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Summary: Exciting Reading About the Effects of the Net and the Law
Review: "The Control Revolution" is a top-notch book about the effect of the Internet on people, business and the law.The author, Andrew Shapiro, is a lawyer with a talent for writing about legal issues in an easy-to-read style. Shapiro ... explains that, "the Internet, contrary to what some say, doesn't make it impossible for lawmakers and law enforcement officials to do their jobs."
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Summary: Reviews
Review: "With scrupulous documentation and a knowledgeable but unpatronizing tone, Shapiro delivers a penetrating analysis of both the promise and peril of the digital future." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Shapiro has this brilliantly nailed.... It's hard to imagine a more timely book about the real significance of the Internet." --Jon Katz, Slashdot
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Summary: This is a clear and concise introduction to a complex-
Review: -issue. Shapiro understands his subject thoroughly and has examined both privacy in historic/legal terms and privacy as it is soon to be defined. The implications the reader may infer from his analysis may not agree with Shapiro's conclusions. This is certainly the case for me. Reasonable people can disagree reasonably. I have immersed myself in these issues. For good or ill, as a result, I consider my opinions both informed and logical. Others not listed in the suggested reading include Viriginia Postrel, Reg Whitaker, Robert Kaplan, and most important, Jerry Furland. Of all these, Furland, in the near future novel, "Transfer-the end of the beginning" really does examine the up and down-side potential for the new economy and digital information technologies. The potential he sees is tempered by an unblinking assessment of people, industry, media and government. He sees us as we are, ethical warts and all. Is he right? Who can say?. Is he probably right? Yes, and it should be a warning to all. If you fail to read "Transfer" you will fail to fully grasp the enormity of what is headed our way.
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Summary: The Third Wave
Review: 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.
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Summary: Shapiro has gotten the big idea
Review: Andrew Shapiro has nailed down the big idea about the Net and the Web in Control Revolution: how the Net is reversing the flow of power from big and corporate institutions to people, the way the founders of media hoped. If you want to under the political and cultural significance of MP3's, e-trading, eBay and the other revolutionary social forces emanating from the Net, this is the book to do it. It is quite honestly tougher to imagine a more timely and useful book. Shapiro lands right between the techno hype and hysterial to simply grasp precisely what's going on online, and to put it in a very clear and meaningful context. It's not clear from this book exactly what we as a society ought to do about the Control Revolution, but Shapiro leaves no doubt that there is one.
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Summary: Great survey of Internet impact on society.
Review: Being in the industry (Director of Technology at an Internet start-up) and thinking about the impact of the Internet every day, I wouldn't say that I've learned anything terribly new reading this book. On the other hand, I think some of the subtleties in the thesis are quite original. Many technicians in the industry will be amazed with the social, political and economic implications of what they are doing. And if you are NOT in the industry, you will find it VERY interesting. I really like the overall organization and I find the step-by-step logic very tight, thorough and compelling. Finally, the research Andrew Shapiro has done is wonderful. This is not just breathless techno-hype or theoretical b-shcool drivel; this is real historical literature rich with detail, supporting arguments and rich sources.
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Summary: The Control Revolution - Andrew L. Shapiro
Review: If Andrew L. Shapiro's postulation is correct, the rise of the Internet will herald a decline in centralized power and a parallel rise in democratization within the United States and the World Community. Heretofore the exclusive prerogative and the domain of news agencies, publication moguls, politicians and governments, control of information and its use as a tool for control is waning. As the Internet, especially in its more commonly known interface of the World Wide Web, wires our lives and we become more accustomed to its presence, Shapiro presents us with a compelling argument that brings forward ghosts of Rousseau's "The Social Contract" in a newly packaged, computer-esk mantra. Shapiro produces a compelling argument for the increased democratization of society in the emerging computer and information era. Examining the social, political and economic realms, he highlights the various practices, policies and trends that are providing these arenas with form and content. Addressing a general audience, Shapiro delves away from techno-jargon or legalize that tend to cloud the issues at hand. Relying instead on clear examples in a concise writing fashion, Shapiro positions himself into a controversial position between futurist and alarmist. Of the myriad of arguments he presents, his discussion on the impact personalization will have on society especially is both exciting and frightening. Increasingly we are witnessing a personalization revolution in all aspects of computer related interfaces. From e-commerce to the "My Computer/My Documents/My Music" icons in Microsoft, delivering individuality to millions is big business and profit share. In the face of the dehumanizing effects of numerical identification, whether it is one's social security number, a PIN number or an IP address, such personalization provides society with a reminder of its human quality. With the same ease one has in individualizing, customizing and censuring their personal news delivery, one can also individualize, customize and censure out the diversity of the society. No longer are we forced to, even in passing, glance over articles and headlines (thus being exposed to them) as we leaf through a newspaper. No longer are we forced to listen to new voices through our radio as we travel (new technology is currently dawning that will allow us to listen to our favorite streaming Los Angeles Stations while sunbathing in Hilton Head). No longer do we have to converse with a wide variety of people, hearing different perspectives and different cultural influences; we can now censure our conversations to only those who fit our criteria. While in keeping with the increased control that the new Control Revolution is placing in our hands, such roses may have some large thorns. Shapiro's tomb is thought provoking and well worth the time. His organization is easy to follow and his concise chapters are well suited for reading as time allows. As a primer to the new era, this volume should be included in a professional library. Certainly, Shapiro's book will produce enough cocktail conversation to satisfy a season of parties.
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Summary: For those with second thoughts
Review: 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.
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Summary: The Private Individual and The Public Network
Review: Mr. Shapiro analyses the effects of the Internet, and its constituent participants, upon the privacy and lifestyle of individual users. The result is a common sense, but engaging, discourse on what we as an individual and as part of a governing community can do to prevent abuse to individual rights while also maintaining the value of the network. Let's hope this book fosters the dialogue required to ensure that the Internet promotes Freedom and not Chaos.
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Summary: An excellent farce......
Review: No offense to the author, or to the readers of this book, or to those who truly believe that due to globalization individuals are finally in control, but, its all a load of crap. The way in which it is putting individuals in charge is by allowing them to maximize off the potential of writing books of how everyone else can become "in charge". This book is typical of the trite nonsense sputtered by those who would like to lead unsuspecting consumers, into believing, that there is in fact a key for understanding the world and getting what you want out of it. There is no such key. This understanding is much harder to derive than simply reading rubbish of this sort. But what do I know anyway?
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