Social and ethical aspects Books

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Book Synopsis''Do I wish to keep up with the times? No. My wish simply is to live my life as fully as I can''The great American poet, novelist and environmental activist argues for a life lived slowly.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

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Book Synopsis'Boldly reactionary... What looks like feast, Carr argues, may be closer to famine' Sunday Times'Chilling' The EconomistIn this ground-breaking and compelling book, Nicholas Carr argues that not since Gutenberg invented printing has humanity been exposed to such a mind-altering technology. The Shallows draws on the latest research to show that the Net is literally re-wiring our brains inducing only superficial understanding. As a consequence there are profound changes in the way we live and communicate, remember and socialise - even in our very conception of ourselves. By moving from the depths of thought to the shallows of distraction, the web, it seems, is actually fostering ignorance. The Shallows is not a manifesto for luddites, nor does it seek to turn back the clock. Rather it is a revelatory reminder of how far the Internet has become enmeshed in our daily existence and is affecting the way we think. This landmark book compels us all to look anew at our dependence on this all-pervasive technology.This 10th-anniversary edition includes a new afterword that brings the story up to date, with a deep examination of the cognitive and behavioural effects of smartphones and social media.Trade ReviewA boldly reactionary book... Its thesis is simple and persuasive. The things that we do have a physical effect on our brains... What looks like feast, Carr argues, may be closer to famine... The internet is a distraction machine. -- Sam Leith * Sunday Times *Essential reading about our internet age. * New York Times Book Review *The most readable overview of the science and history of human cognition to date... Carr draws some chilling inferences. * The Economist *An elegantly written cry of anguish... Hair-raising. -- John Harris * Guardian *Carr straddles the book-dominated and web-dominated worlds and is at home in both... Mild-mannered, never polemical, with nothing of the Luddite about him, Carr makes his points with wide-ranging erudition. -- Christopher Caldwell * Financial Times *Unhurried... even-handed... Carr constantly emphasises the fact that screen technologies are neither evil nor miraculous in their effects on the human mind... What is certain, however, is that our minds will change... A worthy illustration that books do indeed enable deep reflection. -- Susan Greenfield * Literary Review *Absorbing [and] disturbing * Wall Street Journal *I have not only given this book to numerous friends, I actually changed my life in response to it. -- Jonathan Safran FoerAn important and timely book. See if you can stay off the Web long enough to read it! -- Elizabeth KolbertThis is a book to shake up the world. -- Ann PatchettTable of Contents0: THE WATCHDOG AND THE THIEF 1: HAL AND ME 2: THE VITAL PATHS 3: TOOLS OF THE MIND 4: THE DEEPENING PAGE 5: A MEDIUM OF THE MOST GENERAL NATURE 6: THE VERY IMAGE OF A BOOK 7: THE JUGGLER'S BRAIN 8: THE CHURCH OF GOOGLE 9: SEARCH, MEMORY 10: A THING LIKE ME 11: HUMAN ELEMENTS

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Book SynopsisThe Most Human Human by Brian Christian is a mind-blowing piece of reportage that will appeal to readers of Jon Ronson''s The Psychopath Test, and an inspiring riposte to John Gray''s classic Straw Dogs - a book that will change your whole understanding of what being human actually means...AI is on the brink of a new dawn. And so are we. . .Telling the difference between humans and computers used to be easy. But artificial intelligence is now so advanced that it is capable of behaving, and even thinking, in ways that have long been considered exclusive to humankind. The time has come to rethink what being human actually means...In The Most Human Human Brian Christian meets the world''s leading artificial intelligences, finds out what they''re capable of - and what makes us unique. The result is a funny, shocking, inspiring, deeply humane and intelligent book that reaches into every aspect of our lives.''Tremendously entertaining'' ****Metro''Excellent ... a fascinating explanation of what it means to be human''Financial Times''Remarkable. A philosophical joyride. The day that a machine creates work of such wit and originality, we should all be very worried''The Times''An epic tour of philosophical, linguistic and scientific discovery. We stop off in places as far-flung as existential anxiety, predictive text and Gary Kasparov''s defeat by Deep Blue'' ****Time Out''Lively, thought-stirring, entertaining, invaluable ... compelling insights''John Gray, New StatesmanAt the age of twenty-six, Brian Christian has lectured at the LSE, Royal Academy, Bristol Festival of Ideas, Microsoft and Google, been interviewed on The Daily Show, BBC and in the Paris Review, profiled in the Guardian, featured in The New York Times, the New Yorker and on the front cover of Atlantic, and has made numerous appearances at universities and in online videos speaking on his subject. He holds a dual degree from Brown University in computer science and philosophy, and an MFA in poetry.Trade ReviewTremendously entertaining **** * Metro *Excellent ... a fascinating explanation of what it means to be human * Financial Times *Remarkable. A philosophical joyride. The day that a machine creates work of such wit and originality, we should all be very worried * The Times *An epic tour of philosophical, linguistic and scientific discovery. We stop off in places as far-flung as existential anxiety, predictive text and Gary Kasparov's defeat by Deep Blue. A lively, personable read and an overpowering affirmation of our species **** * Time Out *Lively, thought-stirring, entertaining, invaluable ... compelling insights -- John Gray * New Statesman *Dense with ideas, terrific. One of the rare successful literary offspring of Gödel, Escher, Bach, where art and science meet an engaged mind and the friction produces real fire * New Yorker *Fast-paced, witty, and thoroughly winning ... investigates the nature of human interactions, the meaning of language, and the essence of what sets us apart from machines ... fabulous * Publishers Weekly *An irreverent picaresque ... What Christian learns along the way is that if machines win the imitation game as often as they do, it's not because they're getting better at acting human; it's because we're getting worse ... An authentic son of Frost, he learns by going where he has to go, and in doing so proves that both he and his book deserve their title * The New York Times *Immensely ambitious and bold, intellectually provocative, while at the same time entertaining and witty - a delightful book about how to live a meaningful, thriving life -- Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's DreamsSuch an important book ... Brian Christian takes on this very weighty task, and somehow makes it fun -- Brian Shenk, author of The Genius in all of UsAn eye-opening inquest into human imagination, thought, conversation, love and deception * David Eagleman, author of Sum *Absorbing ... Christian cleverly suggests that the Turing Test not only tells us how smart computers are but also teaches us about ourselves. ... covers a great deal of ground with admirable clarity but with a lightness of touch ... has a real knack for summing up key ideas by applying them to real-life situations -- Julian Baggini * Wall Street Journal *Strange, fertile and sometimes beautiful ... takes both the deep limitations and halting progress of artificial intelligence as an occasion for thinking about the most human activity -- Matthew Crawford, author of The Case for Working with Your HandsEntertaining and informative * Economist *

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Book SynopsisThe Ethics of Artificial Intelligence develops the theses that AI is an unprecedented divorce between agency and intelligence and, on this basis, that AI as a new form of agency can be harnessed ethically and unethically. Luciano Floridi argues in favour of a marriage between the Green of environmentalism and the Blue of our digital technologies.Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Part One: Understanding AI 1: Past: the Emergence of AI 2: Present: AI as a New Form of Agency, Not Intelligence 3: Future: the Foreseeable Development of AI Part Two: Evaluating AI 4: A Unified Framework of Ethical Principles for AI 5: From Principles to Practices: the Risks of being Unethical 6: Soft Ethics and the Governance of AI 7: Mapping the Ethics of Algorithms 8: Bad Practices: the Misuse of AI for Social Evil 9: Good Practices: the Proper Use of AI for Social Good 10: How to Deliver a Good AI Society: Some Recommendations 11: The Gambit: AI Impact on Climate Change 12: AI and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 13: Conclusion: the Green and the Blue Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate guide to digital wellbeing and living your best life offline and on!Digital wellbeing is all about finding the balance between the digital world and the real world and making sure we use smartphones and other digital devices in a healthy way, while living fulfilling lives beyond the screen.This guide helps tweens and teens do exactly that, inspiring them to set their devices aside (sometimes anyway!) and start living in the here and now.Written by digital wellbeing expert Tanya Goodin, it's packed with positive prompts, thought-provoking science, and hands-on activities to encourage healthy habits around screen use including nostalgic crafts, retro tech scavenger hunts, and phone-free nature excursions, plus practical tips on how to deal with digital challenges like comparison culture, cyberbullying, trolling, and much more.This book is not about teenagers giving up their devices forever; it's about being more mindful of how they use them, so they can live their best lives on and off the screen.Teenagers will discover how to:Develop healthy habits, identify priorities, and set achievable goalsKnow their own screen limits and deal with digital distractionsStay safe and savvy on the internetFocus on the positive and productive uses of smartphones (no more doom-scrolling!)Combat comparison culture on social media and quieten their inner criticsNurture friendships and family relationships offline and onBuild resilience and self-confidence to live healthily and happily with their digital devices

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Book SynopsisCyber space is easily the most complex thing humans have ever created. With billions of people and devices all connected together, vulnerability and compromise are inevitable. The complexity continues to grow, and with it comes the emergent insecurity brought by an ever-developing frontier where digital devices and connected people meet. Security challenges present themselves increasingly often and with ever-greater impacts. This is not going to change anytime soon.Although the internet has transformed communication, business, and social life for the better, the construct of ''cyber space'' is incredibly fragile and presents endless risk. Connecting every corner of our lives to those of billions across the world, the frontier is slender between the good and the bad, benefit and catastrophe, real and fake, security and insecurity. Cyber security advice can be confusing, contradictory, and sometimes utterly detached from reality. Too easily, people feel guilty for not knowing what to do, or failing to live up to expectations. People, particularly business leaders and policy makers, must daily make security-sensitive decisions, sometimes unknowingly, without being security experts.Securing the Digital Frontier doesn''t offer easy answers, but instead explains sixteen dimensions of this dynamic problem and its current partial solutions. The strong technology of encryption has become commonplace, and is a huge benefit if deployed well: but how can you tell? Programming errors give rise to security problems, but why can we not eliminate them? Privacy is tied up with security, but can the two work against each other? Cyber space is international: how can domestic laws protect us? And what happens when those laws come into conflict with technologies like encryption? Why do you need a punctuation symbol and a capital letter in your password, anyway? Through a grasp of the big picture, through technical and human perspectives, we can begin to explore ways to unwind some of the complexity and find ways to contain the risk.

