Subjects:  1. Communication    2. Computer Industry    3. Computers - General Information    4. Economic aspects    5. Information society    6. Information technology    7. Language    8. Language Arts & Disciplines    9. Social aspects    10. Sociology    11. Technology And Social Change    12. Texas    13. Industry & Industrial Studies    14. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication   

Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. History & Theory - General    3. Information Technology    4. Internet in public administrat    5. Internet in public administration    6. Mass Communication Media And Politics    7. Political Ideologies - Democracy    8. Political aspects    9. Political participation    10. Politics - Current Events    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Science/Mathematics    13. Social Aspects    14. Technology    15. Technology And Social Change    16. Impact of computing & IT on society    17. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication    18. Political structures: democracy    19. Systems analysis & design   

Reviews (1)

Future Leadership Styles
The first serveral chapters were excellent.Many of the later chapters were so-so.Presents a vision of where the Army needs to go with leadership.Thesis is that leadership will not be replaced by a digitized army but will become more important than ever.Calls for new paradigms in the way senior leaders lead. Although not directed at business leadership, I believe the underlying principles apply.Despite all its problems, once properly motivated, no organization can go from zero to lightspeed faster than the army.This book examines how to develop future organizational structure and leadership to do just that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Army    2. Decision making    3. Leadership    4. Leadership In Business    5. Management    6. Military Science    7. Organization Theory    8. Organizational change    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Sociology    11. Technology    12. Technology & Industrial Arts    13. United States    14. Organizational theory & behaviour    15. Technology / Military Science   

Reviews (1)

wow!
this book completely details the workings of micro-chips.i love it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Addresses and essays    2. Computers    3. Computers And Society    4. Computers and civilization    5. Social aspects    6. Sociology    7. Technology And Social Change    8. Telecommunications   

Reviews (1)

sociological trends in Europe
Assessing the impact of interrelating social patterns in an everchanging and dynamic environment like Europe can turn to a challenging task.This books pinpoints to the need for approaching the technological phenomenonand how it affects the social context.Illustrative and scientific study oftrends and practices can guide the reader to unknown fields of sociologicalforces within Europe. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Sociology    3. Technology And Social Change   

Editorial Review

The profound effects of technology on society occur mostly without our say-so, much less our blessing. People tend to take the changes technology brings about for granted; we are seldom, if ever, given a say choosing the technologies that become part of our everyday lives. Arguing that it need not be so, Sclove makes a case for cultivating "strong democracy," giving communities a say in choosing which technologies they will live with. This involves making people aware of the unintended consequences that accompany technology designed for a specific narrow purpose. One of his models is the Amish community, which holds town meetings to discuss the effect of introducing any innovation. Is the bringing of indoor plumbing to every home in a village universally desirable if it may atomize a thriving community? Should we allow loud car alarms to keep our cars safe? Why is that such decisions tend to be made ad hoc by individuals instead of by the community? Sclove's idealistic program is provocative. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Technology is not a force of nature.
An excellent supplement to this book is GIVING UP THE GUN: Japan's Reversion to the Sword, 1543-1879, by Noel Perrin.Both works argue effectively that the technologies we use are the results of human choices, not the products of forces beyond human control.Sclove and Fuller make an important case, namely, that the direction of technology must be democratically determined.Not a "quick read," DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY definitely is a vital one ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Political aspects    2. Political science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Social aspects    5. Technology    6. Technology And Social Change    7. Impact of science & technology on society    8. Political science & theory    9. Technology / Social Aspects   

Subjects:  1. History    2. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    3. Sociology    4. Technology And Social Change    5. Television - General    6. Television Broadcasting    7. Television programs    8. United States   

Subjects:  1. Economic aspects    2. Information Industries (Economic Aspects)    3. Information Technology    4. Information policy    5. Information society    6. Social Science    7. Social aspects    8. Sociology    9. Sociology - General    10. Sociology - Social Theory    11. Technology And Social Change    12. Central government policies    13. Cultural studies    14. Impact of computing & IT on society    15. Impact of science & technology on society    16. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Subjects:  1. Friction    2. Future Studies    3. Life    4. Metaphysics    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Sociology - General    8. Speculative Philosophy    9. Technology And Social Change    10. Cultural studies    11. Philosophy & theory of psychology   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Information Technology    3. Social Science    4. Social aspects    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - General    7. Technology & Industrial Arts    8. Technology And Social Change    9. Technology and civilization    10. Telecommunication    11. Cultural studies    12. Impact of science & technology on society    13. Information technology industries    14. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication    15. Media studies   

Subjects:  1. Adult & Continuing Education    2. Business and education    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. General    6. Social aspects    7. Social change    8. Technology    9. Education / Adult & Continuing Education    10. Industrial or vocational training   

Reviews (29)

