改善網路程式瓶頸的技術。甚至讓我破除了單一主機 TCP 連線只能到 65,535 條的迷思，可說是收穫滿滿，開卷有益莫過於此。

Throughout the long history of Java development platforms, Java EE was once the official choice for Java developers. However, after Spring, supported by the open-source community, gradually became more popular, the long-standing Servlet-based web development technology was also gradually replaced by Spring MVC. However, the growing number of library dependencies in the Spring Framework became a nightmare for Java engineers when setting up their development environments. The Spring development team quickly realized that such a high development cost could prevent the framework from becoming more popular. So, they introduced Spring Boot. With three major features — simplified dependency management, simplified deployment, and auto-configuration — Spring Boot once again became one of the most popular frameworks among Java developers.

Actually, I had already read two books about Spring Boot and had also migrated all of my current projects to the Spring Boot framework. Therefore, my original reason for reading *Spring Boot: Build and Run* was simply to complete my reading of the books available on this topic. In particular, computer books published by O'Reilly once had an almost official-textbook-like status in the Java field. However, as the Internet became more popular and similar information became easily available online, these book series gradually became less popular. Over the past two years, however, I have noticed that the new books jointly published by CITE Publishing and O'Reilly provide detailed technical explanations along with practical programming examples. They are quite similar to the *In Action* series published by Manning, which is one of my favorite book series. After finishing *Spring Boot: Build and Run*, I learned some new things that were not covered in the previous two books. At the same time, I also reviewed some technologies that I had already learned.

The book starts with the basic project creation tool, Spring Initializr. It first uses a very simple Hello World-level REST API example to show readers how Spring Boot can simplify the complexity of web application development. The book then goes back to the basics and explains the rules of application configuration in Spring Boot and how to use them flexibly. The Actuator likes JMX is one of the topics that I had not seen in the other books. Other topics, such as how to package an application and deploy it as a container, are also not covered in the other books I have read. Spring Data, which is related to data access, is naturally one of the major topics in the book. It demonstrates how to connect to three major types of data storage: relational databases, MongoDB, and Redis. No matter which storage technology readers choose, they can find useful examples in the book.

The part of the book that I found most valuable was learning about reactive web application development with Spring WebFlux and finally getting some hands-on experience with WebSocket, which I had never implemented before. Because of this, I finally understood the differences between React, Reactive, and WebSocket. These three terms are often mentioned together, but they are actually completely different technologies that can be used to address different kinds of problems in web applications. The book even helped me get rid of my old misunderstanding that a single host can only have 65,535 TCP connections. I learned a lot from this book. This is probably the best example of how reading a good technical book can be truly useful.

名偵探柯南 空想科學讀本

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

推理小說長久以來都是日本娛樂產業的長青題材，由青山剛昌創作的《名偵探柯南》，以中小學生喜愛的畫風，搭配單元劇節奏的故事編寫，開創出擁有跨世代粉絲的驚人成績。每年的劇場版電影都能拿下日本票房第三名左右的佳績，漫畫本篇更已破百本，聲勢幾乎可以比肩《航海王》。不過，由於推理故事的主軸總是離不開OO殺人事件，也讓長期連載故事裡的江戶川柯南，因為不間斷地遭遇各種命案，在網路上獲得「米花市小學生死神」的異名。這麼具有知名度的動漫作品，加上人物、劇情設定充斥著滿滿的吐槽漏洞，當然引來了傳說中的那個男人—柳田理科雄。他擅長用科學數據考證動漫內容裡的奇異設定，開創出空想科學讀本系列。而這本《名偵探柯南 空想科學讀本》便是一次夢幻的跨界合作，讓柯南迷們可以用另一個角度重溫經典名作，盡情享受這位「討厭的大人」，如何用左手物理、右手數學的科學雙臂，推翻屬於你我的童年回憶。

故事打從一開始，黑衣組織強灌工藤新一毒藥，導致他變成小學生體型，就已經開始不科學了。後續由阿笠博士發明的各項輔助辦案道具，更是超越當今科技的水準，無法由目前的科學能力重現。像是可以即時變聲成任何人的蝴蝶領結型變聲器，難處在於幾乎可以瞬間生成各種聲音；目前若要生成聲紋，至少需要數十秒，而且還得收集足夠的聲紋資訊。手錶型麻醉槍的功能，則比靜脈全身麻醉的效果強上萬倍，令人不禁對每次破案都得挨上一針的毛利小五郎之身心健康感到擔心。增強腳力鞋只是利用刺激腳部穴道的原理，就能增進十萬倍的踢力，人類的潛能真的是無限啊！這些為了能順利推進劇情而誕生的便利發明，可比擬哆啦A夢手中來自未來的神奇道具。

除了柯南過目不忘、觀察入微的推理能力外，劇中的各個知名配角，也都是逆天級的存在。像是可以空手破壞水泥電線桿的毛利蘭；能光速變裝，又擁有超強力撲克牌槍的怪盜小子；雖然住在關西，卻三天兩頭就出現在東京，和新一擁有同等能力與知名度的服部平次；世界空手道冠軍，速度快到可以閃避子彈的京極真；以及可以預判對手動作，提早三秒開槍並精確命中目標的狙擊神人赤井秀一。這些角色的能力如果對照真實世界的紀錄，每個人都可以加入復仇者聯盟吧。

話說回來，動漫作品本來就是天馬行空，讓讀者休閒娛樂之用。太認真地吹毛求疵，指正哪裡不夠真實、絕對不可能發生這種事，簡直就是在對愛好者潑冷水。不過，這正是《空想科學讀本》一直在做的事，也是它想藉由人氣爆棚的動漫領域，間接推廣科普知識的用心所在。對於真正熱愛柯南的粉絲來說，這本《名偵探柯南 空想科學讀本》才不會澆熄自己的熱情。頂多把它當成茶餘飯後的讀物，跟著作者一同虧一下柯南故事裡的盲點，依舊追著《名偵探柯南》看下去。

Mystery novels have long been one of the most popular and lasting genres in Japan's entertainment industry. Created by Gosho Aoyama, *Detective Conan* has achieved amazing success with a style of drawing that appeals to elementary and middle school students, combined with stories written in the rhythm of a TV series, where each episode has its own case. The series has attracted fans from different generations. Its theatrical movies have regularly ranked around third at the Japanese box office each year, while the manga has already passed 100 volumes, making its popularity almost comparable to *One Piece*. However, since mystery stories can hardly escape the familiar formula of "the XX Murder Case," Edogawa Conan has had to encounter one murder after another throughout the long-running series. As a result, he has even earned the nickname "the elementary school Grim Reaper of Beika City" on the Internet. Such a famous anime and manga series, combined with its many characters and plot settings that are full of things to make fun of, naturally attracted the attention of that legendary man—Rikao Yanagita. He is well known for using scientific data to examine the strange settings and impossible situations found in anime and manga. He created the *Hypothetical Science Reader* series. This book, *Detective Conan: The Hypothetical Science Reader*, is therefore a dream collaboration. It allows Conan fans to revisit this classic series from a completely different point of view and enjoy watching this "annoying adult" use physics with his left hand and mathematics with his right to scientifically tear apart the childhood memories we all share.

