Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #395822 in Books
• Published on: 2002-11-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Synopsis
How the convergence of mobile communi cations and computing is driving the next social r evolution-transforming the ways in which people me et, mate, work, buy, sell, govern, and create When Howard Rheingold sneaks off down a n untrodden trail, everyone else follows. He is al ways onto something marvelous no one has seen befo re. An ever-considerate guide, he navigates this n ew world with ease, compassion, and grace, and giv es you the inside story, with no punches pulled. T ech talk? Howard could get your mother to understa nd. From Tokyo to Helsinki, Manhatta n to Manila, Howard Rheingold takes us on a journe y around the world for a preview of the next techn o-cultural shift-a shift he predicts will be as dr amatic as the widespread adoption of the PC in the 1980s and the Internet in the 1990s. The coming w ave, says Rheingold, is the result of super-effici ent mobile communications-cellular phones, persona l digital assistants, and wireless-paging and Inte rnet-access devices that will allow us to connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.From the amusing ("Lovegetty" devices in Japan that light up when a person with the right date-potential characterist ics appears in the vicinity) to the extraordinary (the overthrow of a repressive regime in the Phili ppines by political activists who mobilized by for warding text messages via cell phones), Rheingold gives examples of the fundamentally new ways in wh ich people are already engaging in group or collec tive action. He also considers the dark side of th is phenomenon, such as the coordination of terrori st cells, threats to privacy, and the ability to i ncite violent behavior.Applying insights from sociology, artificial intelligence, engineering, a nd anthropology, Rheingold offers a penetrating pe rspective on the brave new convergence of pop cult ure, cutting-edge technology, and social activism. At the same time, he reminds us that, as with oth er technological revolutions, the real impact of m obile communications will come not from the techno logy itself but from how people use it, resist it, adapt to it, and ultimately use it to transform t hemselves, their communities, and their institutio ns.

Customer Reviews

A fairly balanced global perspective
Rheingold is a widely publicised techno-oracle of our age, having made his mark with his earlier works and ideas on virtual reality. If you’re already familiar with the potential of mobile technology, then this book may disappoint a little, especially if one is looking for something very prescient from the mind of Rheingold. In fact, his book is more about observations, full of vignettes from many encounters with both users and creators of mobile phone technology. The emphasis is on the social arrangements that are facilitated by mobile technology and he offers some useful takes on the influence of cultural context, a refreshing change from a US-centric view that one might otherwise expect.

Rheingold revisits the submersion aspects of VR by digging deeper into the progress made in wearable computing and the greater possibilities that wireless connectivity now offers. The segues from current technology and social practises to what is plausibly possible in the future are quite believable, the reflection and experience of Rheingold appears to restrain how far he is willing to speculate. Augmented reality is discussed. This appears highly conceivable and Rheingold helps us to understand its new powers thanks to location-finding technologies combined with ubiquitous wireless access.

In the current climate of doomsayers for wide-area wireless (e.g. 3G), this book is worth reading as it reclaims some of the lost ground and puts it back in the camp of the believers, those for whom true ubiquity is an article of faith. By emphasising on the social shaping powers of mobile technology, Rheingold is reinforcing the virtuous circle between ubiquity and utility, although, not wishing to over hype the benefits, Rheingold bravely pricks our sanitised view of technology by cautioning us about some of the negative consequences of pervasive (Invasive) technology.

For a more detailed and immediate analysis of next generation mobile services,

Insightful book on how society changes with mobile phone
I found the book a thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable read. It includes plenty of examples and Rheingold's thoughts on how the mobile phone especially will change society. To me it seems to build on thoughts in Timo Kopomaa's book City in Your Pocket, and now more recent books such as Paul Golding's Next Generation Wireless Applications, or Ahonen & Moore's Communities Dominate Brands seem to then take these concepts from the academic and philosphical views into the more practical. I warmly recommend this book and am certain it will be considered one of the classics of the industry.