Making The Information Society - Experience, Consequences And Possibilities

-- How we have embedded technology in work, play, religion, and every significant aspect of our daily lives.

-- What's likely to happen next: the perspective of a leading historian and IBM technology consultant.

In Making the Information Society, James Cortada offers a profound new perspective on the meaning of the information age in today's society. He steps back from the hurly-burly of the Internet, current technological advance, and stock market churn, viewing the broad sweep of change related to information technology, and the unparalleled impact of information on our lives. This book takes on the big questions: How did the information revolution happen? What are its roots? And what does it mean to our lives -- as citizens, family members, and businesspeople? Cortada demonstrates how the values and behavior of the information age are firmly rooted in hundreds of years of Western culture, showing why the information revolution took root in America first -- and why Americans have been uniquely receptive to its promises. He then shows American creativity at work, leveraging information technology in every slice of life, from work to play to religion. Finally, he offers an informed, thoughtful preview of what's likely to happen next, as the information age continues to evolve at breakneck speed. This book is a companion to the successful A Nation Transformed by Information: How Information has Shaped the United States from Colonial Times to Present, by James Cortada and Pulitzer Prize winner Alfred Chandler.