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- Prescient
- Most alarming book since Orwell's 1984
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The Twilight of Sovereignty : How the Information Revolution Is Transforming Our World
Walter B. Wriston
Manufacturer: Scribner Book Company
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Flat Tax Revolution: Using a Postcard to Abolish the IRS
ASIN: 0684194546 |
Customer Reviews:
Prescient.......2005-03-28
In "The Twilight Of Sovereignty", the late Walter Wriston, former Chairman of Citicorp spoke to the positive transformative effects of information technology and the subsequent rise of transparency and democracy through globalization. Although this book was written in 1992, just after the collapse of the Soviet Union, his commentary about the spread of modern communications and how better communications will enable the forces of globalism to erode the power of local tyrannies, empower individuals and promote democracy was prescient. His comments predate those of Walter Russell Mead in "Power Terror War And Peace" by several years, but are clearly in agreement. In `Twilight" Wriston's view that the so-called managerial class has outlived its usefulness as a communications hierarchy and is now superfluous or even destructive to operational efficiency is a clear example of what Mead calls the Millennial Capitalist replacement of the Fordist managerial state. Wriston also set the stage for Thomas Barnett's call for transparency and globalism as a means to fight terrorism in Barnett's recent book, "The Pentagon's New Map". In Wriston's view "the law of technology is the law of convergence" and "as information technology brings the news of how others live, the pressure for freedom will be irresistible". This is a more eloquent if a less detailed discussion than Barnett's chapter entitled `Mind the Gap', but the train of thought is essentially the same. This book is more a survey than the intensive development of the ideas that Wriston proposed, but it may be that he just assumed a degree of literacy that is no longer general. His historical references include Max Weber, whose theory of state has sovereignty emerging from the exclusive use of legitimate violence, and Frederick Hayek, whose individual choice based market solutions establish him as the intellectual heir of Adam Smith. Wriston also included modern commentators like Carver Mead and George Gilder who rejoice in the ever- accelerating pace of technological change. Wriston said that change is a constant in the global marketplace and that "change is what Americans deal with best." Although somewhat dated, I recommend this book as a concise general preview of the technological globalist argument from one of its original proponents.
Most alarming book since Orwell's 1984.......1997-10-27
Walter Wriston emvisions a world where corporations exercise totalitarian control. With control of financial markets, they are able to make or break nations who stand in the way of their eternal drive for greater and greater profits. Mr. Wriston asks us to trust that the corporations' managers are now more enlightened while he acknowledges that they have a brutal history. This book should be a wake up call to any one who is not a member of the stock-holding privileged class that our future lies in sweatshops unless we act now to stop the multi-national corporations.
Book Description
How can we best understand the impact of revolutionary technologies on the business cycle, the economy, and society? Why is economics meaningless without history and without an understanding of institutional and technical change? Does the 'new economy' mean the 'end of history'? These are some of the questions addressed in this authoritative analysis of economic growth from the Industrial Revolution to the 'new economy' of today. Chris Freeman has been one of the foremost researchers on innovation for a long time and his colleague Francisco Louca is an outstanding historian of economic theory and an analyst of econometric models and methods. Together they chart the history of five technological revolutions: water-powered mechanization, steam-powered mechanization, electrification, motorization, and computerization. They demonstrate the necessity to take account of politics, culture, organizational change, and entrepreneurship, as well as science and technology in the analysis of economic growth. This is a well-informed, highly topical, and persuasive study of interest across all the social sciences.
Customer Reviews:
K wave modelling.......2007-01-19
Well written, exceptionally easy to understand and more importantly not just another vacuous theory book. It is applied modeling, which is what makes the book a very engaging read. One of my top two Kondratiev wave picks.
Book Description
Wireless networks are the fastest growing communications technology in history. Are mobile phones expressions of identity, fashionable gadgets, tools for life--or all of the above? Mobile Communication and Society looks at how the possibility of multimodal communication from anywhere to anywhere at any time affects everyday life at home, at work, and at school, and raises broader concerns about politics and culture both global and local.
