The Big Switch: Rewiring The World from Edison to Google

Science News,  Jan 26, 2008  

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THE BIG SWITCH: Rewiring the World from Edison to Google NICHOLAS CARR

The computer revolution is well under way. Young people, in particular, have already surpassed their own hard drives. They rely on the latest wave of interactive Web 2.0 initiatives delivered over the Internet--from Facebook to YouTube to Wikipedia. In business, companies that abandoned their file cabinets a decade ago are now discarding their personal computer systems and outsourcing to upstarts that update their information automatically, online. But navigating new territory carries risks. Carr, an economy journalist and author of the controversial book Does IT Matter?, tackles the question of where the computer revolution will lead our economy and our culture. Be forewarned, his outlook is grim: Wealth and power will be concentrated in the hands of a few industries as the "worldwide computer" takes over. Skeptical of apparent progress, Carr reminds us to treasure what we have before we dump our baggage and leap blindly onto the next train. Norton, 2008, 278 p., hardcover, $25.95.

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