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Book SynopsisIn You are Not a Gadget digital guru and virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier reveals how the internet is deadening personal interaction, stifling genuine inventiveness and even changing us as people. Something went wrong around the start of the twenty-first century. The crowd was wise. Social networks replaced individual creativity. There were more places to express ourselves than ever before... yet no one really had anything to say. Does this have to be our future? Showing us the way to a future where individuals mean more than machines, this is a searing manifesto against mass mediocrity, a creative call to arms - and an impassioned defence of the human. ''A provocative and sure-to-be-controversial book ... Lucid, powerful and persuasive''  The New York Times ''There is hardly a page that does not contain some fascinating provocation''   Guardian ''Short and frighteniTrade ReviewFabulous - I couldn't put it down and shouted out Yes! Yes! on many pages . . . This is a landmark book that will have people talking and arguing for years into the future. * Lee Smolin *Lucid, powerful and persuasive . . . Necessary reading for anyone interested in how the Web and the software we use every day are reshaping culture and the marketplace * Michiko Kakutani, New York Times *There is hardly a page that does not contain some fascinating provocation * Guardian *Mind-bending, exuberant, brilliant * Washington Post *A pioneer in the development of virtual reality and a Silicon Valley veteran, Mr. Lanier is a digital-world insider concerned with the effect that online collectivism and the current enshrinement of "the wisdom of the crowd" is having on artists, intellectual property rights and the larger social and cultural landscape. In taking on such issues, he's written an illuminating book that is as provocative as it is impassioned. -- Michiko Kakutani's Top 10 Books of the Year 2010 * New York Times *In the world of technologists, Jaron Lanier is that rare combination: a pioneer and a skeptic. A legendary computer scientist, he did crucial early work in the field of virtual reality (the phrase is his). But he now recoils at the way Web 2.0 and social media sell us short as human beings, both in our relationships and in our sense of who we are. In purposeful, reasoned steps, always informed by a profound understanding of how software really works, he lays out his vision of where it all went wrong and champions the power of the human brain in an age of ever smarter machines. -- Lev Grossman * Time Magazine Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2010 *

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Book SynopsisThe Cult of the Dead Cow is the story of the oldest, most respected and most famous hacking group of all time. Its members invented the the concept of hacktivism, released both the top tool for cracking passwords and the reigning technique for controlling computers from afar, and spurred development of Snowden's anonymity tool of choice. With its origins in the earliest days of the Internet, the cDc is full of oddball characters--spies, activists, musicians, and politicians--who are now woven into the top ranks of the American establishment. Today, this small group and their followers represent the best hope for making technology a force for good instead of for surveillance and oppression. Like a modern (and real) illuminati, cDc members have had the ears of presidents, secretaries of defense, and the CEO of Google. The Cult of the Dead Cow shows how we got into the mess we find ourselves in today, where governments and corporations hold immense power over individuals, and and how we are finally fighting back.

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Book SynopsisEverywhere we turn, a startling new device promises to transfigure our lives. But at what cost? In this urgent and revelatory excavation of our Information Age, leading technology thinker Adam Greenfield forces us to reconsider our relationship with the networked objects, services and spaces that define us. It is time to reevaluate the Silicon Valley consensus determining the future.Having successfully colonised everyday life, radical technologies - from smartphones, blockchain, augmented-reality interfaces and virtual assistants to 3D printing, autonomous delivery drones and self-driving cars - are now conditioning the choices available to us in the years to come. How do they work? What challenges do they present to us, as individuals and societies? Who benefits from their adoption? In answering these questions, Greenfield's timely guide clarifies the scale and nature of the crisis we now confront - and offers ways to reclaim our stake in the future.Trade ReviewAdam Greenfield goes digging into the layers that constitute what we experience as smooth tech surface. He unsettles and repositions much of that smoothness. Radical Technologies is brilliant and scary. -- Saskia Sassen, Columbia University, author of Expulsions.We exist within an ever-thickening web of technologies whose workings are increasingly opaque to us. In this illuminating and sometimes deeply disturbing book Adam Greenfield explores how these systems work, how they synergise with each other, and the resultant effects on our societies, our politics, and our psyches. This is an essential book. -- Brian EnoA tremendously intelligent and stylish book on the 'colonization of everyday life by information processing' calls for resistance to rule by the tech elite... a landmark primer and spur to more informed and effective opposition -- Steve Poole * Guardian *"Fascinating and scary.[Adam Greenfield] is very well informed about a whole host of technologies that we hear a lot about but (if you're like me) have a hard time grasping. He's a graceful writer, so even when he's angry he's eloquent without relying on emotional cues or nostalgia. More importantly, he thinks new technologies have a lot of potential - but if we fail to pay attention, all of its benefits will reinforce current power structures. What they call 'innovation' now that 'progress' has gone out of style is the entrenchment of power and wealth." -- Barbara Fister * Inside Higher Ed *

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Book Synopsis*As seen on The One Show**A Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year*'A rip-roaring mystery that's engrossing from start to finish' ABIR MUKHERJEEHAS SOMEONE GOT AWAY WITH MURDER?On the verge of a four-billion-dollar deal, a tech entrepreneur from Shoreditch is found dead in a construction site, which leads to the discovery of three skeletons over a hundred years old.But as fresh bodies turn up, can Detective Kamil - along with his friend Anjoli - prevent another murder?Desperate to solve his first case for the Met, will Kamil put his reputation on the line... then cross it?*The thrilling new Kamil Rahman mystery, THE SPY, is available to pre-order now!*Praise for the Detective Kamil Rahman series:'Hugely entertaining' ANN CLEEVES'The Detective has all the ingredients for a great crime series' SUN'[Kamil is a] likeable inspector . . . We shall hear much more of him' DAILY MAIL'An elegantly constructed thriller' THE TIMES'Outstanding' SUNDAY TIMESTrade ReviewHugely entertaining * Ann Cleeves *Ajay Chowdhury’s crime novels set in the East End are vivid portraits of modern life. * Sunday Times, Best Books of the Year *An entertaining story that ranges across love, murder and an intriguing family tree * Sun *A rip-roaring mystery that's engrossing from start to finish * Abir Mukherjee *Chowdhury brings his own expertise in modern tech to the plot, combining it with hot button history, and a biting wit. The series goes from strength to strength * Vaseem Khan *

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Book SynopsisGain in-depth knowledge about how companies manipulate and exploit personal data. A book that does not require particular technical knowledge – just mere curiosity to explore the subject. From tech experts to the general public, Data for All is the ground-breaking guide to help with the ways third parties use personal data. Written by bestselling author John K Thompson, this edition will aid your understanding of areas, such as The types of data you generate with every action, every day Where your data is stored, who controls it, and how much money they make from it How you can manage access and monetisation of your own data Restricting data access to only companies and organisations you want to support The history of how we think about data, and why that is changing The new data ecosystem is being built right now for your benefit About the technology For years, companies have had free rein to use every click, purchase, and “like” you make, to earn money. Now, across the globe, new laws have been written, passed, and are coming into force, giving individuals the right to access, delete, and monetise their own data. This book provides a vision of how you can use these laws, regulations, and services to directly benefit from your data in new and lucrative ways.

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Book SynopsisOur gadgets are getting smarter. Technology can log what we buy, customize what we consume and enable us to save and share every aspect of our existence. In the future, we''re told, it will even make public life - from how we''re governed to how we record crime - better. But can the digital age fix everything? Should it? By quantifying our behaviour, Evgeny Morozov argues, we are profoundly reshaping society - and risk losing the opacity and imperfection that make us human.Trade ReviewIf you've ever had the niggling feeling, as you spoon down your google, that there's no such thing as a free lunch, Morozov's book will tell you how you might end up paying for it -- Brian EnoA clear voice of reason and critical thinking in the middle of today's neomania -- Nassim Taleb, author of 'The Black Swan'

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Book SynopsisThe original edition of this accessible and interdisciplinary textbook was the first to consider the ethical issues of digital media from a global, cross-cultural perspective. This third edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate the latest research and developments, including the rise of Big Data, AI, and the Internet of Things. The book’s case studies and pedagogical material have also been extensively revised and updated to include such watershed events as the Snowden revelations, #Gamergate, the Cambridge Analytica scandal, privacy policy developments, and the emerging Chinese Social Credit System.New sections include “Death Online,” “Slow/Fair Technology”, and material on sexbots. The “ethical toolkit” that introduces prevailing ethical theories and their applications to the central issues of privacy, copyright, pornography and violence, and the ethics of cross-cultural communication online, has likewise been revised and expanded. Each topic and theory are interwoven throughout the volume with detailed sets of questions, additional resources, and suggestions for further research and writing. Together, these enable readers to foster careful reflection upon, writing about, and discussion of these issues and their possible resolutions.Retaining its student- and classroom-friendly approach, Digital Media Ethics will continue to be the go-to textbook for anyone getting to grips with this important topic.Trade Review“The third edition of Digital Media Ethics, like its two predecessors, is an impressive pedagogical accomplishment, a rare bird in its field. Very few other textbooks tackle the same issues and do so with the same focus on student comprehension. … Digital Media Ethics is among the very best textbooks on technology ethics (if not on ethics overall) available.”New Media & Society Table of ContentsForeword by Luciano Floridi Preface to the Third Edition Acknowledgments 1 Central Issues in the Ethics of Digital Media 2 Privacy in the (Post-)Digital Era? 3 Copying and Distributing via Digital Media: Copyright, Copyleft, Global Perspectives 4 Friendship, Death Online, Slow/Fair Technology, and Democracy 5 Still More Ethical Issues: Digital Sex, Sexbots and Games 6 Digital Media Ethics: Overview, Frameworks, Resources References Index

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Book SynopsisBeing an adult is like trying to fold a fitted sheet.I''m just a girl, standing in front of a salad, asking it to be a donut.I was hot until my photoshop free-trial expired.From Instagram to Twitter, we all want to be a social media star these days. But behind your phone screen are those perfectly filtered lives all they''re really cracked up to be? For millennials everywhere comes a book that says what we''re all really thinking. Whether it''s stuffing your face with pizza while scrolling through Gigi Hadid''s feed or experiencing life at the speed of fifteen WTF''s per hour, this is the real life struggle of getting that double tap and achieving #goals.

