$11.99

$15.99 CAD

Format

Format:

ebook $11.99 $15.99 CAD
Trade Paperback $24.99 $31.99 CAD

Also available from:

From Tokyo to Helsinki, Manhattan to Manila, Howard Rheingold takes us on a journey around the world for a preview of the next techno-cultural shift-a shift he predicts will be as dramatic as the widespread adoption of the PC in the 1980s and the Internet in the 1990s. The coming wave, says Rheingold, is the result of super-efficient mobile communications-cellular phones, personal digital assistants, and wireless-paging and Internet-access devices that will allow us to connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime. From the amusing (“Lovegetty” devices in Japan that light up when a person with the right date-potential characteristics appears in the vicinity) to the extraordinary (the overthrow of a repressive regime in the Philippines by political activists who mobilized by forwarding text messages via cell phones), Rheingold gives examples of the fundamentally new ways in which people are already engaging in group or collective action. He also considers the dark side of this phenomenon, such as the coordination of terrorist cells, threats to privacy, and the ability to incite violent behavior. Applying insights from sociology, artificial intelligence, engineering, and anthropology, Rheingold offers a penetrating perspective on the brave new convergence of pop culture, cutting-edge technology, and social activism. At the same time, he reminds us that, as with other technological revolutions, the real impact of mobile communications will come not from the technology itself but from how people use it, resist it, adapt to it, and ultimately use it to transform themselves, their communities, and their institutions.

Request Desk/Exam Copy

Genre:

On Sale: Mar 21, 2007
Page Count: 288 pages
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN-13: 9780465004393

By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Howard Rheingold

About the Author

Howard Rheingold is a leading authority on the social implications of technology. A former founding editor of HotWired, he has served as editor of the Whole Earth Review and editor-in-chief of the Millennium Whole Earth Catalog, and on-line host for the Well. He lives in Mill Valley, California.

Learn more about this author

Contributors

Formats and Prices

Price

Price

Format

Format:

Also available from:

Description

Genre:

Details

You May Also Like

Newsletter Signup

Howard Rheingold

About the Author