
Description
In Rewire, media scholar and activist Ethan Zuckerman explains why the technological ability to communicate with someone does not inevitably lead to increased human connection. At the most basic level, our human tendency to "flock together" means that most of our interactions, online or off, are with a small set of people with whom we have much in common. In examining this fundamental tendency, Zuckerman draws on his own work as well as the latest research in psychology and sociology to consider technology's role in disconnecting ourselves from the rest of the world.
For those who seek a wider picture--a picture now critical for survival in an age of global economic crises and pandemics--Zuckerman highlights the challenges, and the headway already made, in truly connecting people across cultures. From voracious xenophiles eager to explore other countries to bridge figures who are able to connect one culture to another, people are at the center of his vision for a true kind of cosmopolitanism. And it is people who will shape a new approach to existing technologies, and perhaps invent some new ones, that embrace translation, cross-cultural inspiration, and the search for new, serendipitous experiences.
Rich with Zuckerman's personal experience and wisdom, Rewire offers a map of the social, technical, and policy innovations needed to more tightly connect the world.
Product Details
Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company |
Publish Date | June 17, 2013 |
Pages | 288 |
Language | English |
Type | |
EAN/UPC | 9780393082838 |
Dimensions | 9.3 X 6.1 X 1.2 inches | 1.3 pounds |
About the Author
Reviews
Ethan Zuckerman is a true cosmopolitan, a citizen of the universe. In Rewire, he describes how our new communications tools allow us to take part in a truly global conversation and why almost none of us actually take advantage of that opportunity.--Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplus and Here Comes Everybody
Ethan Zuckerman is the real deal, a thinker and activist brilliantly connected to what's really happening on the Internet on a genuinely global basis. For those who think the digital era gives them all the information they need, Rewire shows them how much more there is to learn.--Craig Newmark, founder, craigslist and craigconnects
No one is in a better position than MIT and Harvard's Ethan Zuckerman to confront the Internet's failure to connect us across cultures. Zuckerman's astounding range, careful reasoning, and superb storytelling make Rewire an essential and urgent read.--David Weinberger, author of Too Big to Know
One of our most important books on globalization.--Steve O'Keefe "New York Journal of Books"
Weaving a rich tapestry of stories, data, and theories, Rewire challenges many of our core assumptions about globalization and connectedness and how the Internet affects us. It is a book well worth reading.--Yochai Benkler, author of The Penguin and the Leviathan and The Wealth of Networks
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