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Book SynopsisWe are told that the future of work will be increasingly automated. Algorithms, processing massive amounts of information at startling speed, will lead us to a new world of effortless labour and a post-work utopia of ever expanding leisure. But behind the gleaming surface stands millions of workers, often in the Global South, manually processing data for a pittance.Recent years have seen a boom in online crowdworking platforms like Amazon's Mechanical Turk and Clickworker, and these have become an increasingly important source of work for millions of people. And it is these badly paid tasks, not algorithms, that make our digital lives possible. Used to process data for everything from the mechanics of self-driving cars to Google image search, this is an increasingly powerful part of the new digital economy, although one hidden and rarely spoken of. But what happens to work when it makes itself obsolete. In this stimulating work that blends political economy, studies of contemporary work, and speculations on the future of capitalism, Phil Jones looks at what this often murky and hidden form of labour looks like, and what it says about the state of global capitalism.Trade ReviewBeneath the noisy sphere of autonomous robots and smart assistants, Jones clearly and patiently reveals the hidden abode of underpaid, overworked, and insecure labourers that underpin our digital society. This is an essential guide to an often invisible world. -- Nick Snricek, author of Platform CapitalismLet Phil Jones be your guide to the darkest underbelly of work under digitized capitalism, where tech barons surveil workers' every move and sell their clicks for profit, and the 'job' falls apart but we work more all the time. A beautifully written call to arms to stop this miserable future before it comes for all of us -- Sarah Jaffe, author of Work Won't Love You BackIn this fast-paced and exciting read, Phil Jones explores the hidden abodes of the digital economy, where the world's surplus workers label images, moderate content, and teach algorithms how to identify common house pets, all for a few cents an hour. /Work without the worker/ explores how dispossessed microworkers might band together to spearhead a global movement for free-time and material security. -- Aaron Benanev, author of Automation and the Future of WorkTakes readers to the hidden abode of production of artificial intelligence: a world of precarious, highly exploited, and onerous microwork increasingly performed in the slums, prisons, and refugee camps of sclerotic post-crisis capitalism. With an incandescent urgency, Jones argues that such digitally fragmented piecework threatens livelihoods of all sorts, but also that it offers a tantalizing potential for a world beyond wage labor -- if we can fight for it. -- Gavin Mueller, author of Breaking Things at Work[Phil Jones] establishes himself as a leading figure in what might be called post-accelerationism. -- John Foster * The Battleground *Striking ... After reading Jones' book, it is difficult to look at computers, or those who promote them as our collective salvation, the same way as before. -- Katjo Buissink * Marx & Philosophy *Microwork is the latest proof that technological development doesn't end work, but only produces new forms of labour - and new ways of concealing it. -- Katrina Forrester * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisA gripping new investigation into the underbelly of digital technology, which reveals not only how costly the virtual world is, but how damaging it is to the environment. If digital technology were a country, it would be the third-highest consumer of electricity behind China and the United States. Every year, streaming technology generates as much greenhouse gas as Spain — close to 1 per cent of global emissions. One Google search uses as much electricity as a lightbulb left on for up to two minutes. It turns out that the ‘dematerialised’ digital world, essential for communicating, working, and consuming, is much more tangible than we would like to believe. Today, it absorbs 10 per cent of the world’s electricity and represents nearly 4 per cent of the planet’s carbon dioxide emissions. We are struggling to understand these impacts, as they are obscured to us in the mirage of ‘the cloud’. The result of an investigation carried out over two years on four continents, The Dark Cloud reveals the anatomy of a technology that is virtual only in name. Under the guise of limiting the impact of humans on the planet, it is already asserting itself as one of the major environmental challenges of the twenty-first century.Trade Review‘Guillaume Pitron recalls the origins of digital technology and explains how this new communication tool has catastrophic consequences on our environment … What happens when you send an email? What is the geography of clicks? What ecological and geopolitical challenges do they bring without our knowledge? This is the subject of The Dark Cloud … For two years, the journalist followed, on four continents, the route of our emails, our likes, and our vacation photos.’ -- Margherita Nasi * Le Monde *‘It reveals the environmental cost of a dematerialised sector. Between the strategies of the giants who keep us in the illusion of a clean internet and the difficulty of feeling pollution that has no taste or smell, the investigator reveals the underside of the internet.’ -- Marina Fabre, Novethic‘An incredible investigation.’ -- France Inter‘Absolutely fascinating.’ -- Ali Baddou, C l’hebdo, France 5‘A landmark book.’ * Le Figaro *‘An illuminating study.’ * L’Obs *‘A riveting investigation that, just like a thriller, sets out to open our eyes about the material impact as well as the economic and geopolitical issues of a totally wired world.’ * L’ADN *‘Insightful.’ * Sciences et Avenir *‘A colossal work.’ * Marianne *‘In The Dark Cloud, Guillaume Pitron exposes the supposed immateriality of the internet as one of the more pernicious of tech bro delusions. … rather than saving us from the destructive tendencies of capitalism, the digital realm intensifies them, with the tech companies committed to exponential, unplanned growth irrespective of the environmental consequences …[The Dark Cloud] demonstrates convincingly that we can’t flee from our messed-up analogue world into some digital alternative. Our problems are material – and they require material solutions.’ -- Jeff Sparrow * The Saturday Paper *‘Today has two battlegrounds - carbon and silicon. In The Dark Cloud, journalist Guillaume Pitron explains the distinction between these two battlegrounds is a carefully crafted illusion. Our screens are not portals to an infinity beyond the material. Far from lacking a footprint, technology actually has an immense cost in resources, energy and environmental destruction … Pitron is a master of articulating the material cost of the “immaterial” … It’s only through works such as Dark Cloud … that laboriously map the immense, insatiable machine that we realise it’s one minute to midnight on the doomsday clock, and we’re all asleep. Well, here is your wake-up call.’ -- Jason Steger * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘This illuminating report from journalist Pitron (The Rare Metals War) … succeeds in exposing the unseen hardware and processes that keep the modern world running … Anyone who’s ever wondered where, exactly, “the cloud” is located will want to check this out.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Pitron’s captivating book delivers an illuminating and exquisitely written insight into the hidden world explaining the often hidden environmental costs that come with, for example, downloading this book review.’ -- Thomas Klikauer * International Journal of Communication *Praise for The Rare Metals War: ‘Recognising that the latest technologies might not be as green as we like to think is a good place to start planning for a better world.’ -- John Arlidge * The Sunday Times *Praise for The Rare Metals War: ‘Pitron weighs the awful price of refining the materials, ably blending investigative journalism with insights from science, politics, and business.’ -- Simon Ings * New Scientist *Praise for The Rare Metals War: ‘[E]xposes the dirty underpinnings of clean technologies in a debut that raises valid questions about energy extraction.’ * Publishers Weekly *Praise for The Rare Metals War: ‘An expert account of a poorly understood but critical element in our economy … Pitron delivers a gripping, detailed, and discouraging explanation … A well-rendered explanation of further bad news on the clean energy front.’ * Kirkus Reviews *Praise for The Rare Metals War: ‘[T]he journalist and filmmaker warns against the optimistic belief that technology is the solution … At a time when many claim to be “citizens of the world” or retreat into naive or hypocritical protectionism, Pitron’s book is an attempt to open people’s eyes to the consequences of their societal choices and lifestyles.’ * Green European Journal *

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Book SynopsisIn a world in which more and more fake news is being spread, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from lies, knowledge from opinion. Disinformation campaigns are not only perceived as a political problem, but the fake news debate is also about fundamental philosophical questions: What is truth? How can we recognize it? Is there such a thing as objective facts or is everything socially constructed? This book explains how echo chambers and alternative worldviews emerge, it blames post-factual thinking for the current truth crisis, and it shows how we can escape the threat of truth relativism.Table of ContentsFilter bubbles and echo chambers.- Conspiracy theories.- Fake news.- Epistemology of the post-factual.- Theories of truth.- Information and knowledge.

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Book SynopsisThoughts are free - but they are no longer secret. Today, our data is automatically stored and analyzed by algorithms ”behind the cloud” - where we no longer have control over our data. Our most private and secret information is entrusted to the internet and permanently collected, stacked and linked to our digital twins. With and without our consent. "Privacy is dead", as Mark Zuckerberg put it. The question is: How did we get there? And, if the actors behind the cloud know everything: what is still private today, and are there any personal secrets at all when the "gods" behind the cloud possibly know us better than our friends and family?The book uses a wealth of case studies (e.g. cryptocurrencies, journalism, digital traces of sexual preferences) to develop a typology of privacy in the history of ideas. Furthermore, it shows the areas of life in which big data and artificial intelligence have already made inroads. This book is a translation of the original German 2nd edition Die Rückseite der Cloud by Peter Seele and Lucas Zapf, published by Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature in 2020. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The reverse side of the cloud.- Part 1: The secret private - introduction and derivation.- "Privacy is dead": How could it come to this?- Part 2: Symptoms of the structural change of the private.- Symptoms of an immanent digital omniscience.- Part 3: Theory of the structural change of the private.- Functional systematics of the structural change of the private.- Summary of the theory or: Thoughts are free - but no longer secret.- Conclusions.- Outlook: Digital authenticity - an immersive consumer experience.

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Book SynopsisArtificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere, yet it causes damage to society in ways that can’t be fixed. Instead of helping to address our current crises, AI causes divisions that limit people’s life chances, and even suggests fascistic solutions to social problems. This book provides an analysis of AI’s deep learning technology and its political effects and traces the ways that it resonates with contemporary political and social currents, from global austerity to the rise of the far right. Dan McQuillan calls for us to resist AI as we know it and restructure it by prioritising the common good over algorithmic optimisation. He sets out an anti-fascist approach to AI that replaces exclusions with caring, proposes people’s councils as a way to restructure AI through mutual aid and outlines new mechanisms that would adapt to changing times by supporting collective freedom. Academically rigorous, yet accessible to a socially engaged readership, this unique book will be of interest to all who wish to challenge the social logic of AI by reasserting the importance of the common good.Trade Review"Resisting AI is an important and necessary book... McQuillan has provided us with a powerful contribution." Computational ImpactsTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Operations of AI 2. Collateral Damage 3. AI Violence 4. Necropolitics 5. Post-machinic Learning 6. People’s Councils 7. Anti-fascist AI

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Book SynopsisIn this explosive memoir, a political consultant and technology whistleblower reveals the disturbing truth about the multi-billion-dollar data industry, revealing to the public how companies are getting richer using our personal information and exposing how Cambridge Analytica exploited weaknesses in privacy laws to help elect Donald Trump.When Brittany Kaiser joined Cambridge Analytica the UK-based political consulting firm funded by conservative billionaire and Donald Trump patron Robert Mercer she was an idealistic young professional working on her fourth degree in human rights law and international relations. A veteran of Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, Kaiser's goal was to utilize data for humanitarian purposes, most notably to prevent genocide and human rights abuses. But her experience inside Cambridge Analytica opened her eyes to the tremendous risks that this unregulated industry poses to privacy and democracy.Targeted is Kaiser's eyewitness chronicle of the dramatic and distu

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Book SynopsisSince its introduction in 2009, Bitcoin has been widely promoted as a digital currency that will revolutionize everything from online commerce to the nation-state. Yet supporters of Bitcoin and its blockchain technology subscribe to a form of cyberlibertarianism that depends to a surprising extent on far-right political thought. The Politics of Bitcoin exposes how much of the economic and political thought on which this cryptocurrency is based emerges from ideas that travel the gamut, from Milton Friedman, F.A. Hayek, and Ludwig von Mises to Federal Reserve conspiracy theorists.Forerunners: Ideas First is a thought-in-process series of breakthrough digital publications. Written between fresh ideas and finished books, Forerunners draws on scholarly work initiated in notable blogs, social media, conference plenaries, journal articles, and the synergy of academic exchange. This is gray literature publishing: where intense thinking, change, and speculation take place in scholarship.Trade Review"Golumbia, in his small but important way, is helping wake us to the falsity of our perceived neutrality."—One Flew East"This book is a very readable and valuable monograph which combines sound historical research with insightful analysis. All concerned citizens should read this book, which is an essential resource for understanding the true stakes of current technological hyperbole."—Newsclick"Golumbia a le mérite de s’attaquer à des idées qui ne sont pas suffisamment remises en question dans les communautés de la cryptomonnaie et des technologies de chaînes concertées. J’en recommande fortement la lecture à quiconque s’interroge sur les impacts de ces technologies sur nos sociétés."—D’un bloc à l’autre