The story becomes unscientific right from the beginning. The Black Organization forces Shinichi Kudo to take a poison, causing him to turn into an elementary school student. The various gadgets invented by Professor Agasa to help Conan solve cases are even more unbelievable. Their technology is far beyond what modern science can currently reproduce. Take the Bow-Tie Voice-Changer, for example. It can instantly make Conan sound exactly like anyone he wants. The difficult part is that it can generate different voices almost instantly. With current technology, generating a person's voiceprint takes at least several dozen seconds, and enough voice data must first be collected. Then there is the Watch Tranq Gun. Its effect is supposedly tens of thousands of times stronger than intravenous general anesthesia. This makes me seriously concerned about the physical and mental health of Kogoro Mouri, who has to take a shot every time Conan solves a case. The Power-Enhancing Kick Shoes are even more amazing. Simply by stimulating certain pressure points on the feet, they can increase the power of a kick by 100,000 times. Human potential really is unlimited! These convenient inventions, created mainly to keep the story moving forward, are almost as magical as the futuristic gadgets carried by Doraemon.

Conan is not the only character with extraordinary abilities. Many of the famous supporting characters in the series are also ridiculously powerful. For example, there is Ran Mouri, who can destroy a concrete utility pole with her bare hands; Kaito Kid, who can change his appearance at lightning speed and has an extremely powerful playing-card gun; Heiji Hattori, who lives in Osaka but somehow shows up in Tokyo every few days and has abilities and popularity comparable to Shinichi; Makoto Kyogoku, a world karate champion who is fast enough to dodge bullets; and Shuichi Akai, a legendary sniper who can predict his opponent's movements, fire three seconds ahead of time, and hit his target with incredible accuracy. If we compared the abilities of these characters with real-world records, every one of them could probably join the Avengers.

That said, anime and manga are meant to be imaginative and entertaining. Taking them too seriously and constantly pointing out that something is unrealistic or absolutely impossible would simply ruin the fun for the fans. But that is exactly what the *Hypothetical Science Reader* series has always done. It uses the incredibly popular world of anime and manga as a way to indirectly introduce scientific knowledge to the public. For true Conan fans, a book like *Detective Conan: The Hypothetical Science Reader* will hardly kill their enthusiasm. At most, it is a fun book to read in your spare time, allowing you to join the author in making fun of the flaws and impossible details in Conan's stories—while continuing to follow *Detective Conan* as always.

六神磊磊讀金庸：金庸文學－沒明說的戀愛學、成功學與處世智慧

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

功夫和武俠小說是華人獨有的文化資產，而五、六年級生想必都曾聽過武俠小說大師金庸。他撰寫的系列著作，早就被改編、重製成數不清的影視作品、動漫與遊戲，可以說是全球華人文創的共同資產，也像是活水源頭。擁有如此地位的文字作品，當然隨之而來的就是不斷地被研讀、解析。而這本《六神磊磊讀金庸》正是一本內容豐富、觀點獨到的評論作品，指點金庸迷們如何看出門道，瞧出故事情節中的言外之意。

其實解析作品就像時下的二創一般，非常考驗作者本身是不是有料，能在雅俗共賞的大眾文學中，看出別人沒有察覺的隻字片語，而這點筆名六神磊磊的王曉磊確實是做到了。全書內容涵蓋了《射鵰英雄傳》及《神鵰俠侶》、《倚天屠龍記》、《書劍恩仇錄》、《雪山飛狐》及《飛狐外傳》、《連城訣》及《俠客行》、《天龍八部》、《笑傲江湖》、《鹿鼎記》，挑了金庸武俠系列中最知名的作品。評論的角度相當五花八門，從最單純的兩性關係／戀愛學，到職場處事／成功學，甚至討論到組織管理／企業文化等。其實這些觀點與智慧，都是王曉磊本身肚子裡的墨水，只能透過金庸文學的內容牽引出來，讓讀者們更能心領神會。

能讓評論者各抒己見、自由發揮，又顯出原作小說的人物個性塑造何等生動、深刻，有如真人般活靈活現。如同王曉磊在書中所言，一流的小說家是由書中人物帶動故事走向，相反地，二、三流的小說家才會以故事當主體，角色只是像表演般唸台詞推進劇情。書中講到武當派和少林寺對武學研究的經營，有著形式主義和實用主義的分別，完全能帶入企業經營裡有沒有積極進取的研發精神。最後也提到《鹿鼎記》的故事中，金老爺子在角色的描述上，已經超脫正邪兩派的非黑即白，絕大多數的人都是黑裡摻灰的灰色地帶，些許透顯出後期他對人間世事的體悟。

隨著短影音、網路文學的普及與興盛，新一代的年輕人是否願意給金庸文學一個機會，好好坐下來享受這些經典巨作，是個大問哉。但可以肯定的是，要充分享受閱讀《六神磊磊讀金庸》的樂趣，讀者非得是下過功夫看過一回金庸作品，並且有點年歲、有點社會經驗，才能體會出評論裡講的觀點和道理。那不是流於空想和好發議論，而是踩過人生中種種的雷，才累積出的點滴心得。

Kung fu and martial arts novels are unique cultural treasures of Chinese people. People who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s have probably heard of Jin Yong, one of the most famous writers of martial arts novels. His works have long been adapted and remade into countless movies, TV shows, anime, and video games. They can be seen as a shared cultural treasure of Chinese people around the world, and also as a source of endless creative inspiration. Works of literature with such an important place in Chinese culture are naturally studied and analyzed again and again. This book, *Liu Shen Lei Lei Reads Jin Yong*, is a rich and interesting collection of essays with many unique ideas. It shows Jin Yong's fans how to look deeper into his stories and discover the hidden meanings behind the plots.

Actually, analyzing a work is a lot like today's "fan creations." It really tests whether the writer has something to offer. The writer needs to find things that other people have not noticed in popular literature that can be enjoyed by both serious readers and ordinary readers. And Wang Xiaolei, who writes under the pen name "Liu Shen Lei Lei," has certainly done that. The book covers some of Jin Yong's most famous works, including *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, *The Return of the Condor Heroes*, *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*, *The Book and the Sword*, *Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain*, *The Young Flying Fox*, *A Deadly Secret*, *Ode to Gallantry*, *The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, and *The Deer and the Cauldron*. The topics discussed are also very diverse, ranging from simple topics such as relationships between men and women and love, to dealing with people at work and the secrets of success. The book even talks about organizational management and company culture. In fact, these ideas and insights all come from Wang Xiaolei's own knowledge and experience. Jin Yong's stories simply provide the material that brings these ideas out, allowing readers to understand them more deeply.

The fact that commentators can freely express their own opinions and develop their own ideas also shows how vivid and deep the characters in the original novels are. They feel almost like real people. As Wang Xiaolei says in the book, a first-class novelist lets the characters drive the story forward. In contrast, second- and third-rate novelists make the story the main focus, while the characters simply say their lines and move the plot along like actors on a stage. The book also discusses how the Wudang School and Shaolin Temple approach the study and development of martial arts. One represents more of a formalistic approach, while the other is more practical. This can easily be compared with whether a company has an active and progressive spirit when it comes to research and development. The book also talks about *The Deer and the Cauldron*. In this story, Jin Yong's descriptions of his characters have moved beyond the simple idea of good versus evil. Most people are neither completely good nor completely evil. Instead, they exist somewhere in the gray area between black and white. This seems to show some of Jin Yong's later thoughts and understanding of human nature and the world.

With the growing popularity of short videos and online literature, it is a big question whether the younger generation will give Jin Yong's works a chance and sit down to enjoy these classic masterpieces. But one thing is certain. To fully enjoy reading *Liu Shen Lei Lei Reads Jin Yong*, readers need to have spent some time reading Jin Yong's works themselves. It also helps to have some age and some experience in life. Only then can they truly understand the ideas and lessons discussed in the book. These are not simply ideas made up in one's head or empty opinions. They are small pieces of wisdom gained from going through all kinds of difficulties and problems in life.

