This is propably the most entertaining, most hilarious, most ingenious and best thought out book I've read in a long time. Stross takes all the ideas, politics, technology, trends and subcultures of today's Information Society and projects them into the near future, painting a picture that I can't find a fault with.
On top of that, It is told in Stross's typical eloquent style and has a entertaining and captivating story, as well as ideas that give rise to epiphany even in the deeply immersed Programmer/Hacker/Science&Technology Geek :)
(And by the way, reading the book feels like playing a MUSH or TextAdventure)
To fully enjoy the full depth of the book however, I recommend at least a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, a healthy interest in new Technologies and their legislation for better or worse, at least one visit to the C3 and the reading of Glasshouse. ;->
Optionally you can also reread the book after consuming the above and have twice the fun :)