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

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This book is a comprehensive look at various issues which are at the forefront of the information revolution: computers and privacy, censorship on the net, protection of intellectual property, encryption policy, computer crime, and the risks associated with unexpected computer failures. Sara Baase does a good job of balancing these controversies with various points of view, and offering perspective and solutions. Although this book is meant for academic use, it's extremely accessible.

Product Description

Discusses social, legal, and ethical issues in computing. Provides in-depth coverage of the challenge and implications of computer technology. Paper. DLC: Computers - Social aspects.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 382 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1st edition (December 19, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0134587790
• ISBN-13: 978-0134587790
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,232,827 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Thorough but not what ails me, February 12, 2009

By	themusicgod1 (Regina, Saskatchewan Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computers and the Internet (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

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.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent textbook, unexpectedly thought-provoking, September 8, 2005

By	Erika (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computers and the Internet (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

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.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Accessible, August 14, 2002

By	Kerri-Leigh Grady (Manassas, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.