Drawing on data gathered from around the world, the authors explore who has access to wireless technology, and why, and analyze the patterns of social differentiation seen in unequal access. They explore the social effects of wireless communication--what it means for family life, for example, when everyone is constantly in touch, or for the idea of an office when workers can work anywhere. Is the technological ability to multitask further compressing time in our already hurried existence?
The authors consider the rise of a mobile youth culture based on peer-to-peer networks, with its own language of texting, and its own values. They examine the phenomenon of flash mobs, and the possible political implications. And they look at the relationship between communication and development and the possibility that developing countries could "leapfrog" directly to wireless and satellite technology. This sweeping book--moving easily in its analysis from the United States to China, from Europe to Latin America and Africa--answers the key questions about our transformation into a mobile network society.
Customer Reviews:
Good starting point.......2007-09-27
The book provides a global view of mobile communication technologies penetration, adoption and use. It is global because of the widespread deployment of such technologies worldwide, as the authors claim. For that, both qualitative (especially case studies) and quantitative studies are used as a framework to elaborate and reinforce the authors presented arguments.
However, there are many limitations to this view as the study lacks some cross-referenced data to allow comparisons in different contexts in different countries. Further, it sometimes provides a slightly shallow view on a topic, especially when addressing developing countries (allegedly the main focus of the book) where many current trends still have only incipient researches. A reader interested in a deep understanding of economic implications of mobile communication technologies diffusion, for example, would need to dig the book's references and investigate the topic him or herself.
Another issue worth noting is the apparent lack of understanding of some technical fundamental aspects of mobile communications by the authors. In this context, new trends such as the role of technology convergence (through the use of IP networks) are missing and others such as the diffusion of viruses are completely biased (viruses as of this day is still not a threat for mobile devices).
Despite those issues, the authors raise categories (both economical - GDP, pricing systems, technology infrastructure, etc. - and social - age groups, gender, ethnicity, culture, etc.) and trends (collective sharing of mobile phones, prepaid services in poorer communities, the active role of young people, etc.), putting them together in a qualitative perspective that leads to what the authors called the "Mobile Network Society".
Overall, the book allows a fairly broad understanding of the topic and it is a good starting point for any researcher interested in overcome or build on top of the current understanding of this phenomenon.
mobile fluff all the way - from start to end.......2007-01-27
I was very dissapointed by the lack of understanding by the authors of the underlying mobile technology, the market dynamics, and the impact/correlation of the user behavior.
The authors fail to question the data obtained in their research and fail miserably to understand what they are actually stating as the thesis. Example, p117, 3rd paragraph: "At the same time, with the diffusion of smart phones euqipped with 3G or bluetooth technology, mobile-data services have begun to be vulnerable to computer worms and viruses." Unfortunately, the authors have fallen for the sensational news that hit the wires in 2005 that phones are be the next target of viruses; displaying a lack of thorough research in this matter alone. So far, worms and viruses are not a problem as the execution/installation of files is quite protected, ie Symbian OS, etc. I even question the description "3G equipped smart phones" as there also 3G phones that are not considered smart phones, eg non-camera phones.
Additonally, the conclusion, though it is a proven fact that mobile communication proliferation has had and continues to have a large impact on how we communicate, how social interaction as a whole is starting to change, forming not, as incorrectly stated, a subculture, but a connected society as a whole; far exceeding the impact the web has had in the past 10 years.
My recommendation is to leave this publication in the shelf (Mr. Castells' other works on the networked society, though, are a must read!!), save the money and time and conduct a quick google news search on mobile usage. You will get the same value within 30mins.
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The Second Information Revolution
Gerald W. Brock
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
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ASIN: 0674011783 |
Book Description
Thanks to inexpensive computers and data communications, the speed and volume of human communication are exponentially greater than they were even a quarter-century ago. Not since the advent of the telephone and telegraph in the nineteenth century has information technology changed daily life so radically. We are in the midst of what Gerald Brock calls a second information revolution.
