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

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In a riveting look at today's computer technology, Robins and Webster ask the disturbing question: Is it cyber-revolution-or information capitalism? They trace the information age from the Industrial Revolution to the silicon chip and the Internet. Examining the politics of cyberspace, they show how the military has controlled the development of new technologies and why education plays a central role in government attempts to create a "knowledge society." With broad coverage of current issues, including information policy, technological innovation, education, the military, surveillance, and propaganda, Times of the Technoculture is a thought-provoking revisionist account of Luddite resistance to new technologies.

About the Author

Kevin Robins is Professor Cultural Geography at the Centre for Urban Studies, Newcastle University. Frank Webster is Professor of Sociology at Oxford Brookes University. Together, Robins and Webster published Information Technology: A Luddite Analysis (1986) and The Technical Fix: Education, Computers, and Industry (1989).

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (July 8, 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.com Sales Rank: #1,687,749 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

By	"joast" (Amsterdam) - See all my reviews

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.