A Network Orange: Logic And Responsibility In The Computer Age

"The Virtual Goliath" provides a compelling argument that the emergence of computers as an elemental force in our modern society must be viewed with a skeptical--and sometimes negative--eye. Crandall and Levich, one a mathematician and a scientist, the other a philosopher and proponent of the liberal arts, present a balanced viewpoint of both sides of this phenomenon.

The primary thesis of this book lies in the authors belief that the emergence of computers as an elemental force in our modern society must be viewed with sceptical - and sometimes negative - eye. Crandall and Levich, one a mathematician and scientist, the other a philosopher and proponent of the liberal arts, strive, however, to present a balanced viewpoint of both sides of this phenomenon, investigating and reflecting on the good and bad sides of this revolution, and seek meaning in this "Information Age." Their examination is performed in a manner divested of journalistic hyperbole, the incantations of self-serving oracular futurists, and the sales pitches of the software and hardware industries. This book explores those topics which constitute the underpinnings of the "Information Age," and asks two questions: 1.) Is the software, and hardware, of which our computers are made, capable of doing everything their enthusiasts would have us believe they can do?, and 2.) Will advances in these technologies be beneficial to the society in which they have become such an integral part? In separating the wheat from the chaff, the authors' goal is to provide readers with a much better understanding of the limitations of these new technologies, along with propositions for better use and implementation of them within the societal context.