Brock traces the complex history of this revolution, from its roots in World War II through the bursting bubble of the Internet economy. As he explains, the revolution sprang from an interdependent series of technological advances, entrepreneurial innovations, and changes to public policy. Innovations in radar, computers, and electronic components for defense projects translated into rapid expansion in the private sector, but some opportunities were blocked by regulatory policies. The contentious political effort to accommodate new technology while protecting beneficiaries of the earlier regulated monopoly eventually resulted in a regulatory structure that facilitated the explosive growth in data communications. Brock synthesizes these complex factors into a readable economic history of the wholesale transformation of the way we exchange and process information.
Book Description
Although the Information Age is often described as a new era, a cultural leap springing directly from the invention of modern computers, it is simply the latest step in a long cultural process. Its conceptual roots stretch back to the profound changes that occurred during the Age of Reason and Revolution. When Information Came of Age argues that the key to the present era lies in understanding the systems developed in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to gather, store, transform, display, and communicate information. The book provides a concise and readable survey of the many conceptual developments between 1700 and 1850 and draws connections to leading technologies of today. It documents three breakthroughs in information systems that date to the period: the classification and nomenclature of Linnaeus, the chemical system devised by Lavoisier, and the metric system. It shows how eighteenth-century political arithmeticians and demographers pioneered statistics and graphs as a means for presenting data succinctly and visually. It describes the transformation of cartography from art to science as it incorporated new methods for determining longitude at sea and new data on the measure the arc of the meridian on land. Finally, it looks at the early steps in codifying and transmitting information, including the development of dictionaries, the invention of semaphore telegraphs and naval flag signaling, and the conceptual changes in the use and purpose of postal services. When Information Came of Age shows that like the roots of democracy and industrialization, the foundations of the Information Age were built in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century.
Customer Reviews:
clear, well organized introduction.......2004-11-16
This is an interesting, clearly written, well organized introduction to the history of information technologies. The author explains the role of classification in the increase in knowledge, introducing major contributors to Western science: Linneaus, Lavoisier among others.
Book Description
In this book Ernest Wilson provides a clear, nuanced analysis of the major transformations resulting from the global information revolution. He shows that the information revolution is rooted in societal dynamics, political interests, and social structure. Using the innovative Strategic ReStructuring (SRS) model, he uncovers links between the big changes taking place around the world and the local initiatives of individual information activists, especially in developing countries. Indeed, Wilson shows that many of the structural changes of the information revolution, such as shifts from public to private ownership or from monopoly to competition, are driven by activists struggling individually and collectively to overcome local apathy and entrenched opposition to reform.
Wilson applies his SRS model to the politics of Internet expansion in Brazil, China, and Ghana to illustrate the real-world challenges facing policy-makers and practitioners. Examples of such challenges include starting Internet companies, reforming regulatory laws, and formulating NGO strategies for dealing with the digital divide. Wilson identifies the tremendous possibilities for innovation and advancement in developing countries while acknowledging the structural, institutional, and cultural constraints that work against their realization.
Book Description
Every day, new technologies affect your life at home, at work and at play. But how often do you pause to consider how your computer, mp3 player, cell phone, or PDA influence your spiritual life--your beliefs, your faith, your fundamental understanding of God?
With wit and verve, Stephen Spyker leads you on a lively journey through the many ways technology impacts how we think about faith and how we practice it. He explores the role of new spiritual communities, the personal relationships we have with our gadgets, our changing expectations, helping you to think about the many, often subtle, ways technology has seeped into every aspect of our lives and changed the way we "do" faith.
- Can online churches replace traditional houses of worship?
- Will my iPod give me peace of mind?
- Is technological convenience undermining our ability to create community and make commitments?
Whether a technophile or technophobe, no matter your faith or background, this book will entertain and challenge you while encouraging you to take a fresh look at spirituality in our modern world.
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High-Tech Society: The Story of the Information Technology Revolution
Tom Forester
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
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ASIN: 0262560445 |
Book Description
High Tech Society is the most definitive account available of the technology revolution that is transforming society and dramatically changing the way we live and work and maybe even think. It provides a balanced and sane overview of the opportunities as well as the dangers we face from new advances in information technology. In plain English, Forester demystifies "computerese," defining and explaining a host of acronyms or computer terms now in use.
