Customer Reviews

Gift of Fire, A: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read both this version and the 3rd edition(had already read the 2nd by the time I found that the 3rd edition was required for my CS280 course, so figured what the hell, since they were different enough to warrant a second reading)

This book is not necessary for anyone who's been living on the internet since the late 90's. If you've been addicted to slashdot, reddit, and other tech-related social websites, it provides nothing but a tangible representation that certain things in the past did actually occur. Those certain things that you may remember well, if you're old enough, or if you've trawled archives of old tech radio shows, old zines, etc. It is a reference, a starting point.

Baase has clearly put a lot of effort into this book, especially the chapter on privacy(which her passion in this issue shows in the depth of discussion), but personally, I didn't really learn anything from it. The ethical issues I've seen before, the technology and specific events mentioned I've almost entirely encountered. It's a sign of the times, however -- 20 years ago books like this were needed to become ethically grounded in the field. Today, it's a footnote.

Save your money, and trawl[...] instead. Join your local 2600 and linux user group, and talk to people in your community. Find out what they are concerned of, aware of, in regards to computer technology, and research it. Because I guarantee the ethical choices that you'll make after interacting with real situations, with real people, and helping people with real problems, the ethical lessons that you will learn, will grossly trump anything this sterile, pinned-butterfly version could.

If you're a historian, this is probably not a bad buy.

I'm tempted to give it more stars for it's thoroughness, but it really wasn't a match for me, so I just can't.

This was used as my text book for a graduate level ethics course. I read it cover to cover and found to be well-organized, informative and enlightening. Highly recommended.

Because the author's ethics class at SDSU uses this text as a primary source, I may be a bit biased in my judgment of this book. For the class, it was an excellent reference, bringing up interesting points for discussion and showcasing these points with anecdotes -- some humorous, some downright frightening. Baase's writing style is accessible to a wide audience, and even the parts that, by virtue of being part of a textbook, are dry and only mildly interesting are digestible.

If you're looking for a book that will give you a general overview of problems associated with computing, this book will hit the spot. Without any noticable bias, it provides information from different perspectives, and even gives fair treatment to Luddites.

A good, solid choice.

This book is an incredible waste of time to read. If you must, I recommend briefly scanning the topic sentence of each paragraph. The book is tedious because Baase attempts to wring every idea possible from the subject material, whether it is significant or not. She does this because:

1. The book would only be 50 pages if all of the fluffy hand-holding were removed.

2. None of the ideas presented in the book are original or exciting, and must be trumped up with a lot of "high level" discussion. You know it well; it's the kind that only career academics would enjoy.

3. She has to dilute the terrible writing and editing that went into the book. I particularly enjoy this gem:

"A subsequent version of the product, known as Windows NT, a high-end system that incorporated networking technology and allowed users to link PCs together."

The only thing I like more than paying for common knowledge is paying for sentences that lack a predicate.

2 stars for an uninspired money-grab.

I ordered this book for class and paid for it to be expedited. It took about a week and a half for me to receive it. I ordered through other companies and I received my book in less than three to four days. I will give them credit though the book was in good condition. This company is okay if you aren't in a rush to receive your item.

it's a great book to begin in-class discussions

What's up with the price? It's cheaper at Barnes and Noble...by 7 buck

very satisfied with this purchase. didn't take long for item to ship and looked as good as new.

IN GIFT OF FIRE SARA BAASE ATTEMPTS TO COVER THE FULL RANGE OF SOCIAL, LEGAL, AND ETHICAL ISSUES RAISED BY COMPUTING.