The Soft Edge: A Natural History and Future of the Information Revolution (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Natural histories" abound in scholarship and popular treatments of human affairs - a recently re-issued, not entirely inapt, example being Tabori's The Natural History of..." (more)
Key Phrases: remedial media, remedial medium, autonomous artificial intelligence, New York, United States, First Amendment (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

According to Paul Levinson, it would be improper to portray information technology as the cause of change in our world. However, Levinson clarifies that its role in enabling change can hardly be overestimated. He also points out--through riveting examples--that inventions have unintended consequences and uses. Why is it, for example, that the move from polytheism to monotheism failed when attempted by the pharaoh Ikhnaton, yet took solid root among the Hebrews who were taken out of Egypt by Moses only about 150 years later? Levinson argues that communication technology played a key role: The awkward Egyptian hieroglyphics failed to carry the ideology as well as the Hebrew alphabetic system. From there, Levinson examines the early social changes that became possible because of what the author calls "the first digital medium"--the alphabet. He considers how the Reformation, economic and political movements, and the scientific revolution were largely enabled by the printing press. He then discusses the influence of photographic communications and electronic technology such as the telegraph, the telephone, and broadcasting.

Levinson devotes the second half of the book to our present digital revolution, from word processing to the Internet and beyond. One of his key points is that new technology doesn't necessarily displace the old so much as it expands it. Therefore, he doesn't see any end to using paper anytime soon. However, he sees great need for changes in the way we view creative rights. He proposes what he calls an"electronic watermark" for intellectual property--a universal patent number that will be embedded in intellectual property and will notify users in any medium of the property's creators. Levinson puts forth his ideas in a manner that is both formal and engaging. He has a knack for making his reader feel intelligent and respected--and never more so than when he looks at issues of ethics and a speculative future. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Readers interested in history, technology, politics, or the limitations of cyberspace may now all clamber aboard for a grand tour of communications media and their effect on our personal and social lives. Levinson, president of Connected Education and a frequent contributor to Wired and the Village Voice, deftly guides us on a cogent review of everything from the alphabet and its impact on monotheistic religion to the printing press and its shaping of Columbus's voyage to the New World, concluding with (what else?) a crackerjack essay about cyberspace and "the feel of knowledge." Smart, spare, yet deep, and heartily recommended.?Geoff Rotunno, Tri-Mix Magazine, Goleta, Cal.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415197724
• ISBN-13: 978-0415197724
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #686,826 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview, somewhat confusing, January 6, 1999

By A Customer

After a long search, I selected this as the best book available for providing a historical overview of the social effects of electronic communication media for my college course, "The Information Age." The author clearly identifies the various types of technology: audio, visual, multimedia, and he does a nice job of assessing the impact of these individually and in combination. The latter third of the book becomes increasingly confusing, however, as he attempts to extend today's technologies into the future and predict their effects. My students found the book very interesting, and the author's ideas generated quite a bit of discussion.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read but short on future trends for such a long build u, May 11, 2000

By	C. Freas (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I enjoyed reading The Soft Edge. I found Levinson to be a little long in his summations. I also found that his first two chapters were confusing. I was not sure of his direction or the purpose of his book. His use of mini-headings in each chapter did make each subject easier to understand. I would highly recommend this book for research in other classes. I have already used it. I did find his use of quotes from other authors leaving me wanting more. He used them to prove his arguments. Without more from that author, I was not able to accept or decline his argument. I believe his weakest part was on the future of technology. Levinson gives a great history and analysis on the impact. I found his analysis on the future small and quite unassuming.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great questions, uneven answers, November 30, 1999

By	Arnold Kling (Silver Spring, Md USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book asks many interesting questions about the history and future of media. Examples include:

1. Why did the sight-only medium of silent movies get wiped out completely by "talkies" while the sound-only medium of radio survived television?

2. The most powerful leaders of the past 150 years were Churchill, Roosevelt, Hitler, and Stalin. Was this power due to the nature of radio as a medium, and the fact that radio flowered when they were prominent?

3. Is centralized authority in media necessary (because people need "gatekeepers" to filter information for them) or a result of the economics of mass media (the high cost of sending radio signals compared to the low cost of receiving them)?

4. Does information want to be free?

Levinson's answers are not always as good as his questions. His explanation for the survival of radio (as a medium you can use while doing something else) was persuasive. His view that the leaders of WWII drew their power from radio was less compelling.

Levinson's view of the decentralization effects of computers is valid. The opposite view, which is widely held, is a serious misconception.

Otherwise, when discussing the future, Levinson is disappointing. He says less than what can be found in other work that predates his book. The issue of the future of paper is discussed better in some of George Gilder's articles in Forbes ASAP, going back to 1994. The issue of how to pay for information is discussed better in Brad Cox's work on what he calls "superdistribution." The issue of the status of artificial life is discussed better in Steven Levy's book on that subject.

If I were teaching a course on the Internet, I would include "The Soft Edge" as background reading early in the course. It would help students start to think about the evolution of media.