Description
Discover the transformative journey of the internet with 'The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is' by Justin Smith. This enlightening book presents a deep history of the internet, revealing the centuries-old utopian dreams that shaped its evolution and the stark realities that currently define it. Many consider the internet an unparalleled triumph of human ingenuity, yet Smith challenges this notion. By exploring the internet’s roots in ancient communication, the invention of the printing press, and the nascent ideas of artificial intelligence, he provides a comprehensive account that intertwines technology with philosophy and environmental consciousness.
This captivating narrative highlights how our digital landscape was influenced by nature and by the intricate relationships of human effort over the ages. With keen insights, the author examines how social media and the global information economy have substantially altered our perceptions of connectivity and information exchange. 'The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is' prompts readers to reassess their understanding of today’s online environments through the lens of intellectual history and natural phenomena.
This book is a must-read for anyone intrigued by internet culture, technology history, and the philosophical implications of our digital age. Equip yourself with a broader perspective on how the internet shapes, and is shaped by, our lives.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Condition: BRAND NEW. ISBN: 9780691241104. Year: 2022. Publisher: Princeton University Press.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691241104
Year: 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
An original deep history of the internet that tells the story of the centuries-old utopian dreams behind it — and explains why they have died today.
Many think of the internet as an unprecedented and overwhelmingly positive achievement of modern human technology. But is it? In The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is, Justin Smith offers an original deep history of the internet, from the ancient to the modern world — uncovering its surprising origins in nature and centuries-old dreams of radically improving human life by outsourcing thinking to machines and communicating across vast distances. Yet, despite the internet’s continuing potential, Smith argues, the utopian hopes behind it have finally died today, killed by the harsh realities of social media, the global information economy, and the attention-destroying nature of networked technology.
Ranging over centuries of the history and philosophy of science and technology, Smith shows how the 'internet' has been with us much longer than we usually think. He draws fascinating connections between internet user experience, artificial intelligence, the invention of the printing press, communication between trees, and the origins of computing in the machine-driven looms of the silk industry. At the same time, he reveals how the internet’s organic structure and development root it in the natural world in unexpected ways that challenge efforts to draw an easy line between technology and nature.
Combining the sweep of intellectual history with the incisiveness of philosophy, The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is cuts through our daily digi
This captivating narrative highlights how our digital landscape was influenced by nature and by the intricate relationships of human effort over the ages. With keen insights, the author examines how social media and the global information economy have substantially altered our perceptions of connectivity and information exchange. 'The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is' prompts readers to reassess their understanding of today’s online environments through the lens of intellectual history and natural phenomena.
This book is a must-read for anyone intrigued by internet culture, technology history, and the philosophical implications of our digital age. Equip yourself with a broader perspective on how the internet shapes, and is shaped by, our lives.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Condition: BRAND NEW. ISBN: 9780691241104. Year: 2022. Publisher: Princeton University Press.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691241104
Year: 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
An original deep history of the internet that tells the story of the centuries-old utopian dreams behind it — and explains why they have died today.
Many think of the internet as an unprecedented and overwhelmingly positive achievement of modern human technology. But is it? In The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is, Justin Smith offers an original deep history of the internet, from the ancient to the modern world — uncovering its surprising origins in nature and centuries-old dreams of radically improving human life by outsourcing thinking to machines and communicating across vast distances. Yet, despite the internet’s continuing potential, Smith argues, the utopian hopes behind it have finally died today, killed by the harsh realities of social media, the global information economy, and the attention-destroying nature of networked technology.
Ranging over centuries of the history and philosophy of science and technology, Smith shows how the 'internet' has been with us much longer than we usually think. He draws fascinating connections between internet user experience, artificial intelligence, the invention of the printing press, communication between trees, and the origins of computing in the machine-driven looms of the silk industry. At the same time, he reveals how the internet’s organic structure and development root it in the natural world in unexpected ways that challenge efforts to draw an easy line between technology and nature.
Combining the sweep of intellectual history with the incisiveness of philosophy, The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is cuts through our daily digi