Being Digital

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Summary: Negroponte's visionary statements enlightening.
Review: "Atoms and bits, Negroponte Switch, DNA of information"...words and illustrations which lead the reader into the future bring fresh new thought to the digital age. One of the most compelling statements, "New information and entertainment services are not waiting on fiber to the home; they are waiting on imagination." This book reveals the upside and the downside of technology which so many of us struggle to understand. The author offers interesting and thought provoking concepts providing insight and entertainment. Community prevails over networking, as the themes of "decentralizing, globalizing, harmonizing and empowering" blaze through the pages of the work. Well done, Negroponte!

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Summary: Very informative and interesting ... But ....
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book because is was really an effortless read ( I read it in one sitting), and it was thought-provoking and educational. That said, I only wanna comment on the one major flaw in the work: Mr. Negroponte is only an avergae writer. Being a writer, maybe I see things that other people would not see, but his metaphors just seem a little wrong, his adjectives just a little off. But hey, that's nitpicking. Everyone has their own style, after all. I recommend this book for its content, and on that, it merits a look!

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Summary: The worst book!
Review: This book was so pointless I hand to read it for school it was horable. I do not think any kid should be put through the pain of reading this book. i fell asleep 4 times reading this book i woke up with the book still in my hand and all bent up.

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Summary: This book transforms the way you think.
Review: This reading has enhanced my field of questioning the basic in the field of communication. It once again proves how uncommon is the common sence approach. It is a cultural shock to the people who have analogue thinking or the approach. But a trnsformation to the real digital world.

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Summary: Eye-Opening, Thought-Provoking Concepts of a New World
Review: Eye-Opening, Thought-Provoking new book on the fascinating prospects which are evolving in our new digital technology. Many may find the predictions frustrating, but his philosophies are well-developed and make a sweeping statement about what the world will be like in the new digital economy.

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Summary: This book cannot find an audience.
Review: Nicholas Negroponte's book Being Digital is a national bestseller. The only reason I can think of for its success is Negroponte's articles in the popular computer magazine Wired. Negroponte is the founding director of thr MIT media lab and it shows in this work. The book is mainly a history of the digital past. He explains the evolution of CD-ROMs, multimedia, hypermedia, high-definition television, and the home personal computer. Aside from his lackluster examples, Negroponte's constant references and comparisons to bits and atoms are tiring and border line annoying. I understand that the bit and its existence are the scope of this book, but after awhile that is not enough of a redemption. The main problem with this book is that it does not have a defined audience. If you are technically versed in the slightest, Being Digital will be so simple and boring. If you are not technically minded, it wil be too complicated and dull. If you are somewhere in between, the best I can say is that it reads quickly. However, where I feel Negroponte goes wrong is in the introduction he announces that he does not like to read. That is like a chef that hates to eat! it's all part of the profession. After that statement was made, it never left the back of my mind and bothered me for the rest of the book.

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Summary: If the world were only as perfect as Dr Negroponte dreams...
Review: Call me a Ludditte if you will, but Nergroponte writes pipe dreams with this book. And surprisingly the book is repetitive in its ideas. I much enjoyed Stoll's Silicon Snake Oil over this semi-sci-fi book.

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Summary: Outdated
Review: Being Digital was written by an author and professor of MIT, Mr. Nicholas Nigroponte. The general theme of this particular book is the technology in the year of its publication (1995), and the authors thoughts and opinions of where technology was headed at that time. Much of what the author felt he would not live to see, however, has already emerged, and in most cases far surpassed, today in 1999. The introduction begins with an explanation of some of Professor Nigroponte's basic views of the computer-persuaded world. One of his main ideas is that living digitally (via the internet or television) can be more cost efficient than living animatedly. His illustration of this was the use of textbooks in schools and colleges. When one purchases a textbook for $90, much of the cost ensued is in the printing, shipping, warehousing, and resale of the particular book. If this text was available by way of the internet, these costs would no longer exist. The key point to his textbook example is that a digital book would never go out of print. It could be change at any point and at no additional cost. It could be argued that the cost of owning a computer is considerably more than the $90 theoretical textbook. This argument is easily countered, however, illustrating the fact that not all books will ever again be used following semester's end. Computers can also better process the understanding of the material using sight and sound interaction. When Being Digital was written, Professor Negroponte felt that the processing speed of a modem transmitting and receiving data at 9,600 BPS was exceptionally fast. Today we have become accustomed to nothing less that a 56,600 BPS telephone modem. Another point Negroponte made was that some day we will have a choice of how we would like to connect to the internet, for example, a phone line versus coaxial cable or fiber optic cable. Now, four years later, we see the new mass-market use of fiber optic technology in bi-directional cable modems. One final point of interest is Negroponte's views on about television's emerging technological advances. He feels that we will soon posses the capability to rent a movie from within our homes without ever leaving. He feels that society will be able to decide what they would like to see, phone in a request, and have it instantly sent to their households without the inconvenience of returning the movie. This technology is commonplace today, referred casually as pay-per-view. Many of Professor Negroponte's already post dated points give us a clear idea of just how quickly technology is changing and progressing. Being Digital was very interesting to read considering it was written in 1995, merely four years prior to what we know commonly today. Comparing what Nicholas Negroponte felt would be the "next best creation" with what we now feel is old news every three or four months really puts the speed of the progression into perspective.

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Summary: rambling and pointless
Review: I knew before hand that this book was probably not going to give me much as far as useful insights. I was surprised though, at how little real content there was in it. At least it was a quick read.

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Summary: Absolute drivel: Remarkably content-free
Review: This work, taken either in context of its original 1995 or today, is essentially a compilation of whining complaints against technology and uninspired dreams for the future. For the bulk of the complaints, Mr. Negroponte is a technologist and should know better. And as far as ideas for a better, brighter world, any B-rate science fiction novel will offer richer content. Don't waste your money.