Middle Management
Middle management is vulnerable to job loss in the event of restructuring.Typically a reconfigured company sheds forty percent of its jobs.The computer revolution is most pronounced in the manufacturing sector.A world with fewer and fewer workers is a disturbing trend.
A rather poor effort
I often enjoy reading books written trying to read the future that are several years old. If only to see why the writer was right or wrong and where he went wrong.
Food For Thought For Our Future
Some reviewers see this book as a "gloom'n'doom" "Malthusian" feeding of technophobia, but I disagree.Look at the news - reports of job losses despite increased productivity and corporate profits are not going to go away.Technological advances make this an inevitability.What Rifkin ultimately questions is how we deal with that - we could either head towards great social upheavals because of mass unemployment leading to people being unable to provide for their own basic needs, or we could enjoy a cultural and social rebirth where people are free from wage slavery and are free to pursue meaningful and fulfilling endeavors.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Economics - Theory    3. Labor    4. Social Aspects    5. Sociology    6. Technological unemployment    7. Technology And Social Change    8. Unemployment    9. Business & Economics / General    10. Economic forecasting    11. Economic theory & philosophy    12. Labour economics   

Reviews (2)

Impact of Changing Technology on Employment
This book discusses the links between technological change and employment levels in developed countries, with an emphasis on Australia. Barry Jones introduces a five-part economic analysis to assist analysis of employment levels, as well as a good analysis of historical impacts of technology. The book also delves into the question of what we will do when the need to work declines as technology displaces more workers. Written in a very erudite style, with thorough referencing. A book everyone should read if they are at all concerned about having to work for a living. Now available in a 4th edition, which you should look at for the latest data.

Future directions for information based economies
Barry Jones's thesis about revolutionary changes in the labour force, Sleepers, Wake! was originally published in 1982 and is now in its fourth edition.Jones explores the impact and future implications of the Information technology revolution on the labour market and society in general. The very fact that this book has endured the test of time provides a good indication as to the strength of Jones's analysis. An immensely stimulating and thought provoking read ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Australia    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Effect of technological innova    4. Effect of technological innovations on    5. Employment And Technological Change    6. General    7. Labor supply    8. Sociology    9. Human-computer interaction    10. Information technology industries    11. Political science & theory   

Subjects:  1. Communication    2. Information Technology    3. Language    4. Language Arts & Disciplines    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Social aspects    7. Technology And Social Change    8. Telecommunications    9. Videotex systems    10. Impact of science & technology on society    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication    12. Postal & telecommunications industries    13. Sociology, Social Studies   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. General    4. Social aspects    5. Technological innovations    6. Technology    7. Technology And Public Policy    8. Technology And Social Change    9. United States    10. Impact of science & technology on society    11. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (3)

An important contribution to information society studies
When, in 1983, the authors of this erudite volume began to reflect on theconcept of the information society, they noted that its `high visibility1was belied by its `indistinct content as an academic concern1. The conceptwas to become even more prominent over the next few years, to the extentthat it became spoken of as a new paradigm, a new way of interpreting thesocial world. Regrettably, confusion over the nature of the informationsociety did not diminish: if anything, it increased. In Tendencies andTensions of the Information Age: The Production and Distribution ofInformation in the United States, however, Jorge Schement and Terry Curtishave done much for the cause of disambiguation. An important contribution to information society studies
When, in 1983, the authors of this erudite volume began to reflect on theconcept of the information society, they noted that its `high visibility1was belied by its `indistinct content as an academic concern1. The conceptwas to become even more prominent over the next few years, to the extentthat it became spoken of as a new paradigm, a new way of interpreting thesocial world. Regrettably, confusion over the nature of the informationsociety did not diminish: if anything, it increased. In Tendencies andTensions of the Information Age: The Production and Distribution ofInformation in the United States, however, Jorge Schement and Terry Curtishave done much for the cause of disambiguation. An important contribution to information society studies
When, in 1983, the authors of this erudite volume began to reflect on theconcept of the information society, they noted that its `high visibility1was belied by its `indistinct content as an academic concern1. The conceptwas to become even more prominent over the next few years, to the extentthat it became spoken of as a new paradigm, a new way of interpreting thesocial world. Regrettably, confusion over the nature of the informationsociety did not diminish: if anything, it increased. In Tendencies andTensions of the Information Age: The Production and Distribution ofInformation in the United States, however, Jorge Schement and Terry Curtishave done much for the cause of disambiguation. Read more

Subjects:  1. Computers    2. Computers and civilization    3. Information society    4. Mass Communication    5. Reference    6. Social aspects    7. Technology And Social Change    8. United States    9. Impact of science & technology on society    10. Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication    11. Media studies    12. Sociology, Social Studies   

Subjects:  1. Communication    2. Communication (General)    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computers    5. Information Storage & Retrieval    6. Information Technology    7. Information society    8. Questions & Answers    9. Reference    10. Social aspects    11. Technological innovations    12. Technology And Social Change    13. Telematics   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Asia - General    3. China    4. Economic aspects    5. History    6. History: World    7. Technological innovations    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Technology And Social Change    10. Telecommunications    11. Telegraph    12. Cultural studies    13. History / Asia    14. Impact of science & technology on society    15. Media, information & communication industries    16. Social history    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Biotechnology    2. Cybernetics    3. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    4. Popular Culture    5. Popular Culture - General    6. Social Science    7. Social aspects    8. Sociology    9. Sociology - General    10. Technology    11. Technology And Social Change   

Reviews (3)

Better than Ambien...
This was required reading back when I was a college freshman for all english 101 classes.
I think it was an interesting book about scientist
This book was very interlectial and extreamly facinating. I throughly enjoyed readin this book about a scientist that gets lost in the city. My mum,dad,brothers,uncles,aunts also liked this book because I lent it tothem all.