奇異衰敗學：百年企業為何從頂峰到解體？

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

由湯瑪斯·愛迪生創立的奇異公司，是一家超過百年的跨國工業公司。該公司在發電設備、航空引擎以及醫療放射性儀器等領域，都是領頭羊的角色。奇異公司的渦輪發電機被廣泛運用在世界各國的火力、水力與核能電廠中，可以說全球能源能夠穩定供應，有大半是仰賴奇異公司在幕後提供保固維修服務。這樣一家動見觀瞻、大到不能倒的巨型企業，卻在 2010 年後開始經歷一連串的營運波折，營運和股價逐步走下坡。《奇異衰敗學》便是整理出橫跨近十年的奇異公司經營高層關鍵策略與背景故事，內容特別著重在前後三任奇異執行長的描寫，以及他們推動的策略與後續成效。

全書讀來有如身歷其境般，讓讀者看到奇異決策者面對營運挑戰時所做的決定。從事後諸葛的角度來看，這些不夠睿智的決策累積下來，便足以讓奇異公司的營運逐步陷入泥沼，直到無力回天，奇異集團被迫拆分、出售旗下事業體以求生存。商場競爭變化莫測，但奇異集團的殞落卻了無新意，踩中了台灣許多公司一樣的地雷—「想賺快錢」。因為大型工業、工程計畫背後需要長期、穩定的資金供給，因此奇異公司早早就成立奇異金融服務公司，因應企業營運的需要。後期更因企業經營得當、手中持有大量現金流，所以進一步融資給外部企業，以獲得利息收益。

自此，金融服務成為奇異集團中的營收與成長動能的新秀與潛力股，一味重視營運成效的執行長與股東們，反而樂見開拓出新的商機。奇異金融的好日子隨著 2008 年次貸風暴發生而結束了。在美國政府開始嚴管捅出大婁子的華爾街時，發現奇異公司在執行金融服務時，根本不符合銀行法規。它以工業集團的角色取得低利資金，轉頭再以向市場發行高利率的短期商業本票，藉此賺進利差。這些近乎無本生意的獲利，全數用來變成奇異每年配發高股利給股東的本錢。這些快錢更是日漸腐蝕奇異公司專注於工業產品創新與競爭的迫切感，讓公司安於表面上年年順遂成長的營收。

在奇異金融公司成為眾矢之的，讓營業收益收斂的當下，全球綠色能源產業的浪潮，更打擊了長期穩定獲利的發電機部門。加上中國工業、發電產業的日益成長，逐漸進入中低階市場成為競爭對手，奇異集團的營運便進入迷航階段。在當時執行長想力保企業名聲，堅持發出高股利的命令下，奇異做出一連串進退失據的決策，終究讓這個幾乎等於美國夢的工業巨人，走向黯淡無光的局面。在 AI 時代，穩定的電力供應等於國力的延伸，因此奇異公司若能回歸企業核心競爭力的發電設備市場，成為主導全球的電力設備供應商，那肯定能再次發出耀眼的光芒。

Founded by Thomas Edison, General Electric (GE) is a multinational industrial company with more than 100 years of history. The company has long been a leading player in fields such as power generation equipment, aircraft engines, and medical imaging equipment. GE's turbine generators are widely used in thermal, hydroelectric, and nuclear power plants around the world. It would not be an exaggeration to say that a large part of the world's stable energy supply depends on the maintenance and warranty services provided by GE behind the scenes. Such a huge company, with a strong reputation and a size that made it almost impossible to fail, began to experience a series of business problems after 2010. Its business performance and stock price gradually went downhill. *The Rise and Fall of General Electric* looks back at the key strategies and stories behind GE's top management over nearly ten years. The book focuses especially on the three CEOs who led GE during this period, the strategies they introduced, and the results that followed.

Reading the book feels almost like being there, watching GE's decision-makers make difficult choices when facing business challenges. Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, these less-than-wise decisions gradually pushed GE's business into deeper trouble. In the end, the company had no way to turn things around and was forced to break up and sell off its businesses in order to survive. Business competition is always unpredictable, but GE's decline was actually nothing new. It fell into the same trap that many Taiwanese companies have faced—the desire to "make quick money." Large industrial and engineering projects require long-term and stable funding. That was why GE established GE Capital early on to support its business operations.

Later, because the company was doing well and had a large amount of cash flow, GE Capital began providing financing to outside companies in order to earn interest income. From that point on, financial services became a new source of revenue and growth for GE. The CEOs and shareholders, who were increasingly focused on business performance, were happy to see this new business opportunity grow.The good days of GE Capital came to an end with the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. As the U.S. government began to tighten regulations on Wall Street after the financial industry caused such a huge mess, it discovered that GE's financial business did not fully comply with banking regulations. GE used its position as an industrial company to obtain low-cost funding. It then issued high-interest short-term commercial paper to the market and made money from the difference in interest rates. These almost risk-free profits became the money GE used to pay high dividends to its shareholders every year. This easy money gradually weakened GE's sense of urgency when it came to innovation and competition in its core industrial businesses. The company became too comfortable with its seemingly steady year-after-year revenue growth.

As GE Capital became the target of criticism and its profits began to shrink, the global growth of the green energy industry dealt another blow to GE's power generation business, which had long been a stable source of profits. At the same time, China's growing industrial and power generation industries gradually entered the mid- and lower-end markets and became new competitors. GE's business operations then entered a period of confusion and uncertainty. At the time, the CEO wanted to protect GE's reputation and insisted on maintaining high dividend payments. As a result, GE made a series of poor strategic decisions. In the end, this industrial giant, which was almost a symbol of the "American Dream," gradually lost its former glory and entered a dark period. In the age of AI, stable electricity supply has become an extension of national power. Therefore, if GE can return to its core strength in the power equipment market and become a leading global supplier of power equipment, I believe it can shine brightly once again.

梅乾與武士刀：在傳統文化中的古老智慧，揭開大和民族創新獨步的關鍵

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

在日圓不斷貶值、引發美日政府聯手救市的今天，全世界已經對日本國力留下衰退的印象。即使日本首相高市早苗不斷以大破大立的手段，試圖扭轉自泡沫經濟以來積弱不振的日本國內景氣，但壓在頂頭的少子化和僵固的形式主義，依舊像烏雲般籠罩在日本國運上空。

與上述唱衰觀點截然不同，《梅乾與武士刀》一書是由真心熱愛、讚揚日本文物的考古學者樋口清之所著。藉由他窮盡一生的文物探索和歷史考證所累積的發現，向讀者分享日本人獨創、有別於西方科學的、與大自然共生共榮的奇思巧技。身處在地震、颱風等災禍環繞的土地上，加上東方特有的敬天惜物風俗民情交互影響下，日本傳統的科學精神，不是歐美人所持的人定勝天，而是取法自然、順應環境的天人合一。

書中提及許多例子，像是運用石頭、原木所築成的河壩，相較於現代普通的水泥結構，更加環保、耐用，又相當美觀，能呈現出河川自然的風貌。在衣著方面，傳統的蓑衣、木屐，特別適合多雨潮溼的氣候，由自然素材製作，更有著極佳的透氣性和零汙染。反觀今日以塑膠材質製作的雨衣、鞋款，穿著過久容易讓人產生皮膚濕疹等困擾，不禁令你我省思，哪邊才是真正的進步呢？

書中舉出許多看似老掉牙，實際卻優於現代作法的人事物，涵蓋飲食、衣著，甚至是都市規劃等。作者主張，這些證據證明日本民族擁有優秀的開創性思維，能因地制宜地發明出像武士刀一樣兼具美感和實用性的生活用品，獨步全球。在世界各國一味追求經濟發展的今天，人類對自然環境持續造成不可逆的傷害，人和土地、森林和海洋的距離是越拉越遠，只能生活在由水泥、金屬打造而成的現代叢林。對比書中提及的古老智慧，人們真的是更進步嗎？

Today, as the Japanese yen continues to lose value and the Japanese and U.S. governments work together to stabilize the market, people around the world have begun to see Japan as a country in decline. Even though Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, has repeatedly tried to turn the country’s struggling economy around with major reforms, Japan still faces serious problems such as a declining birth rate and a rigid culture of formalities. These problems continue to hang over the country like dark clouds.