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Book SynopsisA shocking look at the ways governments and organisations track and control us and the ways we can fight back.Trade Review"In "Data and Goliath" Bruce Schneier, a computer-security expert, does a fine job of laying out the problems caused by this compulsive collection of personal data...Some recent books on digital privacy have been written by journalists, with an emphasis on sugary narrative instead of original analysis. This one comes from a practitioner, and offers a deep but accessible look at surveillance in the post-Snowden, big-data era." -- The Economist"Bruce Schneier...grasps this revolution's true dimensions...Schneier paints a picture of the big-data revolution that is dark, but compelling; one in which the conveniences of our digitized world have devalued privacy." -- Nature"He [Schneier] is passionate about the subject—and he shows exactly why and how it matters. The combination of qualitative analysis and detailed examples is compelling and the conclusions are stark. Surveillance matters, and not just at a theoretical level. Schneier shows how it causes damage even when it's used "properly", and also offers examples of how it can be and is abused. And he is at his best when demolishing the case for mass surveillance from a security perspective: it's here that his expertise really kicks in. His understanding of encryption, cyberattacks and vulnerabilities, and his ability to explain them in a relatively accessible way, is impressive and admirable." -- Times Higher Education"...excellent new book…" -- The Observer"...important book..." -- New Internationalist

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Book SynopsisHow does a computer scientist understand infinity? What can probability theory teach us about free will? Can mathematical notions be used to enhance one's personal understanding of the Bible? This book contains six informal lectures by computer scientist Donald E. Knuth exploring the relationship between his vocation and his faith, revealing the unique perspective that his work with computing has lent to his understanding of God. Knuth's starting point is his 3:16 project, an application of mathematical "random sampling" to the books of the Bible. The first lectures tell the story of the project's conception and execution, exploring the complex dimensions of language translation, aesthetics, and theological history. Knuth also reveals the many insights that he has gained along the way from such interdisciplinary work. The theological musings culminate in a final lecture which tackles infinity, free will, and the other "big questions" that lie at the juncture of theology and computation. Each lecture ends with a question and answer exchange.

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Book SynopsisTechGnosis is a cult classic of media studies that straddles the line between academic discourse and popular culture; it appeals to both those secular and spiritual, to fans of cyberpunk and hacker literature and culture as much as new-thought adherents and spiritual seekers How does our fascination with technology intersect with the religious imagination? In TechGnosis—a cult classic now updated and reissued with a new afterword—Erik Davis argues that while the realms of the digital and the spiritual may seem worlds apart, esoteric and religious impulses have in fact always permeated (and sometimes inspired) technological communication. Davis uncovers startling connections between such seemingly disparate topics as electricity and alchemy; online roleplaying games and religious and occult practices; virtual reality and gnostic mythology; programming languages and Kabbalah. The final chapters address the apocalyptic dreams that haunt technology, providing vital historical context as well as new ways to think about a future defined by the mutant intermingling of mind and machine, nightmare and fantasy.

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Book SynopsisWhen Face Recognition Goes Wrong explores the myriad waysthat humans and machines make mistakes in facial recognition.Adopting a critical stance throughout, the book explores whyand how humans and machines make mistakes, covering topicsincluding racial and gender biases, neuropsychological disorders,and widespread algorithm problems. The book features personalanecdotes alongside real-world examples to showcase the oftenlife-changing consequences of facial recognition going wrong.These range from problems with everyday social interactionsthrough to eyewitness identification leading to miscarriages ofjustice and border control passport verification.Concluding with a look to the future of facial recognition, theauthor asks the world's leading experts what are the big questionsthat still need to be answered, and can we train humans andmachines to be super recognisers? This book is

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Book SynopsisSeparating hype from fact, this text investigates the fate of embodiment in an information age. It relates three issues: information as an entity separate from the material forms that carry it; the construction of the Cyborg; and the dismantling of the humanist "subject" in cybernetic discourse.

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Book SynopsisAn Introduction to Cyberpsychology provides a comprehensive introduction to this rapidly growing discipline. Fully updated in its second edition, the book encourages students to critically evaluate the psychology of online interactions and to develop appropriate research methodologies to complete their own work in this field.The book examines cyberpsychology and online research methodologies, social psychology in an online context, practical applications of cyberpsychology, and the psychological aspects of other technologies. This new edition has been carefully updated to include additional coverage of: Expanded content relating to major developments in the field and new content on gaming and screentime A new chapter examining the relationship between older adults and technology Cyberpsychology in focus feature boxes in each chapter that examine topics in depth Interviews with professionals working in fields relating to cyberpsychology Each chapter includes key terms and a glossary, content summaries, discussion questions, and recommended reading to guide further study.Supported by extensive online resources for students and instructors, this authoritative book is an essential core text for undergraduate modules in cyberpsychology, and an ideal primer for students of postgraduate programs in cyberpsychology.To view the additional student and instructor resources for this book, please visit https://routledgelearning.com/bpscoretextbooksTrade Review‘The editorial team and contributors’ knowledge and understanding of the broad intersections of cyberpsychology research is second-to-none, given their years of experience teaching and writing about the impact of technology on human behaviour. This is a must have book for those starting to learn about, or wanting to keep pace with, the multi-disciplinary field of cyberpsychology.’ Dr. Andrew J. Campbell, Associate Professor of Cyberpsychology, The University of Sydney, Australia‘The 2nd Edition of An Introduction to Cyberpsychology offers a comprehensive and thought-provoking critical analysis of a range of contemporary topics in this ever-evolving field. With supporting online resources, this is an essential read for interested scholars and students across a range of disciplinary areas, not least in psychology. Highly recommend.’ Neil Coulson, Professor of Health Psychology, University of Nottingham, UK‘The second edition of An Introduction to Cyberpsychology shares the most-up-to-date research on contemporary issues in cyberpsychology in accessible, easy-to-understand language. It is thorough and considers the multiple ways in which human behaviour shapes and is shaped by digital technology across all facets of life from developmental ages (youth and older age), work, education, sport, and interpersonal and romantic relationships. Chapters are written by leaders in the field and the online learning activities would enhance any cyberpsychology curriculum. I'm looking forward to using this in my own classrooms!’Dr Melanie Keep, Director of Academic Education, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney‘This book provides a comprehensive overview of cyberpsychology. It applies evidence-based literature from psychology and related disciplines to explore the impact of online technologies to a diverse range of topics including but not limited to health, education, social identity, consumer behaviour, and the workplace. In doing so it provides an invaluable resource for students, instructors, policymakers, and any other stakeholders with an interest in the increasingly important discipline of cyberpsychology. The supplementary online resources provided that can be accessed by students are engaging and will provide a deeper understanding of the issues that the book discusses.’Prof. John McAlaney, University of Bournemouth, UK‘As technology progresses, the importance of cyberpsychology as an essential part of the wider psychology curriculum becomes more apparent. This book acts as an excellent introduction to the field, providing an in-depth overview of all the subject has to offer. Through interactive discussion questions and additional reading lists, the book provides a valuable and accessible resource for students and anyone intrigued to find out more about our digital behaviours. An essential addition to the existing literature, with contributions from leading experts in the field. A great read!’ Dr Lisa Orchard, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Wolverhampton, UK‘The new edition of An Introduction to Cyberpsychology by Irene Connolly, Marion Palmer, Hannah Barton, and Gráinne Kirwan demystifies the relatively new field of cyberpsychology. Moreover, it communicates the nuts and bolts of strategies from several up-to-date approaches for studying digital technologies. The companion website provides informative supplementary materials that are easy to follow. This is an important addition to the cyberpsychology literature.’ Thomas D. Parsons, PhD, Grace Center Professor for Innovation in Clinical Education, Simulation Science, & Immersive Technology, Director: Computational Neuropsychology & Simulation (CNS) Lab, Arizona State University, USA‘The second edition of An Introduction to Cyberpsychology is a valuable and much needed addition to the field. A must-read for those who are new to cyberpsychology as well as those who are looking to update their understandings. An Introduction to Cyberpsychology covers diverse topics at the forefront of cyberpsychology, which are highly applicable to life in the digital age. Importantly, An Introduction to Cyberpsychology provides readers with the building blocks to develop a nuanced and critical understanding of key issues in cyberpsychology.’Dr Catherine Talbot, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Bournemouth University, UK‘An Introduction to Cyberpsychology does an amazing job of covering the current state of cyberpsychology and how its basic premises extend interdisciplinarily in both positive and potentially destructive ways. In addition to including many opportunities for the reader to think critically about this growing applied discipline within psychology, the editors and chapter authors have included many resources and relevant references that allow for extending the utility of the textbook outside of the very pages they appear on. As a cyberpsychological researcher and an academic teaching cyberpsychology at the graduate level, I found the focus on conducting online research particularly well-suited to my student’s needs, with several of the other chapters uniquely capturing the essence of what I want all of my first-year students to be aware of.’ Dr. Scott Debb, Associate Professor, CyberPsychology Research & Program Coordinator, Norfolk State University, USATable of ContentsPart 1: IntroductionInterview 1: Cyberpsychology in Professional PracticeItayi Viriri1. Introduction to CyberpsychologyGráinne Kirwan2. Conducting Online ResearchBrendan RooneyPart 2: Human interaction onlineInterview 2: Cyberpsychology in Professional PracticeLee Kelly3. Computer-Mediated Communication and Online MediaGráinne Kirwan4. Self and Identity in CyberspaceIrene Connolly5. The dark Side of the InternetHannah Barton and Derek Laffan6. Love and Relationships OnlineNicola Fox Hamilton7. Attention and Distraction OnlineJohn Greaney and Emma Mathias8. The Dynamics of Groups OnlineOlivia Hurley 9. Persuasion and Compliance in CyberspaceHannah Barton10. Privacy and Trust OnlineGrainne KirwanPart 3: Applied CyberpsychologyInterview 3: Cyberpsychology in Professional PracticeFardus Sultan11. Forensic CyberpsychologyGrainne Kirwan12. Cyberpsychology and PsychopathologyCliona Flood and Audrey Stenson13. Sport & Health CyberpsychologyOlivia Hurley 14. The Online WorkplaceCliona Flood and Audrey Stenson15. The Internet as an Educational SpaceMarion Palmer16. Consumer Cyberpsychology and Online marketingNicola Fox Hamilton 17. Young People and the InternetIrene Connolly 18. Older adults in the Digital AgeLiam ChallenorPart 4: Psychology and TechnologyInterview 4: Cyberpsychology in Professional PracticePhelim May19. Human-Computer InteractionAndrew Errity20. GamingDavid Hayes, Andrew Errity, Brendan Rooney, and Conall Tunney21. Psychological Applications of Virtual and Augmented/Mixed RealityGrainne Kirwan22. The Psychology of Artificial IntelligenceGrainne Kirwan

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Book SynopsisThis fun reference introduces you to key people and companies, fundamental ideas, and milestone films, games, and magazines in the annals of hacking. From phreaking to deepfakes, and from APT to zombie malware, grasping the terminology is crucial to understanding hacker culture and history.

