Ruling the Waves: From the Compass to the Internet, a History of Business and Politics along the Technological Frontier

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Summary: Ruling the Waves
Review: An excellent, well-researched account of the recurring patterns that accompany technological development. This book is short on lofty, meaningless predictions on the digital age and long on meaningful insight into the struggles between the commercial and government sectors that usually shape new technologies.

Rating:
Summary: Ruling the Waves
Review: An excellent, well-researched account of the recurring patterns that accompany technological development. This book is short on lofty, meaningless predictions on the digital age and long on meaningful insight into the struggles between the commercial and government sectors that usually shape new technologies.

Rating:
Summary: A great book on new technologies, new markets & new rules!
Review: Debora L. Spar's "Ruling the Waves: Cycles of Discovery, Chaos, and Wealth from the Compass to the Internet" is a fascinating and very well-written account of the ways in which new technologies create new markets and new commercial realms, which in turn spur demand for new rules, standards, and property rights to govern them. Drawing on the work of economic historian Douglass North, Spar argues that without rules (whether provided by government or private initiative), commerce cannot flourish. "Ruling the Waves" tells the stories of the development of a number of technologies that were revolutionary in their time (both past and present)--from advances in shipbuilding and navigation that made transoceanic sailing voyages possible in the fifteenth century, to telegraphy in the nineteenth century, to radio in the twentieth century, BSkyB's satellite and digital television, the Internet and encryption technologies, Net browsers and Microsoft Internet Explorer, and MP3 online music technology. Spar describes how each of these new technologies created a new commercial space on the "technological frontier," attracting pirates, pioneers, and competitors, and how, in each case, new rules were formed, often at the behest of private firms and often arbitrated and enforced by governments, so that the new markets could grow and profits could be made.

In presenting these stories, Spar puts newer technologies, like the Internet and MP3, in historical perspective. Transoceanic sailing voyages opened the uncharted territory of the high seas to commercial pioneers and pirates alike, but eventually the great trading companies and governments and their navies were able to virtually eliminate the scourge of piracy by defining and outlawing the practice and enforcing these laws. In a similar way, "Ruling the Waves" argues, rules to define fair and foul play, standards, and property rights will likely come to regulate newer markets, because "markets need rules if they are to survive, and power ... flows to those who make the rules." Spar describes four phases in the development of new technologies and markets: innovation, commercialization, creative anarchy, and rules. Her examples illustrate how these phases have played out for different technologies and in different industries, as well as the interplay between business and government in the emergence of new markets. Spar discusses the problems--often problems of coordination, congestion, or monopoly--that have arisen in some of these new markets and shows how these problems were resolved, in many cases comparing American (more often private) and European (most often government-led) solutions. In some cases, new rules had to be created for new markets, such as the government's allocation and licensing of radio frequencies, while in others, old rules were applied to new technologies, such as the application of U.S. antitrust law in "United States v. Microsoft".

The stories themselves are captivating, and Spar is a very good story-teller. Her prose is lively, witty, and accessible throughout. "Ruling the Waves" is entertaining and reader-friendly, while making a well-crafted, sophisticated, and convincing argument about what happens when technology leaps ahead of existing law and how rules often get created in new markets because business (broadly speaking) wants them. As Spar writes, "...as markets expand, order trumps chaos more often than not." The book is wide in scope and covers a lot of history, but still provides quite detailed accounts of how each of the technologies and markets developed. Spar also focuses on the role of individual innovators, pirates, and pioneers, and their particular stories, successes, and failures--from Prince Henry of Portugal, to Samuel Morse, Guglielmo Marconi, Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, Shawn Fanning, and a number of others. "Ruling the Waves" is a great read for anyone interested in the development of new markets in new technologies, the roles of business and government in shaping new markets, the political history of technology, or in the particular histories presented--from piracy on the high seas to digital television, encryption technology, and MP3. I highly recommend it!

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Summary: How the technology was won
Review: Professor Debrora Spar's explanation of key factors in the creation, building, and usage of key technologies over the last millineum. Her chronology starts with the beginnings of global navigation (pre Columbus) and the corresponding mayhem that ensued over the years via profit making, profiteering and pirating - all of which are not only inner-related but have gray boundaries been them. The chronology brings us through the development of communication first by telegraphy, then radio, television, cryptography, computers (a la Microsoft's trials and tribulations), internet and finally to the continuing saga of MP3 music.

The book actually opens with the story of the Vatican's dismissal of a too-liberal French bishop Jacques Gaillot to the remote Sahara outpost of Partenia. Not to be silenced, Bishop Gaillot continues his ministry and in fact expands it, by bringing his case to the internet - Partenia has thus become his soap box to be read by many more people than he ever could have reached had he be allowed to remain in France and only speak to those he came in personal contact with. Thus it has been throughout history - the new technology and the messages they carry are unstoppable.

