The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society

From Publisher: Manuel Castells is one of world's leading thinkers on new information age, hailed by The Economist as the first significant philosopher of cyberspace, and by Christian Science Monitor as pioneer who has hacked out a logical, well-documented, and coherent picture of early 21st century civilization, even as it rockets forward largely in a blur. Now, in The Internet Galaxy, this brilliantly insightful writer speculates on how Internet will change our lives. Castells believes that we are entering, full speed, Internet Galaxy, in midst of informed bewilderment. His aim in this exciting and profound work is to help us to understand how Internet came into being, and how it is affecting every area of human life--from work, politics, planning and development, media, and privacy, to our social interaction and life in home. We are at ground zero of new network society. In this book, its major commentator reveals Internet's huge capacity to liberate, but also its ability to marginalize and exclude those who do not have access to it. Castells provides no glib solutions, but asks us all to take responsibility for future of this new information age. The Internet is becoming essential communication and information medium in our society, and stands alongside electricity and printing press as one of greatest innovations of all time. The Internet Galaxy offers an illuminating look at how this new technology will influence business, economy, and our daily lives.