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Book SynopsisWhat identity means in an algorithmic age: how it works, how our lives are controlled by it, and how we can resist itAlgorithms are everywhere, organizing the near limitless data that exists in our world. Derived from our every search, like, click, and purchase, algorithms determine the news we get, the ads we see, the information accessible to us and even who our friends are. These complex configurations not only form knowledge and social relationships in the digital and physical world, but also determine who we are and who we can be, both on and offline. Algorithms create and recreate us, using our data to assign and reassign our gender, race, sexuality, and citizenship status. They can recognize us as celebrities or mark us as terrorists. In this era of ubiquitous surveillance, contemporary data collection entails more than gathering information about us. Entities like Google, Facebook, and the NSA also decide what that information means, constructing our worlds and the identities wTrade ReviewWe Are Datais a gem!... This finely crafted book should help us to take a giant collective leap forward. * International Journal of Communication *We Are Dataspells out the implications of being made of data in the digital age: our new & algorithmic identity. John Cheney-Lippold shows how algorithmic logics that undergird the architecture, regulation, monetization, and uses of the Internet have changed the nature of human experience and identity. Through witty and accessible examples, he eloquently lays out the social and political consequences of transcoding lived identity into measurable types in our new world. Clearly written, carefully researched, timely and intelligent,We Are Datais a compelling and much-needed book. -- Alexandra Juhasz,Chair, Film Department, Brooklyn CollegeJohn Cheney-Lippolds deft examination of & measurable typesthe categories by which we are known and assessed, based on our datasheds light on contemporary societys encounter with information systems to scrutiny, and with those eager to identify us for their own ends.We Are Data goes beyond naming possible harms. It helps us think differently about what it means to be & seen by marketers, algorithms, or the NSA as members of shifting categoriesidentifications that structure us and our encounter with the world, but that we have little power to shape. -- Tarleton Gillespie,author of Wired Shut: Copyright and the Shape of Digital CultureThis book sparkles with brilliant insights. It offers us tools and a vocabulary through which we can think about the layers of identities that our data-conjured ghosts inhabit. I dont think I fully grasped the complexity of what these clouds of commercial data did with us and to us until I read We Are Data. -- Siva Vaidhyanathan,author of The Googlization of Everything—and Why We Should WorryWe Are Data is an inspiring and thought-provoking book to read, especially for those interested in the social, political, and cultural aspects of data. It draws on a wide range of well-known literature in the field of Internet and algorithm studies and further engages deeply with the philosophical aspects of the presented themes. * Mobile Media and Communication *If knowledge is indeed the means by which we can begin to challenge the digital status quo, then Cheney-Lippold has done much to forearm us by so capably elucidating the problem. * LSE Review of Books *The text moves beyond overdone topics of online privacy to look at how the lack of privacy of our data impacts identities It is the most appropriate for social science researchers and students. * Choice *We Are Data shows us just how powerful data can be and how that data affects who we are and who we can be. Cheney-Lippold addresses how data is (and always has been) a part of our lives through the discussionof categorization, control, subjectivity, and privacy. * Technical Communication *A heady and rewarding explanation of our lives in the data age. [Cheney-Lippold's] discussion of privacy...will fascinate many. Essential reading for anyone who cares about the internet's extraordinary impact on each of us and on our society. * Starred Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisFrom revolution on Twitter to romance on Tinder, we live in a world constructed of code – and coders are the ones who built it for us.In Coders, acclaimed tech writer Clive Thompson offers an illuminating reckoning with the most powerful tribe in the world today, computer programmers, asking who they are, how they think, and what should give us pause. Along the way, Thompson ponders the morality and politics of code, including its implications for civic life and the economy, and unpacks the surprising history of the field, beginning with the first coders – brilliant and pioneering women, who were later written out of history. To understand the world today, we need to understand code and its consequences. With Coders, Thompson offers a crucial insight into the heart of the machine. ‘By breaking down what the actual world of coding looks like . . . [Thompson] removes the mystery and brings it into the legible world for the rest of us to debate.’ New York Times‘Masterful . . . [Thompson] illuminates both the fascinating coders and the bewildering technological forces that are transforming the world in which we live.’ David Grann, author of The Lost City of ZTrade ReviewFascinating. Thompson is an excellent writer and his subjects are themselves gripping . . . Many books have covered this territory, but Coders is bang up to date in a fast-moving world. * Nature *[Thompson] is a brilliant social anthropologist. And, in this masterful book, he illuminates both the fascinating coders and the bewildering technological forces that are transforming the world in which we live. -- David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z[Thompson] outlines [coders’] different personality traits, their history and cultural touchstones . . . By breaking down what the actual world of coding looks like . . . he removes the mystery and brings it into the legible world for the rest of us to debate. * New York Times *With his trademark clarity and insight, Thompson gives us an unparalleled vista into the mind-set and culture of programmers, the often-invisible architects and legislators of the digital age. -- Steven Johnson, author of How We Got to NowCoders is an engrossing, deeply clued-in ethnography, and it’s also a book about power, a new kind: where it comes from, how it feels to wield it, who gets to try – and how all that is changing. -- Robin Sloan, author of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour BookstoreBefore I read this brilliantly accessible book . . . coding was something of a foggy concept to me . . . There are strings of engaging insights into the anthropology of computer programmers. * Bookseller *An avalanche of profiles, stories, quips, and anecdotes in this beautifully reported book returns us constantly to people, their stories, their hopes and thrills and disappointments . . . Fun to read, this book knows its stuff and makes it fun to learn. * Philadelphia Inquirer *Table of ContentsChapter - 1: The Software Update That Changed Reality Chapter - 2: The Four Waves of Coders Chapter - 3: Constant Frustration and Bursts of Joy Chapter - 4: Among the INTJs Chapter - 5: The Cult of Efficiency Chapter - 6: 10X, Rock Stars and the Myth of Meritocracy Chapter - 7: The ENAIC Girls Vanish Chapter - 8: Hackers, Crackers, and Freedom Fighters Chapter - 9: Cucumbers, Skynet, and Rise of the AI Chapter - 10: Scale, Trolls, and Big Tech Chapter - 11: Blue-collar Coding Acknowledgements - i: Acknowledgements Section - ii: Notes Index - iii: Index

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Book SynopsisOffers an original contribution to the field by focusing on epistemic tensions in socio-technical systems.Table of Contents1. Introduction: Tense Thinking and the Myths of an Algorithmic New Life 2. The Pursuit of Posthuman Security 3. Overstepping and the Navigation of the Perceived Limits of Algorithmic Thinking 4. (Dreaming of) Super Cognizers and the Stretching of the Known 5. The Presences of Nonknowledge 6. Conclusion: Algorithmic Thinking and the Will to Automate

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Book SynopsisDo digital networks make a difference to the scope, scale and severity of social harm? Considering four distinct digital affordances for crime (access, concealment, evasion and incitement) this book asks whether they are simply new packaging for old problems, with no greater effect on society overall – or is cyberculture significantly escalating illegality? Matthew David gives fresh insights into online harms and behaviours in the fields of hate, obscenity, corruptions of citizenship and appropriation, offering a comprehensive and integrated approach for those both new and experienced in the field of cybercrime.Table of Contents1. Introduction Part I: Hate 2. Terrorism and Hate Crime: From the Long Fuse to Hate Speech 3. Bullying, Stalking and Trolling Part II: Obscenity 4. Pornography and Violent Video Games 5. Child Abuse Imagery, Abuse and Grooming Part III: Corruptions of Citizenship 6. Privacy, Surveillance, Whistleblowers and Hacktivism 7. Fake News, Echo Chambers and Citizen Journalism Part IV: Appropriation 8. Fraud, Extortion and Identity Theft 9. Sharing Software, Music and Visual Content 10. Conclusions

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Book SynopsisAcademic readers in science and technology studies, sociology, the digital humanities, digital criminology.Trade Review"An unusually incisive and pragmatic approach to what it means to live with information. Synthesizing thinking from a huge range of disciplines and domains from our worlds of plural information, the book effectively provides a guide to how to live, situate, engage or extricate oneself." Adrian Mackenzie, Australian National University "A breath of fresh air, a book about data, but uniquely framed as the lively matter of information -- in the sense of 'being in-formation' - and always bringing us back to what makes all this information matter." David Ribes, University of Washington"A rich resource for anyone concerned with how information – understood as always material and relational – comes to matter, its dominant formations as data, and how data could be made differently." Lucy Suchman, Lancaster University "An intriguing account of how data becomes information and is then taken up in material interventions of surveillance and control. By drawing on a wide range of literature, the book demonstrates the complex and ethical relations involved in making information matter in different worlds." Evelyn Ruppert, Goldsmiths, University of LondonTable of Contents1. Introduction 2. Understanding making-information-matter together 3. Studying materializations – a methodology of life cycles Interlude: Four practices of making information matter 4. Association 5. Conversion 6. Secrecy 7. Speculation 8. The ethics of making information matter