However, *Umeboshi and the Samurai Sword* presents a very different view of Japan. The book was written by Kiyoyuki Higuchi, an archaeologist who deeply loved and admired Japanese cultural artifacts. Based on what he discovered through a lifetime of studying artifacts and researching history, Higuchi shares many unique ideas and practical skills developed by the Japanese. These ideas are different from Western science in some ways and focus on living in harmony with nature. Living in a land surrounded by natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons, and influenced by the traditional Eastern values of respecting nature and avoiding waste, the Japanese developed a traditional scientific spirit that was different from the idea of “conquering nature.” Instead, they learned from nature and adapted themselves to their environment.

The book gives many examples. For instance, some river dams were built using stones and logs. Compared with ordinary modern concrete structures, these traditional methods can be more environmentally friendly and durable, while also looking more natural and fitting better into the landscape of the river. When it comes to clothing, traditional rain capes made from natural materials and wooden sandals were especially suitable for Japan’s rainy and humid climate. They were highly breathable and produced almost no pollution. In contrast, modern raincoats and shoes made from plastic materials can cause problems such as skin irritation when worn for too long. This makes us stop and think: **What is real progress?**

The book introduces many things that may seem old-fashioned but can actually be better than some modern methods, including food, clothing, and even urban planning. The author argues that these examples show the Japanese people’s creativity and ability to adapt to their environment. They were able to create practical everyday products, such as the samurai sword, that combined beauty and usefulness in a way that was unique in the world. Today, countries around the world continue to pursue economic growth, while human beings are causing irreversible damage to the natural environment. We are becoming increasingly distant from the land, forests, and oceans, and are left living in a modern jungle made of concrete and metal. Compared with the ancient wisdom described in the book, **are we really more advanced than people in the past?**

Python修仙之路：VS Code + GitHub Copilot──從AI輔助學習到專案開發，全方位提升你的「程式閱讀力」

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

自上次研究 Claude Code 後，開始接觸到 AI 代理人程式開發，想當然耳也會想評估一下另一個鼎鼎有名的 GitHub Copilot，試著找出兩者的差異，而這本由陳會安撰寫的《Python 修仙之路：VS Code + GitHub Copilot》就成了我開箱 GitHub Copilot 的入門書。談起陳會安這位作者，真的算是位奇人。我 20 多年前初出社會、謀職時買的第一本電腦書，是講 ASP 網頁程式設計，作者就是他！除了是長青的資訊技術作者外，看到他掛名的著作能從 C 語言跨到 AI 工具，真心覺得這就是十八般武藝都略懂略懂的人吧。

就我來看，這本書的定位不太討喜。對於真正的程式開發者來說，介紹的內容都是日常工作中必備的基礎知識。從程式語言的基礎、程式碼的重構與優化、程式除錯以及版本控制，到最後的容器化部署，這些作業即使不使用 GitHub Copilot，對於工程師來說也不費吹灰之力。反過來說，如果書籍的目標讀者是完全不懂程式的門外漢，那這些內容又顯得節奏過於快速，造成知其然而不知其所以然的隱憂。不過，或許這正是 AI 代理人開發時代的特色，讓每個人都能在不了解細節的情況下，做出可以動起來的軟體，一切都像魔法般神奇。

在完讀這本介紹 GitHub Copilot 的作品後，大略體驗了這個工具的基本功能和能耐。感覺它是從原本程式開發 AI 助理的定位逐步調整，慢慢朝向 Claude Code 的AI 代理人模式前進。換言之，它本身具有能加速程式人員撰寫程式碼的傳統功能，再疊加上現在最熱門的下指令讓 AI 寫程式的技術，變成魚與熊掌都要的 AI 產品。可惜的是，畢竟 AI 代理的思維，感覺是 GitHub Copilot 後來才添加進去的，所以在整體的使用細節和功能完整性上，是落後 Claude Code 的解決方案。如果用汽車來比喻，它就像是油電混合車，既不像傳統方式要求工程師純手動、一行行刻出程式碼，又不完全讓 AI 代理人從無到有產製出近乎成品的專案。對於 IT 部門管理者和第一線的開發者來說，拿捏在什麼情境下要使用自動完成、什麼時候又該尋求 AI 代理，以及在工程師與這類 AI 工具協同工作的情況下，未來程式碼的質、量管理要如何調整、考核，這些都是要額外討論、思考的議題。

After researching Claude Code, I started getting into AI agent-based software development. Naturally, I also wanted to take a look at another famous tool, GitHub Copilot, and see what the differences are between the two. This book, *Python Cultivation: VS Code + GitHub Copilot*, written by Chen Hui-An, became my beginner's guide to trying out GitHub Copilot. Speaking of Chen Hui-An, I really think he is quite an interesting author. More than 20 years ago, when I first entered the workforce and was looking for my first job, the first computer book I bought was about ASP web programming. And guess what? He was the author! Besides being a long-time writer of IT books, I was also surprised to see that his books cover such a wide range of topics, from C language to AI tools. Honestly, I feel that he is the kind of person who knows a little about almost everything.

In my opinion, the positioning of this book is not very appealing. For real software developers, most of the topics covered in the book are basic knowledge that we need in our daily work. From programming language basics, code refactoring and optimization, debugging, and version control, all the way to container deployment, none of these tasks are very difficult for engineers, even without GitHub Copilot. On the other hand, if the target readers are complete beginners who know nothing about programming, the book moves too quickly. There is a risk that readers may learn how to do things without really understanding why they work. However, perhaps this is exactly what makes the age of AI agent-based development special. It allows almost anyone to build software that actually works without understanding all the details. Everything feels almost like magic.

After finishing this book about GitHub Copilot, I got a basic idea of what this tool can do and experienced some of its main features. I feel that it is gradually moving away from its original role as an "AI assistant for software development" and moving toward the AI agent approach of Claude Code. In other words, it still has its traditional features for helping programmers write code faster, while also adding the increasingly popular approach of simply giving AI instructions and letting it write the code. It is trying to have the best of both worlds. The problem is that, since the AI agent approach seems to have been added to GitHub Copilot later, it still falls behind Claude Code in terms of overall usability and completeness. If I use a car as an example, GitHub Copilot is like a hybrid car. It is neither like the traditional approach, where engineers manually write every line of code, nor does it completely let an AI agent build an almost finished project from scratch. For IT managers and frontline developers, deciding when to use traditional code completion and when to turn to an AI agent is now another issue to think about. At the same time, when engineers work together with these AI tools, we also need to rethink how the quality and quantity of future code should be managed and evaluated. These are all issues that require further discussion and thought.

