Description
Book SynopsisComputers have dramatically altered life in the late twentieth century. Today we can draw on worldwide computer links, speeding up communications by radio, newspapers, and television. Ideas fly back and forth and circle the globe at the speed of electricity. And just around the corner lurks full-blown virtual reality, in which we will be able to immerse ourselves in a computer simulation not only of the actual physical world, but of any imagined world. As we begin to move in and out of a computer-generated world, Michael Heim asks, how will the way we perceive our world change? In The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality, Heim considers this and other philosophical issues of the Information Age. With an eye for the dark as well as the bright side of computer technology, he explores the logical and historical origins of our computer-generated world and speculates about the future direction of our computerized lives. He discusses such topics as the effect of word-processing on the English lang
Trade Reviewaccessible essays from the self-appointed philosopher of virtual reality * I-D *
Heim's blend of Western logic, Eastern Mysticism and California grass may amount to a minor classic for PC-users--Zen and the art of Macintosh maintenance. These essays are full of good vibes. * Modern Review *