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Book Synopsis*THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM BOOK CLUB PICK*'A clear, compelling guide to some of the most pressing debates in technology today.' Bill Gates'A colourful and insightful insiders' view of how technology is both empowering us and threatening us. From privacy to cyberattacks, this timely book is a useful guide for how to navigate the digital future.' Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Steve JobsFrom Microsoft's President and one of the tech industry's wisest thinkers, a frank and thoughtful reckoning with how to balance enormous promise and existential risk as the digitization of everything accelerates. With new chapters on the pandemic and beyond. __________Microsoft President Brad Smith operates by a simple core belief: when your technology changes the world, you bear a responsibility to help address the world you have helped create. This might seem uncontroversial, but it flies in the face of a tech sector long obsessed with rapid growth and sometimes on disruption as an end in itself. While sweeping digital transformation holds great promise, we have reached an inflection point. The world has turned information technology into both a powerful tool and a formidable weapon, and new approaches are needed to manage an era defined by even more powerful inventions like artificial intelligence. Companies that create technology must accept greater responsibility for the future, and governments will need to regulate technology by moving faster and catching up with the pace of innovation.In Tools and Weapons, Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne bring us a captivating narrative from the cockpit of one of the world's largest and most powerful tech companies as it finds itself in the middle of some of the thorniest emerging issues of our time. These are challenges that come with no pre-existing playbook, including privacy, cybercrime and cyberwar, social media, the moral conundrums of artificial intelligence, big tech's relationship to inequality, and the challenges for democracy, far and near. While in no way a self-glorifying "Microsoft memoir," the book pulls back the curtain remarkably wide onto some of the company's most crucial recent decision points as it strives to protect the hopes technology offers against the very real threats it also presents. There are huge ramifications for communities and countries, and Brad Smith provides a thoughtful and urgent contribution to that effort.__________In Tools and Weapons, Brad Smith takes us behind the scenes on some of the biggest stories to hit the tech industry in the past decade and some of the biggest threats we face. From Edward Snowden's NSA leak to the NHS WannaCry ransomware attack, this book is essential reading to understand what's happening in the world around us.Praise for Tools and Weapons: 'The de facto ambassador for the technology industry at large.' The New York Times'In Tools and Weapons, Brad and Carol Ann Browne wrestle with some of the world's toughest technology challenges with common sense and valuable insight reflecting their inside experience. The ideas in Tools and Weapons won't solve all our problems, but they're a very good place to start.' - Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix'Tools and Weapons is a glimpse behind the curtain as Microsoft reckoned with the Snowden revelations, defended against the vicious cyberattacks, and took both the Obama and Trump administrations to court.' - Rolling StoneTrade ReviewTools and Weapons offers a clear view of the questions raised by new technologies, and a potential path forward for tech companies and for societies. - Bill GatesOne of the few executives willing to speak openly about the industry's most vexing issues. - Sunday Times'A colourful and insightful insiders' view of how technology is both empowering and threatening us. From privacy to cyberattacks, this timely book is a useful guide for how to navigate the digital future.' - Walter IsaacsonTaming Big Tech will not be easy, but this book . . . shows where to start. - The Financial Times Smith's book is not the typical vanity project churned out by so many Fortune 500 leaders, the generic tomes on leadership and teamwork stocked at airport bookstores near the neck pillows. Tools and Weapons is a glimpse behind the curtain as Microsoft reckoned with the Snowden revelations, defended against the vicious cyberattacks, and took both the Obama and Trump administrations to court.' Rolling StoneBrad Smith makes the case for a new relationship between the tech sector and government - closer cooperation and challenges for each side. - New York TimesBrad Smith and Carol Ann Browne get to the heart of some of the biggest tech issues of our time, including privacy, cybersecurity and responsible AI, and their impact on all of our lives. - Satya Nadella, CEO of MicrosoftThis is a colorful and insightful insiders' view of how technology is both empowering us and threatening us. From privacy to cyberattacks, this timely book is a useful guide for how to navigate the digital future. - Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of The Innovators and Steve JobsComing from an industry driven by disruption, it's refreshing to read Brad Smith's call for the tech sector to assume more responsibility. In Tools and Weapons, Brad and Carol Ann Browne wrestle with some of the world's toughest technology challenges with common sense and valuable insight reflecting their inside experience. The ideas in Tools and Weapons won't solve all our problems, but they're a very good place to start. - Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix'Casual readers who know Microsoft primarily for Windows, Office and maybe Xbox will be surprised by the level of insight Smith brings to some of the biggest issues facing not just the industry but humanity. [Tools and Weapons] is written for a mass market, not just tech and policy wonks. It offers a framework for everyday readers to understand and think about the implications of powerful new forms of technology. . . . It's full of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, from internal Microsoft meetings to high-level sessions at the Obama and Trump White Houses. It makes ample use of historical references to put modern trends and technologies in context.' - GeekwireBrad Smith has emerged as a vocal and principled thought leader addressing how technology can either help uphold or undermine human rights. As digital technology continues to proliferate, these issues will only grow in importance and command more of the world's attention. - Amal Clooney, international human rights lawyer and co-founder and president, Clooney Foundation for JusticeTools and Weapons reads like a techno-legal thriller, yet offers a thorough and eye-opening account of the major tech controversies of the last decade, from NSA spying through AI ethics and the US-China standoff. Brad Smith, a believer that "great power brings great responsibility" makes it evident that the future of humanity may depend on ethical and responsive leadership in the tech industries, and in this book he sets a high bar for his peers. - Tim Wu, author of The Curse of BignessWith clarity and candor, Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne have crafted an indispensable guide to understanding and tackling the mightiest tech challenges of our time. Drawing on firsthand experience as well as the lessons of history, this perceptive volume shows that solutions will not be solely governmental nor corporate, but must involve collaboration across sectors and borders. Timely, essential reading for all who care about where the tech world goes next. - Margaret O'Mara, author of The Code'In Tools and Weapons, Smith and co-author Carol Ann Browne, make a persuasive, pragmatic case for owning that responsibility, in everything from digital privacy and surveillance to cybersecurity and social fragmentation to artificial intelligence and facial-recognition technology.' - Seattle Times

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Book SynopsisIn 2004, a California computer whiz named Barrett Lyon uncovered the identity of a hacker running major assaults on business websites. Without fully grasping the repercussions, he set on an investigation that led him into the heart of the Russian mob. Cybercrime was evolving. No longer the domain of small-time thieves, it had been discovered by sophisticated gangs. They began by attacking corporate websites but increasingly stole financial data from consumers and defence secrets from governments. While Barrett investigated the cutting edge of technology crime, the U.S. government struggled to catch up. Britain, however, was a different story. In the late 1990s, the Queen herself had declared safe e-commerce a national security priority. Agents from the London-based National Hi-Tech Crime Unit sought out Barrett and enlisted his help. They also sent detective Andrew Crocker, a Welsh former boxer, to Russia to track down and prosecute the hackers- and to find out who they worked for. Fatal System Error penetrates both the Russian cyber-mob and the American mafia as the two fight over the Internet's massive spoils. It takes readers into the murky hacker underground, traveling the globe from San Francisco to Costa Rica, London, and Russia. Using unprecedented access to mob businesses and Russian officials, it shows how top criminals earned protection from the Russian government- and how Barrett Lyon and Andrew Crocker got closer to the titans of the underground economy than any previous outsider. Together, their stories explain why cybercrime is much worse than you thought- and why the Internet might not survive.Trade Review"Fatal System Error is an enjoyable read on par [with] books such as The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage and Takedown: The Pursuit and Capture of Kevin Mitnick." Processor "Menn's deconstruction of an especially sophisticated set of attacks, the victim's countermeasures, and eventual criminal investigation of the web of attackers is a valuable wake-up call for IT pros that should serve to catalyze redoubled efforts to improve cybersecurity." Slashdot Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who are Bringing Down the Internet is the wake-up call that those in Washington, and those charged with IT need to wake up to. Unfortunately, it is likely those that truly need to read this book, will press the information security snooze button yet again. Los Angeles Times, April 27, 2010 "[E]ven an unbiased observer would say that Fatal System Error is a compelling read, despite the fact that it's nonfiction (or maybe because it's nonfiction). It's also a very frightening book." Richard A. Clarke, Counter-terror chief under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and author of Against All Enemies: Inside America 's War on Terror "Fatal System Error accurately reveals the secretive global cyber cartels and their hidden multi-billion dollar business, proving cybercrime does pay and pays well." Jonathan Zittrain, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Co-Founder, Berkman Center for Internet & Society and author of The Future of the Internet-And How to Stop It"Joseph Menn immerses us in the personalities and politics behind today's cybersecurity threats and countermeasures. This balanced, compelling account shows why the future of the Internet depends more on people of good will than on some technological magic bullet." Vicky Raab, The New Yorker "[Fatal System Error] kept me riveted to the couch all weekend" Quentin Hardy, Forbes "[A] well-reported book on some of the biggest (known) cybercrimes in the past decade... Menn's book could hardly be more timely." Network World "As eye-popping as the book's portrayal of bookies and wise-guy swagger is... the second half of the book is even more mind-blowing." BBC Focus Magazine "The issues raised are hugely important, and failure to deal with criminals behind so much online crime will be an embarrassment to governments worldwide." Business Week "In profiling two eclectic cyber-crime fighters, Menn has crafted a fascinating high-tech whodunit that educates even as it entertains." The Guardian "Menn spins racy tales of true-life cybercrime...The villains glory in handles such as 'Bra1n', and the heroes are portrayed respectively as Matthew Broderick from Wargames and Daniel Craig's Bond, but the narrative glitter is sprinkled on top of serious and thorough reporting. Menn concludes: 'A number of enormously powerful national governments, especially those of Russia and China, have picked the blossoming of the internet age as the time to ally with organised crime.'" Richard Stiennon, founder of T-Harvest and former VP of Threat Research at Webroot Software "Not since Cliff Stoll's The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage has there been a book that delves as deeply into the workings of criminal hackers. This book will be widely read by law enforcement, policy makers, and IT security professionals. Like Stoll's book I predict it will inspire a generation of technologists to join the battle against cyber criminals." Register"An informative and entertaining look at the roots of the burgeoning cybercrime economy and its links to government, featuring a rogue's gallery of international wrong 'uns... It's one of the best descriptions of the formation of the underground economy I've read. It deserves to be read by those in the IT security industry, policy formation and with any interest in a hype-free expose of the true face of cybercrime." The Guardian"Menn's book is riveting, as much for the terrifying detail it includes - both about gambling sites and the extent of botnet infection and the feckless lack of high-level international cooperation - especially by George Bush's administration - that allowed their architects to enrich themselves." Slashdot