紅色滲透：中國媒體全球擴張的真相

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

自改革開放後，中國國力日益增長，聚積的經濟實力也展現在國際影響力上，這也成為2009年起大外宣計畫的源起。透過源源不絕的銀彈優勢，滴水穿石地吸引被網路取代的傳統媒體，形成恩庇侍從的組織結構。雖然美國先賢傑弗遜曾說：「與其擁有沒有報紙的政府，寧可擁抱沒有政府的報紙」，強調新聞自由的可貴。但相較於言論受到管制的極權國家，民主國家堅持的出版、傳播自由容易受到惡意操弄，破壞社會團結、國家安定。

這本《紅色滲透：中國媒體全球擴張的真相》，正是揭露源遠流長的中共外宣史，完整、全面地讓讀者瞭解中國如何持續不懈地對外輸出有利於自身的新聞資訊，時刻呼應中國當下的政治目標。早期中國對外的宣傳手法，也只做到出口轉內銷的效果，但隨著執行手法更加熟練，進行外宣期刊／媒體本土化、重金吸引洋人雇傭軍團加盟大外宣……等策略。拿人錢財替人消災，這些外國人也確實抱著宣傳高於真相的信念，努力撰寫出當地國人接受度高的新聞內容，逐步增強宣傳組織的影響力，但也讓美國政府警惕而重啟外國人代理登記法。在1980年代全球中文媒體的政治版圖中，政治取向是相當多元化的。媒體經營者來自大陸背景、港台新聞背景和美國華人投資三大塊。然而時過境遷，在傳統媒體經營困難的大環境下，不計損益的中共官方傳媒演變成一家獨大的局勢，又成立許多海外中文媒體的研究中心、研修班，定期舉辦各項大型國際會議，據以不斷吸收、影響中文新聞圈內的各方人士。掛著國外媒體招牌的傳播筒，成為中共對外傳播除了國內媒體、境外媒體以外的第三陣營。

在香港，更能看出中共對傳播環境不遺餘力的管制與破壞。在港英時代，受惠於英國統治，逐漸呈現媒體自由化的局面；然而在九七回歸後，媒體開始受控、自律。加上所謂的愛國富商積極討好中共當局，投入資金收購媒體，進而影響新聞報導內容。在以商逼政的策略下，媒體報導不親中共者，就斷絕其廣告收入，一步步讓香港媒體喉舌化。暗地又收買黑社會勢力，動輒以暴力威脅不配合的媒體人，形成風聲鶴唳的言論環境，終於達成一言堂般的歌功頌德局面。

台灣面對的操作手法如出一轍，藉由在大陸有巨額投資的富商，以民間投資的身分，不計成本地收購經營困難的媒體，最顯著的例子就是旺旺集團入主中天、中時和中視集團。紅頂商人成功入主媒體後，新聞報導的內容就開始一面倒地宣揚中國政府的高大上，無法堅守必須平衡報導的新聞原則。更惡質者，在關鍵時刻配合中共當局影響台灣社會輿論，成為境外勢力操弄民情的共犯。而中資轉外資洗白後，被買下大量持股的TVBS，則是以另一種報喜不報憂的方法參與中國大外宣。對歐美各國的報導取材十有八九挑選負面議題，反之，中國新聞皆是正面主題，潛移默化地扭曲、影響閱聽眾對世界局勢的觀感，最明顯的例子就是《文茜的世界周報》。

其實，一個國家的國際形象取決於該國內政的社會狀態，極權國家投入再多資源、努力地擦脂抹粉，一樣無法讓眾人真心相信那個地方是流著奶與蜜的樂土。相對地，美國用它自身的民主自由，以及其他領先全球的制度與成就，讓它成為全世界人民心目中移民、置產的首選之地。落實了，嘴裡說的是一套，真的用腳投票才是真相。然而，在AI時代，從更遠的格局來看，大外宣能達成的實質效果可能更加深遠。在大語言模型是以網路文本為原始資料，作為人工智慧基礎的情況下，大外宣計畫無窮盡地散發正面的報導內容，描述中國；反之，受制於西方媒體平衡報導的原則，會對自身國家多所批評而產生負面報導。此消彼長之下，AI將會被誤導而認為中國的一切都優於西方諸國。如果未來的民眾過於依賴AI工具，這種AI幻覺將會對世界局勢產生不良的影響，必須格外留意。

After China began its reform and opening-up, its national power grew rapidly. Its growing economic strength was also reflected in its increasing influence around the world. This became one of the reasons behind the “Great External Propaganda Campaign,” which began in 2009. With an endless supply of financial resources, China gradually attracted traditional media organizations that were struggling because of the rise of the Internet. Over time, this created an organizational structure based on a system of patronage and loyalty. The American founding father Thomas Jefferson once said, “I would rather have newspapers without a government than a government without newspapers,” emphasizing the value of freedom of the press. However, compared with authoritarian countries where speech is strictly controlled, the freedom of publishing and communication enjoyed by democratic countries can also be deliberately manipulated. When this happens, it can damage social unity and national stability.

The book *Red Infiltration: The Truth Behind China’s Global Expansion of the Media* reveals the long history of the Chinese Communist Party’s external propaganda. It gives readers a complete picture of how China has continuously worked to spread news and information that serves its own interests, while constantly supporting China’s current political goals. In the early days, China’s overseas propaganda was mostly limited to what could be described as “exporting something overseas and then selling it back at home.” But as its methods became more sophisticated, China began localizing overseas propaganda publications and media outlets, offering large amounts of money to recruit foreigners to join its propaganda efforts, and using many other strategies. These foreigners were, in effect, paid to do the job. They also genuinely followed the belief that “propaganda is more important than the truth.” They worked hard to produce news content that would be more acceptable to local audiences, gradually increasing the influence of these propaganda organizations. However, this also raised concerns within the U.S. government and led to renewed attention to the Foreign Agents Registration Act. In the political landscape of Chinese-language media around the world during the 1980s, political views were quite diverse. Media owners mainly came from three groups: people with backgrounds in mainland China, people with journalism backgrounds from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and Chinese Americans who invested in the media. However, times have changed. As traditional media have struggled financially, Chinese state-run media, which do not need to worry about profits and losses, have gradually gained a dominant position. China has also established research centers and training programs for overseas Chinese-language media and regularly organized large international conferences. Through these activities, China has continuously attracted and influenced people from different parts of the Chinese-language media industry. These media outlets, which operate under the name of foreign media organizations, have become a third force in China’s overseas communication efforts, alongside domestic media and foreign media operating outside China.

Hong Kong provides an even clearer example of how the Chinese Communist Party has worked relentlessly to control and damage the media environment. During the British colonial period, Hong Kong gradually developed a relatively free media environment. However, after the handover in 1997, the media gradually came under greater control and began to practice self-censorship. At the same time, so-called “patriotic businessmen” actively sought to please the Chinese government. They invested large amounts of money to acquire media companies and, in doing so, gained influence over their news coverage. Under the strategy of using business interests to influence politics, media outlets that did not support the Chinese Communist Party could lose their advertising revenue. Step by step, Hong Kong’s media became more like a mouthpiece for the government. Behind the scenes, criminal organizations were also allegedly used to threaten journalists and media workers who refused to cooperate. This created an atmosphere of fear in which people became afraid to speak freely. Eventually, Hong Kong developed something close to a one-sided media environment, filled with praise for the Chinese government.

Taiwan has faced very similar methods. Wealthy businessmen with huge investments in mainland China have used the appearance of private investment to acquire media companies that were struggling financially, sometimes without much concern about profitability. One of the most obvious examples is the Want Want Group taking control of CTi, China Times, and CTV. After these businesspeople successfully took control of the media, the news coverage began to increasingly praise the Chinese government, making it difficult to maintain the journalistic principle of balanced reporting. Even worse, at critical moments, some media outlets may cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party to influence public opinion in Taiwan, becoming part of efforts by foreign forces to manipulate public sentiment. Meanwhile, after Chinese investment was transferred through foreign companies to make its origins less obvious, large amounts of shares in TVBS were acquired. This became another way of participating in China’s external propaganda efforts—by “reporting the good news while ignoring the bad.” When reporting on the United States and European countries, negative issues are often selected. In contrast, news about China is often presented in a positive way. Over time, this can subtly distort the audience’s view of world affairs. One of the most obvious examples is *Sisy’s World News*.

