Authors Lee Rainie and Barry Wellman provide an
optimistic counter-argument to naysayers who claim that new communication
technologies are destroying human communities. Networked: The New Social
Operating System, begins with the story of a couple in need who were aided by
both their in-person and online social networks, proving that, while
communication technologies have altered many aspects of communication, they
have not impeded human compassion. Rainie and Wellman attribute changes in
modern relationships to what they define as the Triple Revolution. The Triple
Revolution consists of the Social Network Revolution (changes in organized
human interaction), the Internet Revolution, and the Mobile Revolution. The
authors give a brief history of each before explaining how all three come
together and shape how relationships are built and maintained. The book ends
with a discussion of how readers can best use all aspects of the triple
revolution in their own interactions. Networked is a great read for both technology
and sociology lovers!
Reviewed by Amelia Robert
The allusion to time travel in the title of this book is
metaphorical, not literal; this wording refers to the fact that, since our view
of distant stars is limited by the speed of light, astronomers (and others
looking into the night sky) are "time-travelers" because they can see
the past. This book refers back to this concept repeatedly as it discusses both
the current state of the universe and its origins.
As the book goes on, its discussions become more
technical and scientific, which may make it difficult to understand for the
layman reader; additionally, the ubiquitous footnotes scattered throughout the
text often act to further confuse the reader rather than to clear up
potentially unclear concepts. However, this does not mean that the book is not
worth a look unless you already know a great deal about the sciences. The
frequent images (both pictures and phrases) found within the book can help
restore clarity and understanding at times when the reader might otherwise lose
track of the big picture. The book also
includes brief vignettes at the beginning and end of each chapter which act to
summarize how various places and times within the universe would be experienced
by an onlooker. Overall, despite the occasional delving into scientific jargon,
this book acts as a quality and thorough overview of the universe as it is now
and as it once was, and is worth a look by anybody interested in such ideas
regardless of one's pre-existing scientific knowledge.
Reviewed by Melissa Joens
Last Modified on 1/24/2014