Excellent, dated but entirely readable ( )

There was definitely some interesting stuff here, but like the internet itself there was just too much of it: little snippets from too many people with no discernable organization or conclusion. From an "ordinary" person's p.o.v. a lot of these people seem way too immersed in the field to speak to me in a fashion I can (a) understand or (b) trust. You know something is weird when Brian Eno's is the clearest piece on the topic. :-) ( )

There are 150 essays in this book, many of which are thought provoking. They are organized around a question posed to each author - is the Internet changing the way you think - and the responses are interesting. The focus is not just on the technology but rather on the types of media used, the social interactions, the impact on thinking and reading, and so on. The quality of the essays varies widely, with some seeming to fail to answer the question (or at least that's how I felt after I read them). The authors are a who's who of "thought leaders" and it would be surprising if some set of essays didn't appeal to just about anyone interested in how the Internet is impacting human thought. It is not a book I'd acquire - if you follow the authors who are on the Web, their essays will be familiar already - but it was worth a single read. ( )

Fantastic idea to put this very "hot" question to 150 very "skilled" people. The result is a broad spectre of insights and opinions, and of course not everything is relevant. But this sample has enough sensible material to form your own opinion, and in the same time to stay prudent. In my view the Internet is absolutely a great step forward for mankind. But you must not stay blind for the dangers (especially the Big-Brother-aspect) and you must search for a way to keep the use of it "controllable" and "enjoyable". ( )