Well-written summary of how technology makes cities work
Book Report:A Scientist in the City, by James Trefil I picked up this book because the title intrigued me.I found it a well written and layperson-friendly explanation of the technology that makes cities possible and what that technology is likely to enable in the future.Trefil is an author that one feels a connection with quickly-he is a very beguiling storyteller. This book is not about social issues.It is about the materials and building blocks of cities.Trefil discusses materials, such as wood, brick, concrete, steel and glass.He investigates what holds buildings up and what conspires to tear them down.(The real challenge for a modern skyscraper, for example, is not collapse, but wind.)Moving people, energy and information around are city factors he visits at length. Sound boring?Its not.For example, he discusses how most of the glass manufactured in the U.S. today is made by a process called floating."Glass is melted, then poured onto a pool of molten tin.The glass floats on the metal, hence the name of the process.Near the furnace, the glass is heated from above to keep it fluid, and as a result it flows into a uniform thin sheet. . . This process has the advantage of never having the glass come into contact with rollers, so that it doesn't have to be ground or polished after it comes out of the furnace."I have no earthly idea what I will ever need that information for, but I find it absolutely fascinating. Cool as that part is, Trefil goes on to discuss the future he believes most likely.He foresees that the Edge City pollution problems can be solved by electric cars and better recycling, but the congestion issues will need the information economy to remove the need to commute at all.New suburbs will stretch farther into the country, enabled by high-speed magnetic levitation trains.(Most people, it develops, adhere to the `Rule of 45'-not commuting longer than 45 minutes.) I find this book thought-provoking, informative, and readable-in-an-airplane.Here are some of excerpts I found interesting: *"The kind of cities we build depend on our understanding of the natural world-what we call science-and on our ability to turn that understanding to our own ends-what we call technology." *"A city is a natural system, and we can study it in the same way we study other natural systems and how they got to be the way they are."He notes that an ecosystem is a place that supports the existence of niches, where energy flows through, where materials tend to move in cycles, and is not static. *"[With respect to plastics] we seem to be filling 10 percent of our dumps with carbon chains taken from deep reservoirs of oil and coal around the world, used briefly, and then reburied." *"I know of no better way to illustrate the essential unity of nature than to note that the amount of traffic the Golden Gate bridge supports and the height reached by the tree outside your window are governed by the same law." * "What good is this device?Mr. Prime Minister, someday you will be able to tax it.(Physicist Michael Faraday, on the first electrical generator)" * "Improving efficiency doesn't produce radical changes in the structure of a society.It just allows people to go on doing what they've been doing all along.It is in . . . the development of new ways of producing energy-that the real potential for change lies." * "In a sense, then, the bedroom suburb filled with people who worked in the central city was a transitory phase in the automobile-driven expansion of American cities.Within a few decades of the time that workers began moving to the suburbs, the jobs moved to be near them.City planners and intellectuals still haven't grasped this fact, nor has the reality of what's going on the outskirts of American cities penetrated the national consciousness.The central feature of what Joel Garreau calls Edge Cities is that a combination of personal mobility (supplied by the automobile) and a new kind of industry (based on information technology and the microchip) has spawned a metropolis characterized by a network of work centers, or nodes, of which the centralized city is only one.In such a system, people live in the development between the nodes and commute to work in them, not necessarily into the central city." * "No sooner had telegraph lines been spread around the world in the late 1800s than what analysts call a killer technology came on the scene.A killer technology is one that completely replaces (kills) an old way of doing things, as cars replaced horse-drawn carriages and transistors replaced vacuum tubes.In this case, the killer technology was the telephone." * "The history of our ability to control matter, energy, and information leads, it seems to me, to an interesting hypothesis:There are no longer any technological limits on the kinds of cities we can build." * "There are two great hurdles to an urban future dominated by the construction of edge cities.One is the pollution associated with the widespread use of automobiles; the other is the congestion resulting from the need for constant traffic between nodes.Both these problems must be dealt with to make this sort of future possible." * "Astronomer Robert Wood and I once calculatedthat the market value of materials in a single asteroid 10 miles across exceeds the total national debt of the United States.If the asteroids turn out to be an exploitable resource, then the first permanent residents in space may be miners, as were the first Europeans in the American West." Chip Saltsman (chip.saltsman@ey.com) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. City and town life    2. City life    3. Environmental Engineering & Technology    4. General    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Social aspects    7. Sociology    8. Sociology - Urban    9. Technology    10. Technology And Social Change    11. Urban Sociology    12. Popular science    13. Social Science / Sociology / Urban