Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #656406 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Castells, best known for his three-volume study The Information Age (Blackwell), an analysis of societal changes wrought by communications advances, trims that work to appeal to readers who were daunted by its 1,200 pages, $80 paperback price and ponderous prose. In this excellent, readable, nontechnical summary of the history, social implications and likely future of Internet business, Castells, professor of planning and of sociology at Berkeley, covers institutions like the World Wide Web Consortium, which "presides over the protocols and development" of the Web, and phenomena like the Internet's immense ability to simultaneously liberate and exclude. There are still too many sentences like "It is fair to say that most hackers live normal lives, at least as normal as most people, which does not necessarily mean that hackers (or anybody else) fit into the ideal type of normalcy, conforming to the dominant ideology in our societies," leaving readers wondering if hackers' lives are normal or not, and whether he's trying to give a sociological side lesson. Those willing to overlook such prosodic lapses will appreciate the astute accounts of, e.g., the complications for early grassroots online citizen networks headed by community activists, but seen by many as an opportunity to move beyond their local community.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Based on the author's Clarendon Lectures in Management at Oxford University, this work focuses on the Internet and the future of networked societies. More specifically, Castells (sociology, Univ. of California, Berkeley; The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture) examines cultures spawned by the Internet as well as the Internet's effects on culture. He provides balanced coverage of e-business and the new economy; the politics of the Internet, including privacy and freedom; and the geography of the Internet. Thereafter, he considers how those topics have influenced the globalization of the Internet and the growing digital divide. This thoroughly researched volume features numerous international examples and statistics that effectively illustrate key points and make the book truly global in scope. With his knack for analyzing contemporary society, Castells has produced a timely book indeed. Including constructive lists of "reading links" and "e-links" at the end of each chapter, the text would serve as a good companion for courses in the social and computer sciences. Highly recommended for academic libraries. Colleen Cuddy, New York Univ. Sch. of Medicine Lib.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Attempting an academic survey of the internet is an heroic task ... Manuel Castells is better placed than most to attempt such an undertaking, and pulls it off with verve and clarity. RSA Journal Authoritative guide to the origins of the internet, how it is affecting every area of human life, and its business applications. Sunday Times Books of the Year 2001 This small but complete volume is a critical introduction to internet-related theories, while doubling as a simplified reader on his own ideas. The book should help to spread his influence beyond the faithful. Prospect The Internet Galaxy is the best attempt by a big thinker to grapple with the net's long-term implications for our society. Mark Leonard, New Statesman The Internet is shaping society and in turn being shaped by society. It takes a scholar of Manuel Castells's range to do justice to this phenomenon. His book is learned without being pompous, and insightful without being impenetrable. If we ever get a discipline of Internet studies, this will be one of its founding texts. John Naughton, author of A Brief History of the Future: The Origins of the Internet Manuel Castells has proved once again that he has an unmatched synoptic capacity to make sense of the complexities of a networked world, and here writes with clarity and insight about everything from the history of the technology to the subcultures that have done so much to shape it. Geoff Mulgan, author of Communications and Control and Connexity Director of the Performance and Innovation Unit, The Cabinet Office and head of the Prime Minister's Forward Strategy Unit Thoroughly researched and truly global in scope. Castells provides balanced covergae of e-business and the new economy: the politics of the Internet, including privacy and freedom: and the geography of the Internet. Highly recommended for academic libraries. Library Journal [An] excellent, readable, nontechnical summary of the history, social implications and likely future of Internet business. Publishers Weekly Castells is probably the world's most highly regarded commentator on the information age and new economic order. Management Today: Guru Guide Adam Smith explained how capitalism worked, and Karl Marx explained why it didn't. Now the social and economic relations of the Information Age have been captured by Manuel Castells. The Wall Street Journal A readable, articulate and persuasive account of why the internet's most powerful impacts on the shape of business, politics and society may be yet to come. Castells is the nearest thing the internet has to a founding philosopher. Charles Leadbetter - Financial Times

Customer Reviews

Average
I would recommend the Internet Galaxy to a person who is conducting or going to conduct a research about the Internet because the author provides tons of information in depth which could be a good background for that person. This could be a huge source of reference as well. Some chapter is interesting such as the Culture of the Internet that let us know more about the characteristic of network society (some context you can just skip it). Some chapter is up to date and it may refer to the current issue such as Digital Divide or is the Internet the end of privacy? You may find an answer here. Some chapter is too redundant and not necessary to know for some students. For someone who is really interested in what the Internet impacts us, this book could raise some points for you to further think or question about. However, if you just want to know superficially what the Internet is or what it is used nowadays I suggest to find another easy-reading Internet dummy book.

A bunch of common sense
After reading through Internet Galaxy by Manuel Castells all I got out of it was some fancy lingo. There are so many new tech terms in this book that it was hard to understand at times. I am sure that this is great research and it is a well written book, but I got very little out of it. For the most part it was common sense and repetitive. If I were looking for something to put me to sleep or new nothing about the internet I would read this book.

Too Much Redundant Info and in need of a serious update
I felt like Castell's book was a bit dry and in need of some serious updating. Since the first version of this book came out 2001, a great deal has changed with the Internet. A lot of the information is common knowledge now. Although there was a great amount of detail, it seemed redundant and obvious. The chapters on the creation of the Internet and it's history were the most painful to read through (chapter 1-2). The information on how the Internet is used appropriately (chapter 3 on e-business) and how it is misused were interesting (ie people misrepresenting themselves in chat rooms, chap. 4 and 6). The fact that the geography reaches many different people in different countries was definitely not needed. This is just one example of common knowledge. The fact that communication may be going down hill in the fact that more people communicate now through e-mail rather than merely speaking to one another is another observation, thanks to Captain Obvious, Castells. As I stated previously, I would be interested in seeing an updated version of this book and a comparision of how things have changed since this book was first written. Out of 5 stars, I would give it 1 1/2, at best.