From Book News, Inc.
With chapters arranged from to popular culture writer Andrew Calcutt shows how paradoxical aspects of the Internet reflect contradictions underlying all of society. His essays on the technological and social aspects of the Internet are permeated by an optimism about the state of humankind. Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR


Review
“A sophisticated and readable survey of the myriad facets of cyber-culture.” —Future Survey

“This is a marvelous book for use in both graduate and undergraduate courses in media and society, new technologies, or urban anthropology.” —Communication Booknotes Quarterly



Book Description
Going beyond recent attempts to pigeonhole the information revolution as either the information highway to utopia or the devil's own dystopia, this book cuts through the furor surrounding the Internet and shows how the paradoxical aspects of new media are an expression of the inherent contradictions underlying society as a whole. Andrew Calcutt is an enthusiastic champion of the potential for new communications technology and a trenchant critic of the culture of fear and self-limitation which prevents its realization. At a time when events and social processes are often assumed to be beyond our control, he seeks to accentuate the positive capabilities of human beings and the technologies which we have created.



About the Author
Andrew Calcutt is a commentator on cyberculture for various magazines and commissioning editor for the Web-content provider Cyberia Online.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Born out of frustration with recent attempts to pigeon-hole 'the information revolution' as either the i-way to utopia or the devil's own dystopia, White Noise: an A-Z of the contradictions in cyberculture cuts through the vapourware surrounding the Internet and shows how the paradoxical aspects of new media (Is it masculine or feminine? Will it mean peace or war? Does it enhance community or confirm alienation?) are the expression of the inherent contradictions underlying our whole society. Andrew Calcutt is an enthusiastic champion of the potential for new communications technology, and a trenchant critic of the culture of fear and self-limitation which prevents its realization. Above all, at a time when events and social processes are often assumed to be beyond our control, he seeks to accentuate the positive capabilities of human beings and the technologies which we have created.

FROM THE CRITICS

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