Tom Forester is Lecturer and Director of the Foundation Programme in the School of Computing and Information Technology, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. He is the editor/author of five books on technology and society.
Amazon.com
Where do you want to go today? This slogan/mantra is the centerpiece of a Microsoft advertising campaign and the central dilemma of our times, says technorealist Andrew L. Shapiro in The Control Revolution, a warning of the potentially dismal consequences of the uninhibited personalization afforded by the Internet. By putting individuals in charge of their own information gathering, Shapiro suggests that we might find ourselves imprisoned within our increasingly narrow choices or "oversteering" into a corporate-controlled Net environment not unlike network television. His aim is to alert us to the problems and help us steer a middle course to fully realize the benefits of worldwide networking.
What will happen to encryption, copyright, and free speech in our brave new world? How can we seize the power of unrestricted choice without giving in to the temptation of ignoring diverse opinions? How will governmental and business authorities respond to these threats to their power? Shapiro addresses these questions and others forcefully and eloquently, offering prescriptions for thoughtful leaders such as limiting certain intellectual property rights to free the market for new operating systems and creating incentives for virtual "public squares" where everyone can have their 15 nanominutes of fame. Thoughtful, entertaining, and substantial, The Control Revolution is essential reading for those charged with creating the future. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
So much of what we read or hear about the Internet points to extremes t hat have little to do with our actual experience of this new technology. A whole vocabulary has developed that reflects hysteria ("cyberstalker," "Y2K bug") and hype ("virtual reality"). But how do we really make sense of the Internet and its impact on our day-to-day lives? What is it doing to our sense of self and society? How is it affecting our relationships with family and friends, with neighbors and far-flung fellow citizens, and with the powers that be in government and the corporate world? The Control Revolution addresses these questions in a way that everyone will find relevant.
In this masterful exploration of the meaning of the Internet, journalist and legal scholar Andrew Shapiro weaves a narrative through events that are occurring all around us: Dissidents use the Net to evade censorship to get their message out. Cyber-gossips send dispatches to thousands via email. Musicians bypass record companies and put their songs on the world wide web for fans to download directly. "Day traders" roil the stock market, buying securities online with the click of a mouse and then sell minutes later when the price jumps.
Shapiro argues that there is a common thread underlying these developments. It is not just a change in how we compute or communicate. Rather, it is a potentially radical shift in who is in control--of information, experience, and resources. With a mix of anecdote and analysis, Shapiro explains how:
* new technology is allowing individuals to take power from large institutions such as government, corporations, and the media;
* powerful entities are resisting this change and limiting our new digitally enabled autonomy;
* individual control can be pushed too far, threatening personal well-being and democratic values; and
* we can reap the benefits of the new control without succumbing either to resistance or to excess.
Along the way, The Control Revolution explores electronic commerce, cyberporn and censorship, customized news delivery, online democracy, Microsoft's market power, encryption and law enforcement, copyright in the digital age, virtual communities, Matt Drudge, privacy, and the role of interactive technology in struggles against political tyranny. The result is a penetrating exploration of how the Internet shapes our lives--often more than we realize--and how the question of who is in control will determine its influence all the more.
Customer Reviews:
Pessimistic point of view.......2002-11-26
The only new thing I learned with this book is: "Don't ever buy a book without taking its wrapping off and reading a few lines first."
Except for the chapter about Microsoft (about 20 pages), I consider this book useless. Seems like the author grabbed a list of all the advantages that can be found on the use of the internet and formulated a number of weird reasons to question each one of them. Some of those "reasons" were just so small and insignificant that his efforts to fill 10 pages with it 'no matter how' are so evident. For example, in one part he critizes the capability that the internet has when finding the meaning of a specific word, without having to browse an entire list of words in a place like a dictionary. His "reason"? He says that "we might lose the pleasure of those strange accidents when we look for a word but find another one on the road that leds us to new and unexpected feelings" or something like that. Give me a break.
