The Media Lab: Inventing the Future at M. I. T. (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The creator-editor of the Whole Earth Catalog offers a close-up view of what research scientists at MIT's Media Lab are dreaming up for the coming century. "This is visionary material," declared PW , "demanding reading even for those knowledgeable about the communications revolution." Photos.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Brand (the Whole Earth Catalog, the Whole Earth Software Catalog ) went to the MIT Media Lab for three months, seeking to gain a clear view of the future. Later, he studied the field of communications technologysifting the data he collected, reading the journals, and analyzing the Lab's activities. The resulting book examines the Lab's various programs and considers the direction and consequences of the communications revolution worldwide. The work being done at MIT is fascinating: multidisciplinary, multimedia communications research that "assumes that if it the Media Lab helps take care of the individual, computer-augmented individuals will take better care of the world." Brand's philosophical musings are fascinating, too, and thought-provoking. For general readers and specialists. Hilary D. Burton, Lawrence Livermore National Lab. , Livermore, Cal.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); First Edition edition (September 3, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140097015
• ISBN-13: 978-0140097016
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,208,986 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars History provides insight, but specific projects are dated., June 28, 2000

By	Matthew M. Liggett (Wilmington, DE USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you've always wondered what the hoopla over the Media Lab was all about, this book can help fill in the blanks. It covers the basics about the founding of the lab and provides a little biographical background on people like Negroponte and Minsky.

However, a large portion of the book is spent describing specific projects, many of which are obviously a little out of date. Don't get the wrong idea, though. These projects were obviously very exciting when new. Further, some of the projects still seem so far out that I would not be surprised to see them announced as new research in 2000!

All in all, recommended. But perhaps you're better off skimming a copy from your local library than buying this one. That's why 3 stars instead of 4.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Future past?, February 1, 2001

By	Kelly Cox (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was given to me as a gift when I learned that I was admitted to MIT in 1988. Over the years (and more so recently), I often see things that are the end result of the research done during the '80s at the Media Lab and documented in this book. Lego Mindstorms, custom Portals and personalized Internet, virtual reality games, this was all developed, envisioned, conceptualized, or influenced by Media Lab research.

After reading it, I lost it somewhere along the way. I came here to see if I could find a copy to re-read it and check my memory. It really should be an interesting read after all these years for anyone interested in the process and history of science.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile addition to the history of computing, March 29, 2006

By	Robert Pratte (charleston, il USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As many reviewers have already noted, this book is a bit of a mixed bag. While the specific technologies and predictions seem a bit dated, Brand's insightful analysis and excellent presentation make this an enjoyable and informative read.

There is one characteristic of this text that doesn't appear to be mentioned by other reviewers, however, and that is its "time capsule" aspect. That is, Brand does a pretty good job of transporting the reader "back" to the mid-late 80s, when the book was written. Not only are the technologies indicators of the time, but the socio-political landscape as well (at least as far as I remember it). I think that, for today's reader, Brand's excellent explorations of the impact of Reaganomics, Japan's usurping of American manufacturing, the globalizing impact of technology, etc. provide tremendous value.

I think that it is a somewhat rare thing for an author to so wholly encapsulate a time such that the later reader can access the notions and movements of an age so effectively. Brand provides such a rare glimpse in this work - a time portal back to the mid-80s, if you will. As a chapter in the history of computing, I think that most will agree that this work is a worthwhile addition. I suspect that most readers will also find this an interesting trip back to an earlier time.