The Communications Toolkit: How to Build and Regulate Any Communications Business

Rating:
Summary: An exhaustive and helpful overview
Review: Published by MIT Press, with a foreword by Anthony G. Oettinger, chairman of the Program on Information Resources Policy at Harvard, THE COMMUNICATIONS TOOLKIT: HOW TO BUILD AND REGULATE ANY COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS by P.H. Longstaff is not exactly light, recreational reading, but it's informative, well organized and insightful about the structure of information economies and how to apply information theory to forward-thinking communications business strategies and plans.

This book reminded me of INFORMATION RULES by Shapiro and Varian, which also deals with the economic systems of information businesses, but this is more in-depth and exhaustive. The "tools" of the kit are actually explanations of various theories and systems so that the reader may apply that knowledge in the new, growing and changing information economy. These tools are: new building blocks, a tool for networks, a tool for competition/cooperation, three visions of communications convergence, convergence theology, a tool for concentration/diversity, as well as chapters on regulation.

The most interesting chapters, to me, dealt with comparisons of biological systems to economic systems in explaining cooperation and competition, and "Tool no. 5: Convergence Theology" about the differing and business-shaping philosophies about the information superhighway. The final chapter is a useful summary and reference tool if you don't want to sit and read the entire book.

If you have an interest in information theory, telecommunications, telecommunications policy, Internet business applications and governmental information-economy policy, this will be helpful and informative to you.