In fact, a country’s international image depends largely on the social conditions inside the country. No matter how many resources an authoritarian government spends trying to improve its image, it cannot truly convince everyone that its country is a paradise flowing with milk and honey. By contrast, the United States has used its democracy and freedom, as well as its institutions and achievements in many areas, to become one of the top destinations in the world for people who want to immigrate or buy property. In the end, what people say is one thing, but where they actually choose to live and invest is the real answer. However, in the age of AI, the potential impact of China’s external propaganda may be much greater when viewed from a broader perspective. Large language models are built partly on massive amounts of text from the Internet. If China’s propaganda campaign continuously produces huge amounts of positive content about China, while Western media, following the principle of balanced reporting, also produces criticism and negative reports about their own countries, the two sides may create an imbalance in the information available online. Over time, AI systems could be influenced by this imbalance and develop a distorted view, potentially making China appear better than Western countries in certain areas. If people in the future become too dependent on AI tools for information, this kind of AI-generated distortion could have a negative impact on world affairs. It is therefore something we need to pay close attention to.

台灣超越日本，真的嗎？鳳梨、便當、台積電，台日社會文化多樣交流的觀察與思索

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

在日本長崎原爆和平紀念典禮發生將台灣代表座位移到使節團區域外的事件後，打擊了台灣人對台日關係長期友好、以「絆」字所代表的美好想像。其實國際關係原本就錯綜複雜，更何況台灣有著全球罕見的外交困境，遇到官方往來和民間交流呈現的極端溫差，更是應該自立自強，發展、維持國家本身的軟、硬實力。如同這本《台灣超越日本真的嗎？》書名所示，隨著時代變遷、彼消我長的情況下，在東北亞，台灣幾乎快要迎頭趕上南韓、日本兩國，讓我們足以在 1960 年代後，再次在 AI 世代寫出另一篇台灣奇蹟。

作者野島剛是活躍於網路、週刊的媒體人／作者，長期深耕於了解台灣政治體制、產業文化、風俗民情，加上曾任朝日新聞社並外派多國的經歷，讓他在分析、評論日本、台灣兩國的各種議題時，都能以白話流暢的文字，一針見血地替讀者歸納重點。他是位相當友台的日本媒體人，更直白地說，他的政治思維是偏綠，並且是會為民進黨政策美言幾句的作家。不過整體來說，他討論的主題和抱持的立場，都是足夠客觀而且深具價值。

原本只是因為「台灣鐵道族為什麼不受我的家鄉便當？」這篇討論進軍台北車站的日本火車便當業者崎陽軒的文章，才開始翻閱這本書。雖然書籍有二分之一的內容是在討論台、日政治局勢的相關主題，較不受我的青睞；其餘偏向生活化、點出台灣特色的文章，能從日本人的眼中觀察自己，都非常有趣，也能帶來許多反思。台灣人和日本人在做事的風格上，台灣人求快，而日本人求穩。而在高速發展的現代經濟中，台灣人馬上做、錯了再改的方法，反而更能適應變化。

由這麼熱愛台灣的外國人眼光，點出台灣有待修正的缺點，更是值得我們加油改進。像是眾所皆知的行人地獄問題，平時待人和善的台灣人一旦坐上交通工具，便有如雙重人格般，路怒症隨之發作。台灣人求職、做事是以利益為導向；中小企業做事，少有經營事業的長遠眼光；個人謀職也不會有從事志業的職人精神。這是日本依舊優於台灣的觀念。

After the recent incident at the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony, where Taiwan's representative was moved outside the area reserved for official delegations, many Taiwanese people were disappointed by their long-held image of the friendly relationship between Taiwan and Japan, especially the idea of the bond represented by the Japanese word "kizuna." International relations have always been complicated. And Taiwan faces an unusual diplomatic situation that is rarely seen around the world. When there is such a big difference between official relations and the close exchanges between ordinary people, Taiwan should rely on itself even more. We need to develop and maintain both the soft power and hard power of our country. As the title of the book *Is Taiwan Really Overtaking Japan?* suggests, times are changing, and the balance between countries is also changing. In Northeast Asia, Taiwan is almost catching up with South Korea and Japan. This gives us a chance to create another "Taiwan Miracle" in the age of AI, just as we did after the 1960s.

The author, Tsuyoshi Nojima, is a media writer and author who is active on the Internet and in weekly magazines. He has spent many years studying Taiwan's political system, industries, culture, and way of life. He also worked for *The Asahi Shimbun* and was sent to several countries as a correspondent. Because of this experience, when he analyzes and comments on issues related to Japan and Taiwan, he can explain them in simple and fluent language and clearly point out the key ideas for readers. He is a very pro-Taiwan Japanese journalist. To put it more directly, his political views lean toward Taiwan's green camp, and he is a writer who is willing to say something nice about policies of the Democratic Progressive Party. However, overall, the topics he discusses and the positions he takes are objective enough and still provide great value.

I originally started reading this book because of an article titled "Why Don't Taiwanese Railway Fans Like My Hometown Bento?" It was about Kiyoken, a Japanese train bento company, trying to enter Taipei Main Station. About half of the book discusses political issues between Taiwan and Japan, which are not really my favorite topics. The other half is more about everyday life and the unique characteristics of Taiwan. It is very interesting to look at Taiwan through the eyes of Japanese people, and it gives us a lot to think about. In terms of how they work, Taiwanese people tend to value speed, while Japanese people tend to value stability. In today's fast-changing economy, however, the Taiwanese way of "do it first and fix it if something goes wrong" may actually be better suited to rapid changes.

It is especially valuable when a foreigner who loves Taiwan points out the things that Taiwan still needs to improve. We should take these comments seriously and do our best to improve. Take the well-known problem of Taiwan's "living hell for pedestrians," for example. Taiwanese people are usually friendly and kind, but once they get behind the wheel or onto the road, it can feel like they have a second personality, and their road rage suddenly appears. When Taiwanese people look for jobs or do business, they often focus on financial benefits. Small and medium-sized companies often lack a long-term vision for building a business. At the individual level, people looking for jobs often do not have the kind of professional spirit that comes from treating a job as a lifelong calling. This is one area where Japan is still better than Taiwan.

上白石萌音的心情點滴

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

在初中一年級就因為參加東寶灰姑娘甄選而步入演藝圈的上白石萌音，因在同屆比賽中和妹妹上白石萌歌一起獲獎，一門雙姝聯手拿下被公認為日本美少女魚躍龍門的大賽，幾乎可說是前無古人，後無來者。更值得稱讚的是，兩姐妹不因天生麗質的外貌而恃寵而驕，認真努力地一步一腳印，在競爭激烈的日本藝能圈裡累積作品和人氣。

《上白石萌音的心情點滴》這本書，是典型出版給粉絲閱讀、珍藏的散文寫真書。其實我對日本藝人也沒有太多了解，這本書是我友人買來放在書架陳列的，我閒來無事，就當成睡前讀物把它翻完。其實也曾經看過她主演的日劇，不過在讀過這本書後，才更進一步對她本人的經歷和個性有了更多的了解。

書中以散文的形式，撰寫出有如日記般的隨筆。一來驚豔於上白石萌音除了表演藝術外，也能寫出漂亮、舒服的文字作品，才貌雙全真的就是用來形容這樣的人。二來從文字中可以感受到，她在待人處事上有種老派而踏實的堅持，有如嚴以待己、寬以待人的大氣。另外，她恰好是一位重症的愛書人，不論是閱讀書籍，或是單純喜歡書的觸感、聞起來的味道，這又增添了我對她的好感。總而言之，對於粉絲來說，這本書不能不收；而對於不是粉絲的人，翻翻書，看看美少女平日在想什麼，也是挺有趣的，不是嗎？

Mone Kamishiraishi entered the entertainment industry when she was only a seventh grader, after taking part in the “Toho Cinderella Audition.” In that same competition, she and her younger sister, Moka Kamishiraishi, both won awards. It was quite a remarkable achievement for two sisters from the same family to win a competition widely regarded as a major stepping stone for young Japanese beauties. You could almost say it was something that had never happened before and may never happen again. What is even more admirable is that the sisters never let their natural beauty go to their heads. Instead, they have worked hard, taking things one step at a time and steadily building up their body of work and popularity in Japan’s fiercely competitive entertainment industry.