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2024**LONGLISTED FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2023* 'A parable for our times' FINANCIAL TIMES, Best Books of 2023'Gripping' THE TIMES, Best Technology Books of 2023 ______________________________________________________________________What if you could be identified by anyone with just a blurry photo? When Kashmir Hill stumbled upon Clearview AI in 2019, a facial recognition platform with an alleged 98.6% accuracy rate, the implications were terrifying.   But that was just the beginning.   Clearview AI would quickly rise to the top, sharing its app with billionaires, law enforcement and even Hollywood actors. In this gripping true story, Hill dives deep into its shadowy journey, and explores how facial recognition technology is already a part ofTrade Review'The dystopian future portrayed in some science-fiction movies is already upon us. Whether you like it or not, your face has already been scraped from the internet, stored in a giant database, and made available to law enforcement agencies, private corporations, and authoritarian governments to track and surveil you. Kashmir Hill’s fascinating book brings home the scary implications of this new reality' -- John Carreyrou, author of 'Bad Blood''I loved this. A dark and gripping story, meticulously researched and stylishly told' -- Jenny Kleeman, author of 'Sex Robots & Vegan Meat'‘A gripping account . . . [Hill] writes with great clarity about the dangers of facial recognition technology’ * New Statesman *'A haunting portrait of sci-fi darkness in the real world' * Kirkus *'A breezy, compelling dive into the alarming use of face matching and the enormous consequences for privacy and civil liberties . . . an engrossing cautionary tale' * Literary Review *‘Startling, if not terrifying . . . the author does a great job of explaining the ins and outs of facial recognition in the book . . . Be very, very careful, Hill says again and again. If we’re not, we might all face the reality of Beijing today' * Cybernews *'So gripping' -- Taylor Lorenz, author of 'Extremely Online', on Twitter‘I’m loving this book - you’ll laugh, you’ll recoil, you’ll learn about the sordid history of eugenics and where facial recognition tech fits into said history’ -- Brian Merchant, author of 'Blood in the Machine', on Twitter‘Sharply reported . . . The saga is colorful, and the characters come off as flamboyant villains; it’s a fun read. But the book’s most incisive contribution may be the ethical question it raises’ * Atlantic *‘A most timely contribution to a much needed debate about the implications for personal privacy’ * TLS *‘Gripping . . . illuminating. The scope and sophistication of the technology is striking. A walk down the street will not feel quite the same again’ * The Economist *‘Combining vivid reportage with a chilling overview of facial recognition technology’s capabilities, this unnerves’ * Publishers Weekly *‘In a gripping — and sometimes creepy — book Hill explores the repercussions of this new technology and finds out who is behind it' * The Times, '5 Best Technology Books of 2023' *'Kashmir Hill all but invented the tech dystopia beat, and no one is a more exuberant and enjoyable guide to the dark corners of our possible future than she is. Reaching deep into the past to paint a terrifying portrait of our future, Hill’s thorough, awe-inspiring reporting and compelling storytelling paint a fascinating tale of tech’s next chapter. This is the most fun you can have reading a real-life nightmare' -- Garrett Graff, author of 'The Only Plane in the Sky'‘In its focus on the ambiguous duality of technology, a parable for our times’ * Financial Times, 'Best Books of 2023 – Technology' *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Co-Winner of the Silver Medal in Business Technology, Axiom Business Book Awards""One of the Financial Times' Summer Books of 2019: Business""One of the Financial Times' Best Books of 2019: Technology""12 must-read books for 2019 as recommended by Tech Crunch's Extra Crunch readers""One of Five Books' Best Economics Books of 2019""University of Chicago 2019 Recommended Reading""One of Handelsblatt's Best Technology Books of 2019""One of Época Negócios's Best Books of 2019""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""A Project Syndicate Best Read in 2019""A Financial Times Best Book of the Year""Winner of the Richard A. Lester Prize for the Outstanding Book in Industrial Relations and Labor Economics, Industrial Relations Section of Princeton University""A superb guide to 21st-century automation and its disruptive effects."---John Harris, The Guardian"The Technology Trap may well ensnare doom-seekers’ attention with its ominous-sounding title. But it should ultimately hearten anyone who reads it." * The Economist *"Anybody interested in the economic impact of digital and AI, in particular on jobs, will want to read [The Technology Trap]."---Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist"[Frey] takes a provocative, original long view on current concerns, examining the fallout from past technological advances . . . to mass production and artificial intelligence."---Andrew Hill, Financial Times, Summer Books of 2019"I have been lost in [The Technology Trap] for the last 10 days."---John Harris, The Guardian"Frey’s analysis is worth taking seriously because the Oxford economic historian and economist has researched his subject deeply and has co-authored one of the most widely cited studies on automation . . . . Frey’s story is well argued and — at times — deeply alarming about the stability of western democracies given he predicts the further concentration of wealth in a few hands and in even fewer locations"---John Thornhill, Financial Times"An excellent analysis of past industrial revolutions, the technologies that emerged within them, and the way societies adapted to those changes."---Adi Gaskell, Forbes"As [Frey] points out in his new book The Technology Trap, for all that the robots may make the world more local, they may have other painful side-effects, putting millions of people out of work and sparking an almighty backlash."---Ed Conway, The Times"The Technology Trap is the perfect book for higher ed people to read . . . . deeply researched and [convincingly] argued."---Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Education"If you're an optimist about the robotic future, you likely hear talk that we're all going to lose our jobs or suffer a big pay cut, and tell friends to relax — the new technology revolution is going to turn out like all the others since the dawn of the Industrial Age. But if history is your best hope, you should probably think again: [The Technology Trap has] a strong case."---Steve Levine, Axios"Anybody interested in the economic impact of digital and AI, in particular on jobs, will want to read Carl Frey’s new book."---Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist"In his bracing new book The Technology Trap, Carl Frey extrapolates from the history of the industrial revolution to offer a vision of the future in which Amazon Go, AI assistants and autonomous vehicles are 'worker replacement' technologies."---Greg Williams, Wired"A fascinating history of technical change."---Chris Dillow, Stumbling and Mumbling"One of Frey’s most salient points is that our attitudes and actions toward technology can play a pivotal role in how it impacts us. A lot of stock has been put into Frey and Osborne’s prediction of 47 percent automation. But if Frey’s book gets even half the attention the paper got, it should serve to quell some of our fears around a bleak machine-dominated future."---Vanessa Bates Ramirez, Singularity Hub"Carl Benedikt Frey has written an important and timely book . . . . A great deal of effort, thought, and scholarship went into its writing, and it shows. There is much food for thought here and I can envision this assigned in upper division economics classes as well as some graduate courses."---Alexander Field, EH.net"Frey offers a refreshingly human-centered analysis of technological progress."---Oscar Schwartz, Stanford Social Innovation Review"It’s clear The Technology Trap has plenty to teach us, and should automatically be on the reading list of any serious policy maker or politician."---Ben Ramanauskas, Cap X"Frey explores automation and its consequences, taking the reader on a long sweep of UK and US industrial history that demonstrates the distinction between labour-enabling and labour-replacing technologies. . . As arguably the most comprehensive account of automation to date, this book deserves to be read widely"---Liam Kennedy, London School of Economics Review of Books"[The Technology Trap] offers a fascinating history of technology’s effects on employment from the Industrial Revolution to today and attempts to tackle how we might avoid a repeat of past social ills, as the Computer Revolution sweeps away a majority of human jobs."---Robert Elliott Smith, Medium"Narrator Richard Lyddon performs an almost impossible feat—making a very theoretical audiobook sound absorbable in a truly entertaining way . . . . Cheers to both Frey and Lyddon, a pairing that listeners may wish to hear again." * AudioFile Magazine *"An extremely useful history of the effect of technology on jobs and income inequality."---John Judis, The National Interest"[E]rudite and thoughtful, and the questions [The Technology Trap] raises are important and pertinent."---Joel Mokyr, Journal of Economic History"[Frey] investigates the short, medium, and long-term consequences of the Industrial Revolution on workers, finding that in fact the changes had extraordinarily negative consequences in the short term. His lessons from this pivotal moment in history can help technology leaders avoid the biggest risks today in how we design human/AI systems in the coming age of automation." * TechCrunch *"I highly recommend [The Technology Trap]."---Randal C. Picker"There is little reason to doubt the contemporary relevance of Frey’s analysis into the consequences of automation on the labour market, and the broader socio‐political implications of those technological changes which are highly anticipated to reshape our working lives and economic existence as we know it. The voluminous public commentary about technology, and public protests against the ramifications of technology change (such as taxi drivers decrying peer‐to‐peer ride‐sharing services which rely on smartphone apps), serve as sufficient warrant to pay attention to Frey’s contribution."---Mikayla Novak, Economic Record"Excellently written, full of examples and studies I hadn't previously encountered, and I learned a lot."---Tim Harford"[The Technology Trap] is a reminder that the future of work depends on policy choices. It is well worth reading."---Ravi Venkatesan, Book Review Literacy Trust"A . . . danger is that Luddite efforts to avoid the short-term costs associated with a new technology will end up denying access to its long-term benefits—something Carl Benedikt Frey, an Oxford academic, calls a 'technology trap'." * The Economist *"Excellent."---Masood Ahmed, CGD Policy Blog"Magisterial."---Chris Gibbons, Acumen"Frey’s observations and detailed historical analysis are useful for even those of us who cling to a more optimistic view of the long run."---Micheal Munger, Law & Liberty"[A] historical odyssey."---Jane Humphries and Benjamin Schneider, Project Syndicate"Frey provides a longue durée examination of the economic, social, and political interplay that drives technological change. Careful, erudite, elegantly written, and full of insight, the book sets the current overwrought debate about automation and AI on a firm contextualized footing."---Jayati Ghosh, Project Syndicate"Frey’s book is a history with a policy purpose . . . the book reveals an enormous scope of reading."---Kenneth Lipartito, American Historical Review"I was hugely impressed by this well-researched book, which provides a fascinating historical analysis of the interplay between government policy and technical change around the world. At the same time, it provides clues about how similar dynamics may shape the ongoing wave of automation, and what that might mean for wealth distribution within and among countries."---Sami Mahroum, Project Syndicate"Even when we learned enough about how the world works to change and manipulate it — to disrupt the status quo — stasis had its defenders. And it still does today. So many historical examples of this in the great 2019 book, The Technology Trap."---James Pethokoukis, AEI"The Technology Trap offers a rich account of the history of automation. . . . If anything, the corona-crisis has made this 2019 publication even more relevant. The lockdowns will likely accelerate automation in the workplace, and in the wake of the resulting economic decline and rising unemployment, questions around jobs and automation will become more politically fraught than they had been up to now."---Justin Nogarede, The Progressive Post"’The Technology Trap’ . . . made me look at the industrial revolution, invention, sleeping beauties, contexts and the forces that shape our societies differently. . . . Techies and economists love to point out that the textile machines the Luddites opposed in the 19th century brought greater prosperity to all — but it took three generations before the benefits kicked in, and there was a lot of pain and suffering in the meantime. And as Frey points out, history is made in the short term."---David Byrne, New York Times Book Review"A powerful historical synthesis on the question of the relationship between man and machine." * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisAn unflinching look at the aspiring city-builders of our smart, mobile, connected future.Trade Review"Townsend's interest in smart cities is more than merely technological: he offers an entertaining history of urban planning's visionaries and villains, the technological breakthroughs and the spectacular failures that brought us to this crossroads." -- New Scientist"Anthony Townsend's terrific book looks at the historic relationship of urban and industrial development to new technologies." -- Architecture Today"How tomorrow's open spaces evolve cannot be known but armed with this book, the reader will be bang up to date with who's who in the smart city boom, and what's happening where." -- Engineering & Technology"... fascinating stories of urban renewal and innovation from around the globe and packaged... into lessons that are neat and digestible." -- Slate