Yup, that old saying "don't judge a book by its cover" fits perfectly here. The title is somewhat tricky.
The Emperor Wears No Clothes.......2002-08-23
WARNING: There is much hype surrounding this book. I searched for meat and was left hungry. It reads like a term paper: always talking but rarely making a point. There are 40 pages of notes and bibliography listings that left me wondering where all the results of this extensive research went. Honestly, this entire piece of writing could have been condensed into a solid magazine article, but instead it was stretched out for the sake of filling 2 covers.
If you are looking for a book that talks of the effects of technology on society, try The New Renaissance by Douglas Robertson.
For those with second thoughts.......2001-12-20
It is nice, finally, to read an intelligent book about the Internet - one that is neither overly celebratory nor overly gloomy. Most books written about the 'Net are overly positive, painting the kind of unrealistic picture of the future that one associates with the Worlds Fair of 1939, which, among other things, portrayed the City of the Future as blessedly free of traffic jams. Whoops! That sure didn't happen!
Shapiro uses the term "over-steer" to describe how the 'Net and all its benefits might bring unintended consequences. For example, the 'Net eliminates the middleman, but maybe the middleman offers value that will be sorely missed. The 'Net allows us to personalize information, but maybe an over-personalized world will cut us off from the marvels and pleasures of serendipity - in other words, if we only read the news we want, we might miss something vitally important (I think this is unlikely. Anyone with one molecule of curiousity in their brains will experience mountains of interesting information on the Interent 'by accident.')
Hats off to Shapiro for thinking this technology through. This book is recommended for people who always have second thoughts.
The Third Wave.......2000-10-06
An excellent book for grasping the power of the net. Allows room for discussing cyberspace's ablility to work for "good" or "evil".
A libertarian approach that guides readers to think indedendently of governments, corporations and other influencing entities.
A penetrating survey........2000-07-04
The Internet is putting individuals in charge of changes in our culture and society, providing a radical shift in who is in control of information and resources and prompting ripples of change in the structure of society. Shapiro argues that individuals and companies who come to control the Internet environment will influence lives and the future in this penetrating survey.
Amazon.com
"Information overload" is a simple phrase for a complex phenomenon: the overwhelming sense that modern media technologies churn out more words and images than our culture can usefully absorb. David Shenk, a technology critic with a knack for unraveling the complex, has an even simpler name for it--"data smog." That was the title of his first book, a smart, useful critique of the march of info-tech "progress" that has brought us such marvels as spam, junk mail, and 57 channels with nothing much on.
His second book, The End of Patience: Cautionary Notes on the Information Revolution, continues and expands Shenk's analysis, collecting articles and commentary he wrote for National Public Radio, The New Republic, FEED, Wired, and other high-minded venues over the last three years. Shenk's targets here vary widely: the corporatization of scientific research, the dizzying ethical choices surrounding biotechnology, and the scourge of Web sites with too many bells and whistles all get due consideration. But his central message remains the same throughout. Our technologies, he warns, are shaping us into a nation of info-hungry, data-dizzy "button smackers," risking the quality of our life and culture for the doubtful thrill of instant knowledge.
Shenk's warning is a gentle one, however, tempered by an affectionate familiarity with the media he critiques. And though this book could have used a little more winnowing (in particular, the transcribed conversations with assorted media-critic pals of Shenk's come off as little more than chummy, self-indulgent filler), in general his writing has a sure, light touch that glides past the bombast of classic technopunditry. Happily, Shenk follows his own prescriptions, cutting through the information haze rather than adding to it. --Julian Dibbell
Customer Reviews:
"Moving images capture attention but subvert thought.".......2001-04-03
David Shenk has a gift for giving voice to my nagging anxieties, and an ability to discover the essential features of complex problems. I think he is a truly fine essayist, and all of the ones in this slender volume are wonderful. "Stealing Calm," however, is in a very rare class. It even approaches the likes of Loren Eiseley's "The Bird and the Machine," and for me, there are no higher accolades.