*Mone Kamishiraishi’s Little Moments* is a typical photo-essay book published for fans to read and treasure. To be honest, I don’t know that much about Japanese entertainers. A friend of mine bought this book and put it on the bookshelf as part of the collection. One day, with nothing much to do, I picked it up and ended up reading the whole thing as a kind of bedtime read. I had actually seen one of the Japanese TV dramas she starred in before, but it wasn’t until I read this book that I gained a better understanding of her background and personality.

The book consists of essays written in a diary-like, casual style. For one thing, I was impressed to discover that, besides being a talented performer, Mone Kamishiraishi can also write beautifully and comfortably. “Beauty and brains” really does seem like the perfect phrase to describe someone like her. For another, you can sense from her writing that she has an old-fashioned, down-to-earth determination when it comes to dealing with people and conducting herself. There is a certain generosity in the way she holds herself to high standards while being forgiving toward others. She also happens to be a serious book lover. Whether she is actually reading books or simply enjoying the feel of a book in her hands and the smell of its pages, this side of her makes me like her even more. All in all, for her fans, this is definitely a book worth owning. And for those who aren’t fans, it’s still fun to flip through the pages and see what this beautiful young woman thinks about in her everyday life. Isn’t it?

用數據讓客人買不停：Google策略長教你解讀數據，善用對話打造長久顧客關係

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

在今日，談起人工智慧，人人口中都會提到輝達；與之相比，提到數位行銷，沒人能忽略谷歌的影響力。實際上，這家矽谷巨頭的廣告業務收入，占總營收的比重高達七成，而廣義來說，廣告業務的核心技術就是數位行銷。《用數據讓客人買不停》書名本身相當有吸引力，加上作者尼爾．霍恩（Neil Hoyne）曾任 Google 數據策略長，參與、指導過許多企業數位轉型專案，這些都更加增添了讀者對本書內容的期待。

本書的主題環繞在指導企業打造長久、有效的客戶關係，而出乎意料的是，作者認為執行高品質的數位行銷，資料和工具並不是最重要的事。他主張一切應該從簡單著手，別理會商業雜誌、軟體廠商每年強力推銷的時髦術語。在正確的心態下，僅靠手上的客戶交易發票和基本的客戶聯絡資料，就能成就一些驚人的成果。不斷測試與優化，而非原地踏步，是數位行銷能夠長久發展的一項關鍵。一封加上姓名、量身客製化的電子郵件，開信率就能提升 20%；轉換率增加 31%，像這樣的小嘗試不勝枚舉。

除了常見的網站行為追蹤外，直接和客戶對話也是一種能夠了解對方的做法。而實作的重點，在於要問對問題。例如問「你購買本項產品是作為禮物嗎？」、「你在外出用餐方面花費多少錢？」前者回答「是」的人，往往是更認同該品牌的優勢客戶；後者則是藉由了解客戶的消費能力，推算其潛在的成長空間。而像是「你最喜歡我們的地方是什麼？」這樣正面的詢問，比起「你覺得有任何需要改進的地方嗎？」這種負面的問法，更能帶來 8% 的客戶銷售額成長。

從事數位行銷工作，絕對要擁抱消費者行為分析的科學發現，讓人類天性的強處與弱處，都成為你的助力。無論是文字上的微調、強調商品的稀少性，或是營造群眾效應等操作手法，都已被證明是有效影響人們行為的技巧，但也要小心其黑暗面，不要玩過頭。在執行行銷計畫上，作者也提出簡明扼要的指導：一切都要從欲解決的問題著手，不必大費周章製作試算表，也能開始進行。設定目標、辨識信號、建立衡量標準；如果資料真的太過複雜，機器學習便可以派上用場。也請記得多利用市面上已有的工具和方法學，不要重新發明輪子。也要記得世事多變，你所得出的看法並非恆久不變的真理，要持續投資，以找到屬於明天的答案。

做人不要大小眼，但經營一家公司卻不然，把心力花在忠誠客戶身上，遠比花在過路客身上更理性，也更符合實務。有一個簡單、有效的工具，就是計算顧客終身價值，並將80 / 20 法則牢記在心。別期望人們的行為會有大幅度的改變，給予精打細算的客戶更多優惠，只會犧牲自身的淨利，增加不必要的客戶獲取成本。成功的企業總是了解最有價值的客戶是哪一群人，並打造出能夠獲得他們歡心的活動，迎合他們原本的偏好與行為。

Today, when people talk about artificial intelligence (AI), everyone thinks of NVIDIA. In the same way, when people talk about digital marketing, no one can ignore Google's influence. In fact, about 70% of Google's total revenue comes from advertising. In a broad sense, the core technology behind advertising is digital marketing. The title of the book, *Data-Driven Marketing*, is very attractive. Also, the author, Neil Hoyne, was once Google's Chief Strategist for Data and Measurement. He has worked on and guided many companies through digital transformation projects. All of this makes readers expect a lot from this book.

The main purpose of this book is to teach businesses how to build strong and lasting relationships with customers. Surprisingly, the author believes that data and tools are not the most important parts of good digital marketing. He says that everything should start with simplicity. Don't pay too much attention to the trendy terms that business magazines and software companies promote every year. With the right mindset, even simple customer invoices and basic contact information can help you achieve amazing results. The key to long-term success is to keep testing and improving instead of standing still. For example, simply adding a customer's name to an email can increase the open rate by 20%. It can also increase the conversion rate by 31%. There are many small improvements like these.

Besides tracking customer behavior on websites, talking directly with customers is another good way to understand them. The most important thing is to ask the right questions. For example, you can ask, "Are you buying this product as a gift?" or "How much do you spend on eating out?" Customers who answer "yes" to the first question are often more loyal to the brand. The second question helps you understand a customer's spending power and future potential. Another example is asking, "What do you like most about us?" This positive question works better than asking, "Is there anything we should improve?" According to the book, the positive question can lead to an 8% increase in customer sales.

If you work in digital marketing, you should understand what consumer behavior research has taught us. Human strengths and weaknesses can both become useful tools. Simple changes in wording, creating a sense of limited supply, or showing that many other people are buying the same product have all been proven to influence people's decisions. However, these methods also have a dark side, so they should be used carefully. The author also gives simple advice on how to plan a marketing campaign. Start with the problem you want to solve. You do not need complicated spreadsheets before you begin. Set your goals, identify the important signals, and decide how to measure success. If the data becomes too complicated, machine learning can help. Also, remember to use the tools and methods that already exist. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. At the same time, remember that the world is always changing. Your conclusions today may not be true tomorrow. Keep investing in learning so you can find tomorrow's answers.

