Collection
Publication
Pantheon (2002), Edition: 1, 320 pages
Description
A chronicle of the genius of the great physicist Richard Feynman, and explained chaos theory in a way all of us could understand. Now, in a collection of previously published pieces, he muses on the Internet revolution that has taken place all around us. From the foibles and ambitions of Microsoft, which he predicted would come to take over the world years before it became obvious to the rest of us, to the futuristic possibilities of mobile networked computing, Gleick gives us a gradual and inexorable account of the way computers have come to pervade our live
User reviews
LibraryThing member aethercowboy
In this technological age, you may find yourself, when you have a moment to yourself, sitting and asked, "what just happened?"
Moore's law states that the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit increases exponentially, doubling approximately every two years.
So, imagine however many years ago it was that you first got a computer, and all the wonderful, speedy things you could do with it. Now, think how many years ago that was (call that number n). By Moore's law, a computer made with the latest technological advancements would be 2^(n/2) times faster than your first computer, which is impressive, unless you got your first computer today (if so, then welcome to the Internet!).
Gleick has collected here several articles written by him in the past, chronicling the information frontier from the front line. We see an earlier Microsoft dealing with their smaller collection of users. We see an early look at this Internet thing. We see a first-hand account of that era's emerging technologies, all of which we take for granted, or look at in the same light as we would a Model-T. And Gleick was there, writing it all down as it happened.
This book would definitely be of interest to computer "historians" (and thanks to Moore's law, a computer paleontologist only needs to dig around in a basement, and not the Badlands, to find "ancient" relics), as well as those interested enough in technology to not take it as for granted as most.
Moore's law states that the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit increases exponentially, doubling approximately every two years.
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This law is usually generalized to say that every two years, our computing power doubles.So, imagine however many years ago it was that you first got a computer, and all the wonderful, speedy things you could do with it. Now, think how many years ago that was (call that number n). By Moore's law, a computer made with the latest technological advancements would be 2^(n/2) times faster than your first computer, which is impressive, unless you got your first computer today (if so, then welcome to the Internet!).
Gleick has collected here several articles written by him in the past, chronicling the information frontier from the front line. We see an earlier Microsoft dealing with their smaller collection of users. We see an early look at this Internet thing. We see a first-hand account of that era's emerging technologies, all of which we take for granted, or look at in the same light as we would a Model-T. And Gleick was there, writing it all down as it happened.
This book would definitely be of interest to computer "historians" (and thanks to Moore's law, a computer paleontologist only needs to dig around in a basement, and not the Badlands, to find "ancient" relics), as well as those interested enough in technology to not take it as for granted as most.
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LibraryThing member figre
In the introduction to this collection of articles/essays on technology, Gleick comments on how much things have changed. He comments on what he got right and what he got wrong. And he laughs about a certain naiveté that existed when he wrote the articles. This introduction was written for the
Surprisingly, it has not made the articles irrelevant. Rather, it has made these snapshots in time even more amazing. And it makes the book that much more enjoyable. It would have been very easy for this to be a book we laugh at; a book where we sit in our smug future and guffaw at the yokels who had to use dial-up. However, Gleick’s writing is excellent and his style allows him to tell the stories in a way that is forward-looking enough that the pieces do not become stuck in the past. What this means is that each article, while, again, a snapshot of the times, still manages to speak to our current technological situations. Sure, he may be marveling at the idea that phones could change beyond recognition (a snapshot of a time where they just rang and we just answered them), but it is written in a way that makes the reader want to take a look and see what we take for granted right now that may be about to go through seismic change.
Well worth the read to remember what has happened, and to help prepare for what is to come.
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book’s publication in 2002. Imagine what another eight years has done.Surprisingly, it has not made the articles irrelevant. Rather, it has made these snapshots in time even more amazing. And it makes the book that much more enjoyable. It would have been very easy for this to be a book we laugh at; a book where we sit in our smug future and guffaw at the yokels who had to use dial-up. However, Gleick’s writing is excellent and his style allows him to tell the stories in a way that is forward-looking enough that the pieces do not become stuck in the past. What this means is that each article, while, again, a snapshot of the times, still manages to speak to our current technological situations. Sure, he may be marveling at the idea that phones could change beyond recognition (a snapshot of a time where they just rang and we just answered them), but it is written in a way that makes the reader want to take a look and see what we take for granted right now that may be about to go through seismic change.
Well worth the read to remember what has happened, and to help prepare for what is to come.
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LibraryThing member stillbeing
A good, interesting read - many of the earlier essays/articles are quite amusing - but I found the focus to be quite narrow, and the issues addressed quite limited. Much attention was focused on the issues of identity and anonymity, however, as a young woman who's been using the internet for more
The other focus was very much on money - and fair enough, it seems to be what makes the world go 'round, really, but sometimes a little dry. Mobile technology was also a heavily featured topic as well.
All up, pretty good, though with some glaring ommissions - others may have more of an appreciation of this book than I.
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years than I probably should admit, I found the issues of anonymity and privacy with regards to safety, harrassment and crime, both in the real world and online, direly lacking. Anyone who's been stalked via the developing technologies in the past decade will know what I mean. The other focus was very much on money - and fair enough, it seems to be what makes the world go 'round, really, but sometimes a little dry. Mobile technology was also a heavily featured topic as well.
All up, pretty good, though with some glaring ommissions - others may have more of an appreciation of this book than I.
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LibraryThing member MagisterLudi
A very dull collection of outdated articles. A real disappointment from the author of works like [Faster!]and [Chaos].
LibraryThing member dvf1976
Covers some interesting (although dated) ground. It makes me want to go back and re-live the mid-90's all over again.
LibraryThing member sockatume
Well worth revisiting. I bought this when it was just published, and the essays it contained were important guideposts to how society might adapt to information technology (and vice versa). Almost two decades later, I've had an enormous amount of enjoyment out of seeing how things have panned out.
Language
Original publication date
2002
ISBN
0375421777 / 9780375421778