Class Warfare in the Information Age

by Michael Perelman (Author)

3 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0312224776

ISBN-10: 031222477X

Why is ISBN important?

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Condition: Used - Good

In Stock. Sold by Thriftbooks

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

12 Used from $3.85

+ $0.00 shipping

Deliver to France

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Temporarily out of stock.
Order now and we'll deliver when available. Details

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

This item ships to France. Learn more

3 New from $38.00

Deliver to France

Turn on 1-Click ordering

More Buying Choices

3 New from $38.00 12 Used from $3.85

15 used & new from $3.85

See All Buying Options

Free Two-Day Shipping for College Students with Amazon Student

In Class Warfare in the Information Age, Michael Perelman reveals how the efforts of business to profit from the sale of information will result in a reduction rather than an increase in access to information. He demonstrates how the treatment of information as a commodity will cause it to be more regulated and less accessible. In the future, Perelman argues, accessing and affording information will still be a class-based privilege, and the rights of individuals will disintegrate as the power of the corporate sector grows. Class Warfare in the Information Age is a refreshingly critical work that forces readers to rethink the conventional hype surrounding the information superhighway.

Frequently bought together

Total price: $89.50

Some of these items ship sooner than the others. Show details

Buy the selected items together

This item:Class Warfare in the Information Age by Michael Perelman Paperback $38.00
Temporarily out of stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping. Details
Sex/Machine: Readings in Culture, Gender, and Technology (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of… by Patrick D Hopkins Paperback $32.00
Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping. Details
Digitizing Race: Visual Cultures of the Internet (Electronic Mediations) by Lisa Nakamura Paperback $19.50
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Lisa Nakamura

3

Paperback
$19.50
Katie Ellis
Paperback
$23.01

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Perelman's wry sense of humor . . . makes this excellent book surprisingly readable and one that deserves to be widely read.” —Choice

“Contends that, for the most part, the information technologies are not being applied to improve the quality of life; rather, they are being used to perfect command and control processes, often at the expense of the well-being of workers.” —Journal of Economic Literature

About the Author

Michael Perelman is Professor of Economics at California State University, Chico. His most recent books are The End of Economics; The Pathology of the US Economy: The Costs of a Low-Wage System; and The Natural Instability of Markets.

Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (January 15, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031222477X
ISBN-13: 978-0312224776
Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.4 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,657,616 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1591 in Books > Textbooks > Business & Finance > Economics > Economic Theory
- #3443 in Books > Textbooks > Business & Finance > Business Development
- #5060 in Books > Business & Money > Economics > Theory

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars

5 star

4 star

3 star (0%)

2 star (0%)

1 star (0%)

Write a customer review

See all 3 customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Walt Byars

Good analysis of the information "revolution"

April 23, 2006

Format: Paperback

In this accessible and entertaining book, Perelman documents the class nature of the supposed revolution in information, the extent to which their has been such a revolution, and its implications for economic policy.

Perelman first questions supposed indicators of the extent to which an information economy has arisen. In addition to the usual arguments that the fact that certain jobs have become primarily informational doesn't indicate that the total amount of work relating to information has increased, Perelman explores the class nature of such phenomena. The development of capitalism has been a process in which the knowledge of workers has been expropriated and monopolized by capitalists. Thus, the number of job descriptions that are "informational" has increased, and most of these jobs are administrators who now deal with information that workers used to.

Perelman shows how advances in information technology have been used to control the labor process. he cites examples of specific technologies that are inefficient but give capital greater control over labor. He also gives numerous quotes of higher ups in information technology companies explaining that this is the most important function of their product.

He then shows how the deprivation of workers of information hurts innovation and product quality. A chapter on Panopticism outlines how informantion technology has been used for social control beyond the labor process.

The last few chapters involve economic theory. Drawing heavily on Kenneth Arrow, Perelman shows how the theory taught in ECON 101 shows that information is a good to be produced by the state. Paul Krugman's latest awful micro intro text mentions this in fact, but only gives it a little space.

the last chapter is a good criticism of Hayek's arguments about the informational efficiency of capitalism.

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Peter Timusk

Good try and some good points

March 30, 2002

Format: Paperback

I saw this in the school library as perhaps a left wing, no, marxist view of the sociology of cyberspace. It is a good attempt. Yes, it follows many of the current writers in sociology on cyberspace(like Castells) and the so called information revolution which I live everyday. It also looks at work and Taylorism well. I can't find any faults with it really. But does he do the title justice? I think, yes, he covers the sociology of work and the ideas of being replaced by a computer well. I also think he attempts to break out of the mold of much of the unoriginal writing being done on cyberpsace these days in the schools. He doesn't seem like a hipppy as one other reviewer noted. I don't get the idea that Perelman is a libertarian living on the West Coast nor do I think he is rich. He does seem to be an academic economist though. Good work Perelman!

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Alexa Brodelyn

Well worth the read, in spite of its faults

September 22, 1999

Format: Hardcover

We need intelligent critiques of Toffler-style rhetoric (as opposed to tirades by resentful hippies), and this is one. Lots of good ideas here. Problems: Perelman generalises so much he sometimes contradicts himself; the exclusively U.S. focus was frustrating to this foreigner (must be worse for non-Westerners); there might have been attention paid to the ways in which IT has been used as a means of resistance, to complete the picture. But it should be read. An excellent starting point for discussion.

11 people found this helpful12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Patrick D Hopkins

2

Paperback
$32.00
Lisa Nakamura

3

Paperback
$19.50
Katie Ellis
Paperback
$23.01

Class Warfare in the Information Age

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Customers who bought this item also bought

Class Warfare in the Information Age

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Buy used On clicking this link, a new layer will be open $7.85 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Buy new On clicking this link, a new layer will be open $38.00 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Customers who bought this item also bought

Buy used On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

$7.85 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Buy new On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

$38.00 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open