The Mobile Connection: The Cell Phone's Impact on Society (Interactive Technologies) (Paperback)

by Rich Ling (Author) "Not long ago I was looking through some of my grandfather's papers when I came across a newspaper clipping from the front page of the..." (more)
Key Phrases: forced eavesdropping, postpaid subscriptions, affordances approach, United States, United Kingdom, Cheyenne Wells (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
As a designer of wireless data and telephony applications, it is critical for me to be aware of societal perspective on mobile telephony. Such a book would be very valuable to me in my day-to-day work. --Shane Melton, BMC Software -- Review

Review
"...an important, accessible book on mobile telephony that is well worth reading." - J.R. McNeill, Interactions

"This powerful book illustrates the dramatic changes that have been provided by the social dynamics of the cell telephone and the ways that many long-held customs are changing: What is polite? How important is the time for a meeting when participants reschedule continually? What do we mean by a community or social group? And why are those short, inconvenient-to-type text messages more common and more important than voice conversations? Rich Ling provides a compelling examination of the real impact of mobile telephony. It's not about technology, it's about people. We need more of these kinds of studies."
--Don Norman, Co-Founder, Nielsen Norman Group and author of Emotional Design.

"For perhaps the first time in history, it is possible to gain scientific insights into the social impact of a new communication medium in the medium's infancy. Rich Ling combines scientific rigor, penetrating insight, and attention to an extraordinarily timely subject-the social impact of mobile communications. His ideas about "micro-coordination" and "the softening of time" are fundamental. Ling has big ideas about what the new world of always-on and ubiquitous media mean to our daily lives, but he's not an armchair theorist - he was smart and fortunate enough to observe the earliest adopters of mobile telephones first-hand."
--Howard Rheingold, Rheingold Associates and author of The Virtual Community.

"Rich Ling probes the way the mobile phone influences lives, talk and interaction. His carefully documented investigations paint an authoritative picture that will command continuing interest . . .an impressive achievement."
--James E. Katz, Ph.D., Professor of Communication, Rutgers University

"We're shifting from wired to wireless. People are cutting loose from bounded groups, and want to connect anywhere and at anytime to their social networks. Cell phones lubricate this mobile-ized society. Rich Ling's pioneering work nicely pulls together the dance between mobile communication and the networked society."
--Barry Wellman, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto

"I can't recommend this book highly enough. You could pack it into your bag and take it on holiday. It's the kind of book that will entertain you as much as the latest Pratchett." - Xristine Faulkner, London South Bank University

"This is definitely a book for your shelf (but read it first!) and a copy for the library should help out those students "into" this fascinating and growing subject area. This book could be shared by psychologists, HCI experts and sociologists alike." - Xristine Faulkner, London South Bank University

"I wish all books I had to read were this informative and this much pleasure. Thank you Rich Ling for a job very well done!" - Xristine Faulkner, London South Bank University

"The book is encyclopedic in its documentation, statistical and textual, both of mobile telephony and, especially, of sociological and social psychological theory. The topic is fascinating, important, and of universal relevance."

-John Stuckey in Ubiquity Magazine

"In his new book, social scientist Rich Ling provides a sound introduction to the social study of mobile phones, arguing among other points that SMS faces a bleak future." - Howard Rheingold --The Feature

"This timely publication makes for very interesting reading." - Choice --M.Y. Rynn

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Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann; 3 edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558609369
• ISBN-13: 978-1558609365
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #776,031 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A successful book for mobile age, May 2, 2009

By	Sahure Gonca Telli - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a very good book for the reader to understand new communication devices and the impacts on society. The changes and difficulties also discussed in the book.