Everyware: The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing [Paperback]

Adam Greenfield (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321384016 | ISBN-13: 978-0321384010 | Publication Date: March 20, 2006 | Edition: 1st

Ubiquitous computing--almost imperceptible, but everywhere around us--is rapidly becoming a reality. How will it change us? how can we shape its emergence?

Smart buildings, smart furniture, smart clothing... even smart bathtubs. networked street signs and self-describing soda cans. Gestural interfaces like those seen in Minority Report. The RFID tags now embedded in everything from credit cards to the family pet.

All of these are facets of the ubiquitous computing author Adam Greenfield calls "everyware." In a series of brief, thoughtful meditations, Greenfield explains how everyware is already reshaping our lives, transforming our understanding of the cities we live in, the communities we belong to--and the way we see ourselves.

What are people saying about the book?

"Adam Greenfield is intense, engaged, intelligent and caring. I pay attention to him. I counsel you to do the same." --HOWARD RHEINGOLD, AUTHOR, SMART MOBS: THE NEXT SOCIAL REVOLUTION

"A gracefully written, fascinating, and deeply wise book on one of the most powerful ideas of the digital age--and the obstacles we must overcome before we can make ubiquitous computing a reality."--STEVE SILBERMAN, EDITOR, WIRED MAGAZINE

"Adam is a visionary. he has true compassion and respect for ordinary users like me who are struggling to use and understand the new technology being thrust on us at overwhelming speed."--REBECCA MACKINNON, BERKMAN CENTER FOR INTERNET AND SOCIETY, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Everyware is an AIGA Design Press book, published under Peachpit's New Riders imprint in partnership with AIGA.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Adam Greenfield is head of design direction for service and user interface design at Nokia. He was previously an instructor at New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program, where he co-taught a class called Urban Computing. He lives and works in Helsinki, Finland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Publishing; 1st edition (March 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321384016
• ISBN-13: 978-0321384010
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ADAM GREENFIELD is currently head of design direction for Nokia in Helsinki, Finland, and with Nurri Kim is co-founder of the undisciplinary design collective Do projects. His work focuses on the intersection of design, technology and culture, with a strong interest in urban form and metropolitan experience.

At various points in his career, he's been an information architect in Tokyo, a rock critic for SPIN Magazine, a medic at the Berkeley Free Clinic, a coffeehouse owner in West Philadelphia, and a PSYOP sergeant in the US Army's Special Operations Command.

More about Adam and his work can be found at http://doprojects.org and http://speedbird.wordpress.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting look at ubiquitous computing in today's society..., March 27, 2006

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Everyware: The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing (Paperback)

Everyone has their fantasies and dreams of what "ubiquitous computing", or "ubicomp" for short, would be. Adam Greenfield shares his thoughts and observations in Everyware: The dawning age of ubiquitous computing.

Contents: What is everyware?; How is everyware different from what we're used to?; What's driving the emergence of everyware?; What are the issues we need to be aware of?; Who gets to determine the shape of everyware?; When do we need to begin preparing for everyware?; How might we safeguard our prerogatives in an everyware world?; Conclusion; Index

The book is made up of 81 short "thesis", or general thoughts/musings by Greenfield on the subject of ubicomp, also referred to as "everyware". This isn't a technical "how to" book on connecting the different parts of a wireless network together. Rather, he delves into the social, ethical, and logistical issues (among others) about what it would be like to live in an always-connected, pervasive computing world. For example, what are the privacy issues surrounding a house that is designed to monitor an elderly person for health issues? Do you (or should you) have the ability to decide who gets notified in case of an emergency, or is that out of your hands? Can you opt out of the monitoring? And if something doesn't work, where is the point of failure? Hardware? Software? Interaction between the two? If you're in the mood to be contemplative and think about issues, the book will spur some interesting twists for you. The only problem I had with the book is that Greenfield has you reaching for your dictionary every couple of pages to look up some new word that you've never heard of before. The concepts and issues are great, but it was almost as if he wanted to make the book as intellectual as possible, and it seemed to change the focus from the ideas to the author's skill in writing and turning a phrase. On the other hand, you'll learn a lot of new words... :)

Good material, and worth reading. Just don't approach it from a "how to" angle, and you'll enjoy it a lot more...

21 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't read this book -- in a good way, April 26, 2006

By 

J. Uechi "gravitymonkey" (new jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Everyware: The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing (Paperback)

Seriously, I just can't seem to keep reading it because I have to stop and think. And think. And daydream. And read a passage over again, and dream a little more. Ever read a book that gets you so excited you have to put it down just to shake off the energy that builds inside you? Well, this one does it for me.

Greenfield is not just able to capture a vision for a world ahead with ubiquitous computing, but to explain in a completely non-jargon, tangible, virtually poetic way.

I think the world really needed a book like this -- to establish a way of thinking about a new, invisible digital age that doesn't get lost amidst big-brother paranoia, or overly-detailed technical specs. Let's face it -- we don't know how it's all going to work together, how we'll get to a world of everware. But it's quite clear we will, and Greenfield spells out the promise and the issues with elegance and clarity.

I had bought it awhile back from Amazon, and it sat there in my orders list (I'd actually never preordered before), finally to arrive and exceed every possible expectation. It's really quite magical.

Too bad it's not hardcover, I'll beat this book to a pulp carrying it everywhere with me, tasting the delicious ideas little by little. I'll carry with me until at least half of the vision comes true.

9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A succinct treatise on an arriving future, March 29, 2006

By 

Ryan Freitas (San Francisco, Ca) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Everyware: The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing (Paperback)

Like another reviewer, it was my great pleasure to attend Adam Greenfield's presentation on "Everyware" at SXSW '06. In stark language, Adam offered analysis, ideas and reportage from the present and future transformation of our bodies, our homes and our public spaces. Adam has done an intense amount of thinking about how ubiquitious computing, and our interaction with it, will permute over time. I was absolutely blown away by his presentation, and stopped paying attention only for a minute - so I could order this book from Amazon.

I could not be more pleased with that decision. The elements of how Adam speaks - his intonations, his soft-spoken authority, and (most importantly) his deep passion for the subject - all of these are preserved in how he writes. His ideas come off the page unpreturbed; he manages to be succinct even when postulating on the theoretical, the complex, and the downright scary. The structure of the book, with clear declarations of his theories and occassional footnoted asides, makes for engaging reading and easy citation (he's imminently quotable).

Adam's commitment to the people subjected to the vagaries of these emerging technologies is clear. He manages to express the severity of the risk ubiquitous systems pose to privacy and security without being hyperbolic. This is a service to his readers and to the ethical guidelines he proposes. The coming public discussion of these technologies (Blair's National ID program, anyone?) will only be served by rational actors on the privacy rights side. With this quite brilliant book, Adam has set a prime place for himself as an articulate advocate of the individual in that conversation.