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Book SynopsisAn anthropological account of how rankings, statistics and numbers are reshaping the world we live inTrade Review'A new and compelling argument for why so many institutions continue to be spellbound by rankings and metrics - despite the cultural carnage they cause in schools, hospitals, universities, corporations and governmental agencies. How can we halt this 'death by audit' craze that has swept through modern society like a deadly virus? In this thought provoking book, the authors develop a radical agenda that will strike fear into number-loving technocrats around the world.' -- Peter Fleming, author of 'Dark Academia: How Universities Die''If you want to go and see a film, choose a university or find the best restaurant, you are likely to consult some sort of ranking ... In this timely work, Shore and Wright ask us to question this contemporary common sense and the market managerialism that lies behind it. Can we imagine a world without audit, one in which our choices are not counted, and trust does not rely on numbers?' -- Professor Martin Parker, University of Bristol Business School'The expansion of audits, indicators and rankings has become a pressing issue for governance and democracy. Cris Shore and Susan Wright build on decades of work to provide a powerful and definitive critical diagnosis of the effects of this audit culture on individuals, public organisations and society. Their book should be essential reading for scholars and policy makers.' -- Michael Power, Professor of Accounting, London School of Economics and Political Science'A visionary book. Two anthropologists piece together a global jigsaw: how for 25 years practices of accountability have been transforming almost every aspect of organisational and personal life. A brilliantly lucid, vigorously argued critique, clear-eyed about the structures that undermine us.' -- Marilyn Strathern, Emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsList of Figures Abbreviations Acknowledgements Series Preface Preface 1. Introduction: Audit Culture and the New World (Dis)Order 2. Rankings as Populist Project: Governing by Numbers and Hollowing out Democracy 3. The Big Four Accountancy Firms and the Evolution of Contemporary Capitalism 4. Global Governance through Standards, Seduction and Soft Power 5. Metrics, Managerialism and Market Making: Unlocking Value in Healthcare 6. Reforming Higher Education: The Kafkaesque Pursuit of ‘World Class’ Status 7. The New Subjects of Audit: Performance Management and Quantified Selves 8. Conclusion: Repurposing Audit – Restoring Trust, Accountability and Democracy Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHal Abelson is Class of 1922 Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at MIT, and an IEEE Fellow. He has helped drive innovative educational technology initiatives such MIT OpenCourseWare, co-founded Creative Commons and Public Knowledge, and was founding director of the Free Software Foundation. Ken Ledeen, Chairman/CEO of Nevo Technologies, is a serial entrepreneur who has served on the boards of numerous technology companies. Harry Lewis, former Dean of Harvard College and of Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, is Gordon McKay Research Professor of Computer Science at Harvard and Faculty Associate of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. He is author of Excellence Without a Soul: Does Liberal Education Have a Future? and editor of Ideas that Created the Future: Classic Papers of Computer Science. Wendy Seltzer is Counsel and Strategy Lead at the World Wide Web CTable of ContentsPreface xvii Chapter 1 Digital Explosion Why Is It Happening, and What Is at Stake? 1 The Explosion of Bits, and Everything Else 4 The Koans of Bits 7 Good and Ill, Promise and Peril 17 Endnotes 19 Chapter 2 Naked in the Sunlight Privacy Lost, Privacy Abandoned 21 1984 Is Here, and We Like It 21 Location, Location, Location 27 Big Brother, Abroad and in the United States 32 The Internet of Things 42 Endnotes 48 Chapter 3 Who Owns Your Privacy? The Commercialization of Personal Data 51 What Kind of Vegetable Are You? 51 Footprints and Fingerprints 57 Fair Information Practice Principles 64 Always On 70 Endnotes 71 Chapter 4 Gatekeepers Who's in Charge Here? 75 Who Controls the Flow of Bits? 75 The Open Internet? 76 Connecting the Dots: Designed for Sharing and Survival 79 The Internet Has No Gatekeepers? 85 Links Gatekeepers: Getting Connected 86 Search Gatekeepers: If You Can't Find It, Does It Exist? 94 Social Gatekeepers: Known by the Company You Keep 104 Endnotes 112 Chapter 5 Secret Bits How Codes Became Unbreakable 117 Going Dark 117 Historical Cryptography 122 Lessons for the Internet Age 131 Secrecy Changes Forever 135 Cryptography Unsettled 147 Endnotes 148 Chapter 6 Balance Toppled Who Owns the Bits? 153 Stealing Music 153 Automated Crimes, Automated Justice 155 The Peer-to-Peer Upheaval 160 No Commercial Skipping 167 Authorized Use Only 168 Forbidden Technology 172 Copyright Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance 177 The Limits of Property 183 Endnotes 187 Chapter 7 You Can't Say That on the Internet Guarding the Frontiers of Digital Expression 193 Child Sex Trafficking Goes Digital 193 Publisher or Distributor? 198 Protecting Good Samaritans—and a Few Bad Ones 205 Digital Protection, Digital Censorship, and Self-Censorship 215 What About Social Media? 219 Takedowns 221 Endnotes 222 Chapter 8 Bits in the Air Old Metaphors, New Technologies, and Free Speech 227 Censoring the Candidate 227 How Broadcasting Became Regulated 228 The Path to Spectrum Deregulation 241 The Most Beautiful Inventor in the World 245 What Does the Future Hold for Radio? 255 Endnotes 261 Chapter 9 The Next Frontier AI and the Bits World of the Future 265 Thrown Under a Jaywalking Bus 266 What's Intelligent About Artificial Intelligence? 267 Machine Learning: I'll Figure It Out 268 Algorithmic Decisions: I Thought Only People Could Do That 273 What's Next 277 Bits Lighting Up the World 282 A Few Bits in Conclusion 287 Endnotes 288 Index 293

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times 'Best Thing I Read This Year' LONGLISTED FOR THE FT & MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDGoogle. Amazon. Facebook. The modern world is defined by vast digital monopolies turning ever-larger profits. Those of us who consume the content that feeds them are farmed for the purposes of being sold ever more products and advertising. Those that create the content – the artists, writers and musicians – are finding they can no longer survive in this unforgiving economic landscape. But it didn’t have to be this way. In Move Fast and Break Things, Jonathan Taplin offers a succinct and powerful history of how online life began to be shaped around the values of the entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Larry Page who founded these all-powerful companies. Their unprecedented growth came at the heavy cost of tolerating piracy of books, music and film, while at the same time promoting opaque business practices and subordinating the privacy of individual users to create the surveillance marketing monoculture in which we now live.It is the story of a massive reallocation of revenue in which $50 billion a year has moved from the creators and owners of content to the monopoly platforms. With this reallocation of money comes a shift in power. Google, Facebook and Amazon now enjoy political power on par with Big Oil and Big Pharma, which in part explains how such a tremendous shift in revenues from creators to platforms could have been achieved and why it has gone unchallenged for so long.And if you think that’s got nothing to do with you, their next move is to come after your jobs. Move Fast and Break Things is a call to arms, to say that is enough is enough and to demand that we do everything in our power to create a different future.Trade ReviewTaplin wields his axe mercilessly...by the end of this book you will agree with Taplin that the tech firms are abusing their monopoly power to rip us off and debase our culture - breaking the world as he sees it...It is time for consumers to break back. This manifesto is a punchy start. * The Sunday Times *A bracing, unromantic account of how the internet was captured…Move Fast and Break Things is a timely and useful book * The Observer *Taplin is angry as hell about the immense size and power of the tech giants, and has a compelling pitch for why we should all be worried too * The Evening Standard *Comprehensive…Where Taplin excels is by putting all this into the context of the changing global economy * The Times *A new analysis of the dark side of the digital revolution...Taplin goes beyond familiar critiques * Financial Times *Taplin’s sense of outrage is palpable and his case is often compelling * The Guardian *A radical remedy * The Economist *A nuanced look at the downside of what is glibly tossed around as "disruption" by various cyber-messianic blowhards. Taplin is hunting big game; it is his contention that the giants of the cyberworld-from Google to Amazon-are threats to the fundamental foundations of democracy and that they also cement inequality into our systems in new and dangerous ways * Esquire *Jonathan Taplin's Move Fast and Break Things argues that the radical libertarian ideology and monopolistic greed of many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs helped to decimate the livelihoods of musicians and is now undermining the communal idealism of the early internet * Walter Isaacson, New York Times Book Review *Mr Taplin brings an informed perspective to his task * Wall Street Journal *Jonathan Taplin's new book could not be more timely. Twenty years after the initial euphoria of the Web, ten years after the invention of social media, it's time to stop breaking things and start thinking seriously about the new habitat we're creating. Move Fast and Break Things provides a blueprint for a future that humans can live in * Frank Rose, author of The Art of Immersion *Move Fast and Break Things goes on my bookshelf beside a few other indispensable signposts in the maze of life in the 21st Century--The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul, The Image by Daniel Boorstin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin, The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan, The Media Monopoly by Ben Bagdikian, Christ and the Media by Malcolm Muggeridge, and Future Shock by Alvin Toffler. I pray the deepest and highest prayer I can get to that this clarion warning is heeded. The survival of our species is at stake * T Bone Burnett, Oscar-Winning Songwriter, soundtrack and record producer *Jonathan Taplin's Move Fast and Break Things, a rock and roll memoir cum internet history cum artists' manifesto, provides a bracing antidote to corporate triumphalism - and a reminder that musicians and writers need a place at the tech table and, more to the point, a way to make a decent living * Jeffrey Toobin, author of American Heiress *A powerful argument for reducing inequality and revolutionizing how we use the Web for the benefit of the many rather than the few * Kirkus Review *Jonathan Taplin, more than anyone I know, can articulate the paralyzing complexities that have arisen from the intertwining of the tech and music industries. He counters the catastrophic implications for musicians with solutions and inspiration for a renaissance. He shows the way for artists to reclaim and reinvent subversion, rather than be in servitude to Big Tech. Every musician and every creator should read this book. * Rosanne Cash, Grammy-winning Singer and Songwriter *An absolute must-read for anyone who wants to gain a little savvy in the internet era * Newsweek *Insightful.... Taplin provides a keen, thorough look at the present and future of Americans' lives as influenced and manipulated by the technological behemoths on which they've come to depend. His work is certainly food for thought * Publishers Weekly *A breakthrough, must-read book… a tour de force—a compelling, story-driven work focusing on the handful of men who have shaped and essentially taken over the massive tech industry. Along the way, Taplin tells his own personal story with charm and insight. If you want to understand what has happened to our country and where tech will take us in the era of Trump, put aside some time to read this book. It will take your breath away * Alternet *Jonathan Taplin's excellent new book explains exactly how Google, Facebook and Amazon are undermining democratic institutions, accelerating the rise of oligarchy...and destroying both cultural and economic opportunities for millions of people. * The Chicago Tribune *

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