Interwoven in this scholarly yet entertaining book are the concepts of each technologies stages of chaos, anarchy, self-regulation, deal making and deal braking, piracy, monopoly, and attempts at government control. Interestingly, in most cases the founders and early pioneers end up with little more than historical recognition.

There is no simple solution, no way to predict the future; Spar suggests a number of stages and issues that seem to repeat. Interestingly while enjoying this book, I read a paragraph to my wife, slightly changing a few of the words and leaving off a few minor details that would have given away the time and the company. Halfway through, my wife blurted out, "Oh you're talking about Microsoft!". No, the paragraph was about Western Union, the telegraph company and the time was well before the beginning of the twentieth century!

If such history appeals to you or if you're interested in some clues of how technologies mature, this is an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: How the technology was won
Review: Professor Debrora Spar's explanation of key factors in the creation, building, and usage of key technologies over the last millineum. Her chronology starts with the beginnings of global navigation (pre Columbus) and the corresponding mayhem that ensued over the years via profit making, profiteering and pirating - all of which are not only inner-related but have gray boundaries been them. The chronology brings us through the development of communication first by telegraphy, then radio, television, cryptography, computers (a la Microsoft's trials and tribulations), internet and finally to the continuing saga of MP3 music.

The book actually opens with the story of the Vatican's dismissal of a too-liberal French bishop Jacques Gaillot to the remote Sahara outpost of Partenia. Not to be silenced, Bishop Gaillot continues his ministry and in fact expands it, by bringing his case to the internet - Partenia has thus become his soap box to be read by many more people than he ever could have reached had he be allowed to remain in France and only speak to those he came in personal contact with. Thus it has been throughout history - the new technology and the messages they carry are unstoppable.

Interwoven in this scholarly yet entertaining book are the concepts of each technologies stages of chaos, anarchy, self-regulation, deal making and deal braking, piracy, monopoly, and attempts at government control. Interestingly, in most cases the founders and early pioneers end up with little more than historical recognition.

There is no simple solution, no way to predict the future; Spar suggests a number of stages and issues that seem to repeat. Interestingly while enjoying this book, I read a paragraph to my wife, slightly changing a few of the words and leaving off a few minor details that would have given away the time and the company. Halfway through, my wife blurted out, "Oh you're talking about Microsoft!". No, the paragraph was about Western Union, the telegraph company and the time was well before the beginning of the twentieth century!

If such history appeals to you or if you're interested in some clues of how technologies mature, this is an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Ruling the Waves: Cycles of Discovery, Chaos, and Wealth from the Compass to the Interne by Debora L. Spar's is a interesting and exceptionally well-written description of the practices in which new technologies create innovative markets, which in turn urge demand for new policy, standards, and possession rights to govern them. Sketching on the work of financial historian Douglass North, Spar argues that with no rules business cannot flourish. Ruling the Waves shows the accounts the growth of a number of technologies that were innovative in their time from progresses in navigation and shipbuilding that made nautical journeys feasible in the fifteenth century, to telegraphy in the nineteenth century, to radio in the twentieth century, digital television and satellite, encryption technologies and the Internet, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Net browsers, and MP3 online music technology.

In telling these stories, the author puts newer technologies, like MP3 and the interne t, in historical perspective. Sailing voyages opened the unexplored surface of the high seas to market pirates and pioneers alike, but finally the great trading governments and companies were able to nearly abolish the curse of piracy by defining and banning the practices and impose these laws. Ruling the Waves disputes rules to classify foul and fair play, principles, and possession rights.
Spar depicts four stages in the expansion of new markets and technologies: commercialization, rules, innovation, creative and anarchy. Her example demonstrates how these stages have showed diverse innovations and in different industries, as well as the relationship between government and business in the creation of new companies. Spar talks about the problems of congestion, coordination, or monopoly that have occurred in some of these new corporations and explains how these problems were dealt with. In some cases, new regulations had to be fashioned for new markets, such as the government's licensing and portion of radio frequencies, while in other, old policies were practical to new innovations, such as the claim of United States antitrust law in United States v Microsoft.
The narratives themselves are fascinating, and Spar is a exceptionally good quality narrator. Her style is dynamic, clever, and handy throughout the book. Ruling the Waves is enjoyable, while making a intuitive, stylish, and persuasive argument about what happens when technology soar in advance of existing law and how policies often get shaped in new corporations because industry wants them. The book is extensive in range and covers a lot of accounts, but still offers quite in depth accounts of how the technologies and markets developed. Spar also centers on the character, innovators, pioneers, and pirates, and their particular tales, victories, and the unsuccessful from Samuel Morse, to Prince Henry of Portugal, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch, and a number of others. Ruling the Waves is a fantastic book for a person interested in the growth new technologies, the roles of government and industry in influential new markets, the political history of technology.