Times of the Technoculture: From the Information Society to the Virtual Life (Comedia) [Paperback]

Kevin Robins (Author), Frank Webster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0415161169 | ISBN-13: 978-0415161169

Times of the Technoculture explores the social and cultural impact of new technologies, tracing the origins of the information society from the coming of the machine with the industrial revolution to the development of mass production techniques in the early twentieth century.
The authors look at how the military has controlled the development of the information society, and consider the centrality of education in government attempts to create a knowledge society. Engaging in contemporary debates surrounding the internet, Robins and Webster question whether it can really offer us a new world of virtual communities, and suggest more radical alternatives to the corporate agenda of contemporary technologies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kevin Robins is Professor of Cultural Geography at the Centre for Urban Studies, University of Newcastle. Frank Webster is Professor of Sociology at the University of Birmingham.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (July 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415161169
• ISBN-13: 978-0415161169
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The other voice, April 10, 2000

By 

"joast" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Times of the Technoculture: From the Information Society to the Virtual Life (Comedia) (Paperback)

Similar to his work in his previous work "Theories of theInformation Society", Webster offers a perspective on the changesin the contemporary society that is far from celebrational. By no means does he follow the same discours as other writers on this topic do (such as Levinson, Wired Magazine) and critically analyzes the multiple implications of actual virtual life (MUD's), the existing discours on technoculture and the capitalist dimension behind the new global information order. I've found this book to be a good starting point for readers already somewhat familar with the pecularities of the subject that wish to conduct further exploration into realm of cyberscience. The downside of this soft specialism is that Webster and Robins tend to disect the smallest particles which makes it a tough read from time to time. However, their insights are well argumented and left me feeling more educated on the topic. Go buy it.