Male Female Email [Hardcover]

Michael Civin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1892746301 | ISBN-13: 978-1892746306 | Publication Date: May 17, 2000

Internet sex, electronic stalking, and the simulation of alternate cyber identities are only a few of the more extreme possibilities of a communication technology that has, for better or worse, irrevocably changed how we relate to one another. From shopping for groceries to seeking medical advice, the internet has insinuated itself into realms of life that once unavoidable involved face-to-face contact.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Many people have heard or read of the scientific study that links Internet use to depression. This book expands on that notion, attempting to place Internet use in the context of a "paranoid society" beset by increasing personal isolation, bewildering technology, and end-of-the-millennium pressures. Civin, a professor at Adelphi University and a practicing psychoanalyst, uses a number of case studies to illustrate his belief that the Internet serves different functions for different users. On the one hand, he suggests, it can serve as a means of connectedness, facilitating complex exchanges among the self and others. On the other hand, it can insulate the user from meaningful contact with others, providing only one-dimensional exchanges that simulate or substitute for real, full relationships. Civin's ideas--which combine case studies with postmodern theory, personal experiences, and different branches of psychological thought--are well presented. Throughout, he explains the somewhat dauntingly academic language, making this book fascinating reading for anyone with a passing interest in both technology and psychology. Recommended for academic and larger public libraries.
-David E. Valencia, Federal Way Regional Lib., WA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Michael A. Civin, Ph.D is an Associate Clinical professor of Psychology at the Derner Institute of Advanced Studies at Adelphi University and a faculty member and supervisor in the Adelphi Postgraduate program in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. He is also the Director of clinical training for the Baldwin council against drug abuse and maintains a private practice in psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, and organizational consulting in Sea Cliff, New York. Related articles have appeared in the Psychoanalytic Review and Free Associations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Other Press (May 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892746301
• ISBN-13: 978-1892746306
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,085,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Applied psychology for the Internet Age, September 5, 2000

By 

Margaret M. Hvatum (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Male Female Email (Hardcover)

I found this book to be of immediate use in my business life. It helped me to understand some previously inexplicable and troubling behaviors I had encountered among both managers and users of Information Systems.

The author is a trained Freudian analyst, who has applied his skills as a PhD in psychology to many business settings, as well as to treating patients in an office setting.

The book deals with two major issues: 1) Why some people benefit from chat rooms while others become hooked on the internet. 2) Why corporate users and managers sometimes have very negative reactions to successful technology projects. As an academician who spent 20 years in Corporate I.S. before becoming a professor, I have always wondered why very successful I.S. projects are sometimes so badly received. Dr. Civin's insights have helped me understand some otherwise painful behavior I have encountered in the past.

I have immediately begun using some of the author's insights in human behavior in my own teaching of Systems Analysis and Project Management.

The only downside of this book is that it is very heavily laden with technical psychology language and terms. Readers will find the language easier if they, too, have some background or training in psychology.