Rating: 
Summary: Short Stories...Loosely Connected
Review: "Small Pieces Loosely Joined" is one of the books that I was really excited to read. Great subject. Great author. And sure enough, within each chapter, I has some really thoughtful moments. But on balance--and maybe this was intentional--the overall connection just seemed missing (as if the chapters were loosely joined...). As a set of short stories, the chapters are provacative. Overall though it left me wanting a bit more. A good book for a slow afternoon...and hey, there's really nothing wrong with that.
Rating: 
Summary: An unobtrusively brilliant tour of the human condition
Review: "Small Pieces Loosely Joined" is not just an apt title describing a unified theory of the World Wide Web. It also describes what it means to be a member of a family, a tribe, a community, a metropolis. It explains how democracy works and the functioning of what the philosopher Charles Taylor calls "nested public spheres." It details the principles of what Steve Johnson calls "emergence" -- the self-organizing principles that let ant colonies, brain cells, cities and eBay all work effectively and collectively.Mr. Weinberger reminds us of what it means to be human -- to care passionately about the things that move us, to move in very human bodies that experience the world in particular ways, to experience each other through our common interests. He describes how much we are wronged by, and wrong about, our default philosophies of individualism, realism and relativism. He reminds us that passion, togetherness, imperfection and hope are among the human dimensions that draw us to the Web -- even as they are drained from institutions and professions designed to serve us. I wish that everyone in my profession (journalism) might rediscover these human dimensions, which are all too often squeezed out of news coverage and commentary. I expect every profession would benefit from the lessons of this book. The more one knows about the Web, I suppose, the more the "small pieces" of this book will resonate. But you only need to know about people to recognize and respond to its plain-stated wisdom. It is a joy to read and reflect upon.
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't tell me anything I didn't already know
Review: A confusing little book - from all the hype you'd think there was some earth-shattering discovery enclosed therein. But this was just a collection of little essays about the web, the contents of which would be so plainly obvious to every 12 year-old I know. Yet for an over-40 who'd never used the Web, they wouldn't understand it either. So who is the target audience? It doesn't even merit being considered as "WWW Futures 101". Very disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: Pointless, pretentious palaver
Review: A fading internet marketer grasps desparately at the fading dollar signs of the net phenom. This is an empty box of styrofoam peanuts, form with no substance. Cliche after thundering cliche evaporates off the pages; here you will find such nuggets of secret wisdom as "The Web: unreal and proud of it," or the breathless "Our shared world isn't the surface of the earth" (!) This book seems to be not much more than Mr. W's attempt to establish some name recognition for himself as an Internet Guru, so as to generate more biz for his marketing consultancy. On the other hand, if you liked Cluetrain, with its adolescent pronouncements, you'll like this. It's your money, folks. If you want to read thoughtful, well-researched writing about the Internet and its impact, pick up anything by Lawrence Lessig.
Rating:
Summary: Riding the Cluetrain to Deeper Wisdom
Review: David Weinberger already deserved recognition for his Journal of the Hyperlinked Organization (JOHO) and his vital contribution to The Cluetrain Manifesto, a robust bestseller. In his new solo work, Small Pieces Loosely Joined, Weinberger shows how his thinking about the power of our global interactivity has matured and deepened. The World Wide Web is a dynamic interplay of separate elements that converge to comprise a cohesive whole. The separate parts may not realize the impact exerted by each individual website, but the collective whole we call the Web already is transforming the worldview of millions worldwide. Never before in human history has there been such a global cultural force changing our society so swiftly. Approaching this phenomenon from his background in ethical online marketing, Weinberger articulates the growing realization that a widely decentralized global network is empowering individuals in ways never before possible. Offering hope in the face of growing globalization that tends to disregard individuals in favor of monolithic corporations, he helps the reader begin to see how the Web is affecting all our lives, from our homes to our schools to our businesses and beyond. He helps us begin to see how the Internet makes us powerful, how every routine interaction changes the world, to a degree, how that realization changes everything. For those who want to better understand the power of our global interactivity, I heartily recommend Small Pieces Loosely Joined. Ken Freed
Author, Global Sense
Rating:
Summary: Understand the Web voodoo that we do without realizing
Review: David Weinberger weaves a fascinating journey of why we feel about the Web as we do. He guides the reader through heavy philosophical concepts like knowledge, the self, experience of time and authenticity with elegance and wit. The Web is big. Not for commerce or pornography but for its very nature - a democracy built on passion. We build the Web ourselves, molding it to fit our best nature. A must read for those interested in understanding the true nature of the Net, spam and all. ...
Rating: 
Summary: An inside out view of why the web works
Review: David Weinberger's recent work illustrates a unique persepective of what is driving the web's popularity. You may have thought the meteoric growth was being driven by the technologically elite, or kids doing instant messaging, or perhaps e-commerce. But according to the author, its really being driven by our need to be ourselves and the unique setting that the web provides for exhibiting our real (or assumed) personalities. This refreshing view makes logical sense and may hold the key to how business (and society) can leverage its awesome power going forward.
Rating:
Summary: An inside out view of why the web works
Review: David Weinberger's recent work illustrates a unique persepective of what is driving the web's popularity. You may have thought the meteoric growth was being driven by the technologically elite, or kids doing instant messaging, or perhaps e-commerce. But according to the author, its really being driven by our need to be ourselves and the unique setting that the web provides for exhibiting our real (or assumed) personalities. This refreshing view makes logical sense and may hold the key to how business (and society) can leverage its awesome power going forward.
Rating:
Summary: A waste of money
Review: Don't buy this book. This book is a 2003 version of a 1995 "links page". Lots of places to go, none of them very useful. I found that about 80% of the sites and services Weinberger talked about sites I'd already seen. Additionally hugely important concepts like Reed's law were brushed over. I wonder if the author really understands it and its implications for business. If you want an interesting read about something happening today, try reading "Flu-the story of the great influenza pandemic of 1918". Its a totally different topic, but a much better read and you'll understand some of the thinking and goings on around SARS.
Rating:
Summary: I didn't get it.
Review: I did not find this book insightful or useful. I returned it to Amazon and I would wait until more reviews are posted before buying it. I'm not a "web-head" but I either didn't get or don't buy what the author is saying. Sorry.
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