In daily life, we should treat everyone fairly. But in business, things are different. It makes more sense to spend your time and effort on loyal customers than on one-time buyers. One simple and useful tool is Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). Another important idea is the 80/20 rule. Don't expect people to change their behavior too much. Giving bigger discounts to customers who already look for the best deals will only reduce your profits and increase your customer acquisition cost. Successful companies always know who their most valuable customers are. They create products, services, and marketing activities that these customers truly like, instead of trying to change their natural preferences and behavior.

Claude Code Vibe Coding 開發手冊 第 2 版

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

即使不像對岸因高失業率引發的各行各業「內捲」那般慘烈，在台灣，近年來資訊科技相關工作的日子，也越來越不輕鬆自在了。除了像 Claude Code 這類強大的 Vibe Coding 工具緊追在後之外，IT 技術本身的突破與迭代速度也快得令人措手不及。以前可能學個 COBOL，就能安穩地寫二十年的銀行系統；學個 SQL，也能在中小企業的 MIS 部門一路做到退休，這種好日子已經一去不復返。現在資訊技術的保鮮期，多則不到兩年；像 AI 領域更誇張，新東西可能不到半年就過時，又得重新學起。

以這本《Claude Code Vibe Coding 開發手冊 第 2 版》為例，上市日期是 2026/06，離今天大概也才一個月。書中提到建立 subagent 的 /agents 指令，就已經被原廠停用、廢棄了。雖然就學習、使用的角度來說，這並不會造成太大的困擾，依舊能改用口語式指令操作，但對出版社、作者等教學方而言，撰寫、出版 AI 技術書籍的性價比肯定不高。畢竟，相較於討論底層核心觀念、歷久彌新的電腦書，這類 AI 熱門主題書如果不能在出版當年賣掉，大概也只能被秤重回收了。所以看電腦書，尤其是主題偏向 AI 實作時，近來得出的心得是：有需要再買，買了就馬上看，千萬不要積書！

由於我才剛看過這本書的第一版，因此能很明確地比對出新增加的章節內容。整體而言，基本概念與操作方式變化不大，實作練習則略有增加，翻閱時本質上比較像是在看別人做習題。因此，本書真正有價值的地方，在於 Claude Code 新功能的介紹，像是將特定執行流程 SOP 化的 Skills，以及跨平台的遠端操控功能。另外，內建 MCP 的 Claude in Chrome，也讓我眼睛一亮，更確切地體認到，在 AI 工具的協助下，未來的網路環境中，爬蟲機器人將會是再也無法阻擋的必然存在。還是那句老話，程式開發人員已經不能不懂 Vibe Coding。來一本吧！

Even though Taiwan is not facing the same serious "involution" as China, where high unemployment has made competition much tougher, working in the IT industry here has also become more stressful in recent years. Powerful Vibe Coding tools like Claude Code are moving forward very quickly. At the same time, new IT technologies are changing faster than ever. In the past, you could learn COBOL and spend twenty years writing banking systems. If you learned SQL, you could also work in the MIS department of a small or medium-sized company until retirement. Those days are gone. Today, many IT skills stay useful for less than two years. The AI field changes even faster. A new technology may become old in less than six months, and then you have to learn something new again.

Take this book, *Claude Code Vibe Coding Developer's Guide, 2nd Edition*, as an example. It was published in June 2026, only about one month ago. However, one command for creating a subagent has already been removed by the official developer. Luckily, this does not cause much trouble for readers. We can still do the same thing by using natural language commands instead. Still, for publishers and authors, writing AI books is probably not a very good business. Unlike classic computer books that teach basic ideas and stay useful for many years, AI books can become outdated very quickly. If they do not sell soon after publication, they may end up being recycled. Because of this, I have learned one important lesson about computer books, especially AI books: buy them only when you really need them, and read them right away. Don't let them sit on your bookshelf for too long.

I finished the first edition not long ago, so it was easy for me to see what had changed in this new edition. Overall, the basic ideas and operations are almost the same. There are a few more hands-on exercises, but reading them feels a little like watching someone else solve homework problems. The most valuable part of this book is its introduction to Claude Code's new features. For example, it explains Skills, which can turn common workflows into standard operating procedures (SOPs). It also introduces remote control across different platforms. Another feature that impressed me was Claude in Chrome, which comes with a built-in MCP. It helped me realize that, with the help of AI, web-crawling bots will become an unavoidable part of the future Internet. As I always say, software developers can no longer ignore Vibe Coding. Go get a copy of this book!

勇者鬥惡龍 達伊的大冒險 各自的道路(全)

 

（點此前往博客來購書）

以日本電玩《勇者鬥惡龍》的世界觀為舞台的漫畫《達伊的大冒險》，雖然已經完結多年，但一直以來都是我的最愛。有別於現在許多漫畫充斥著各種沉重、灑狗血的情節，以及灰暗、走極端的角色設定，二、三十年前日本《週刊少年 Jump》上的連載漫畫，幾乎都是以友情、努力和勝利為核心來創作。在三觀正確的前提下所描繪出來的《達伊的大冒險》，絕對是一部能讓家長放心買給小朋友閱讀的少年漫畫。

2026年的當下，以達伊的老師阿邦打倒魔王哈德拉/巴特拉為故事主題的前傳《勇者鬥惡龍 達伊的大冒險 勇者阿邦與獄炎魔王》仍在連載中。而早已完結多年的正傳，則是以輕小說的形式推出了這本《勇者鬥惡龍 達伊的大冒險 各自的道路》，用來補完冒險故事中一些細微的橋段。本書以阿邦的五位弟子達伊/小呆、波普/何布、瑪姆、休葛爾和蕾歐娜，各自的一篇短篇小說，串接起漫畫中的重要章節，形成一個巧妙的補充。

原作漫畫我看了不下十次，因此對於角色的個性與能力可說是倒背如流。即便如此，我還是對日本輕小說的文字創作功力感到相當驚豔。僅憑文字描寫，就能讓我在腦海中浮現宛如漫畫原著般的畫面；情節的鋪陳和人物的刻畫，也都沒有脫離原作，進行任何不必要的二次創作。相對地，輕小說中的故事內容補足了漫畫中沒有機會著墨的日常篇章，讓讀者能以更和緩的節奏，深入理解阿邦五位弟子的人格特質與成長歷程。推薦給每一位曾經拿著掃把，練習過阿邦式快速劍的朋友們。

*Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai* is a manga set in the world of the famous Japanese video game *Dragon Quest*. Even though it ended many years ago, it has always been one of my favorite manga series. Unlike many modern manga, which are full of dark stories, over-the-top drama, and extreme characters, most manga in *Weekly Shonen Jump* twenty or thirty years ago were created around three important ideas: friendship, hard work, and victory. Because of these positive values, *The Adventure of Dai* is a manga that parents can feel comfortable giving to their children.

As of 2026, the prequel manga *Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai – The Brave Avan and the Hellfire Demon King* is still being serialized. It tells the story of Dai's teacher, Avan, and his battle against the Demon King Hadlar. The original manga ended many years ago, but a light novel called *Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai – Their Paths* was later published. It fills in some of the small but meaningful moments that were not shown in the manga. The book contains five short stories, each focusing on one of Avan's students: Dai, Pop, Maam, Hyunckel, and Leona. Together, these stories connect important parts of the original manga and add more depth to the adventure.

I have read the original manga more than ten times, so I know the characters and their abilities very well. Even so, I was still amazed by the author's writing. With only words, the novel brought scenes from the manga to life in my mind. The story and the characters stayed true to the original work, without adding unnecessary changes or fan fiction. Instead, the novel focuses on everyday moments that the manga did not have time to show. It lets readers learn more about the personalities and growth of Avan's five students at a slower and more relaxing pace. I highly recommend this book to everyone who once picked up a broom and practiced the "Avan Strash."