Patience still a virtue on the information tech frontier.......2000-04-19
The End of Patience: cautionary notes on the information revolution by David Shenk
This is a very fast, fun read, and I found it simultaneously interesting and frustrating. Every chapter/article is a reprint of a previously published (either in print or online) essay - for the material that is 2-3 years old - I would have liked to also read additional current follow-up or commentary. It would be fascinating to know, in this time of exploding commercial enterprise on the web if the author still holds the same opinions about the need for a World Wide Library ("a regimented, filtered, ultra-reliable segment of the World Wide Web") as he did in mid-1997. And how he thinks it might be accomplished given the current free market boom.
Every essay provided food for thought, even if only to wonder "is this still true?" The author writes clearly, humorously and cogently. I would be pleased to see book length treatments of many of the themes he treats in just 2 or 3 pages ("Hall Pass to the Twenty-first Century: the problem with putting schools online" would be a particularly juicy book topic). In light of the coming anti-trust judgment remedies in the Microsoft case - a book extrapolating on the essay "Hating Gates: the culture of Microsoft bashing" could be quite provocative. His conclusion that "as long as Microsoft keeps its focus on itself, maintains that hungry feeling, and stays (more or less) within the bounds of the law, they're bound to succeed ... [but] technology has a way of turning the tables rather suddenly. Regardless of Microsoft's foresight, toughness, breadth of investment, and research, Gates knows as well as anyone that his days as technology king could come to a fairly swift end" (p. 88) seems especially prescient.
The concluding section on Technorealism, while 2 years or more old - still resonates and is a very appropriate way to end a book by the person who coined the phrase "data smog". I think it is important to try and retain a sense of proportion about the high-tech "information society" - and his basic principles are a good thing to keep in mind: 1. Technologies are not neutral 2. The Internet is revolutionary, but not utopian [...] 4. Information is not knowledge 5. Wiring the schools will not save them. [...]
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is trying to find a point of equilibrium between boosterism and neo-Luddite rejection of high tech and the changes it is bringing to us all.
Another Triumph for David Shenk.......1999-12-29
David Shenk writes with wit and warmth about profound matters that affect us all, and manages to make high tech information intelligible and enjoyable.
I was introduced to Mr. Shenk's work in "Data Smog", an earlier publication about the impact of technology on us mortals. Time and time again, I experienced that 'click' of recognition, as Mr. Shenk articulated what I had been feeling, but unable to voice.
Mr. Shenk hasn't let us down with his current work, "The End of Patience". One warning, though - this book will make information technology addicts very grumpy. For those of us who have embraced this technology without question and spend most of our lives 'plugged in' on an endless quest for more and better and faster, Mr. Shenk's insights will not be welcome.
For the rest of us, those who just want to retain our humanity in cyber-world, it's a must-read.This is especially true for those who are privileged to work in developing our information technology and communication systems, and have the power to deeply impact our futures.
Mr. Shenk does not advocate disrespect for our modern miracles. On the contrary, he reminds us that it is in the nature of miracles to overwhelm those who are touched by them.
The End of Patience: Binary Fallout.......1999-12-28
I enjoyed The End of Patience very much. I had to laugh at how many of David Shenk's insights I could relate to, although I had never slowed down enough to consider them. I highly recommend this book. If you've never considered the effect of the constant barrage of digital information The End of Patience will be an eye opener.
nibbling the hand that feeds.......1999-12-01
In his second book "The End of Patience" we have David Shenk's self aggrandizing insights into the complex dark canyons of the technological revolution we have been drawn into. Like a prophet from above Shenk has generously mined from his own omni-present commentary on the mélange of "our" patronage of all that is technologically new and shinny in order to sound a warning.
This warning - in and of itself - might be easier to take seriously were it not itself coming from one whose success is built, and dependent on, the very industry he seeks to protect "us" from. However, looking at Shenk through the filter of the book's point of view, it is hard not to agree with the basis of his premises. And we can hardly blame him for only nibbling the hand that feeds him.
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