Authors: Paul N. Edwards.
Paperback, 462 pages
Publisher: The MIT Press
Publication Date: 1997-08-01


Reviews :

    "The Closed World is astonishing. One of the most important books of the 20th century." -- Howard Rheingold, editor, Whole Earth Review

"A fascinating glimpse into the history of computing and a cogent reminder of the extent to which this history continues to inform our vision of the future." -- Grant Kester, The Nation

The Closed World offers a radically new alternative to the canonical histories of computers and cognitive science. Integrating political, cultural, and technological history, it argues that we can make sense of computers as tools only when we simultaneously grasp their roles as metaphors and political icons.

In this extended exploration of the relations of science and engineering to the evolution of modern society, Paul Edwards argues that what people have said, thought, and experienced through computers--as reflections of the nature of their minds; as solutions to political, commercial, and military problems; as icons of rationality--is as significant as anything computers have actually accomplished. Social and cultural context has shaped the growth of computer technology as much as it has been shaped by it....

    Edwards traces how computers have emerged as the dominant technology as a direct result of Cold War politics and the defense research it engendered. From the first use of room-size mainframes to coordinate missile systems, Pentagon research aimed toward complete computer control, including the budget-busting and ultimately impractical Strategic Defensive Initiative. Edwards relates how the technolog--which is now so open as to be nearly anarchic--began in strictly enclosed secrecy. The military computer goal of perfect "command, control and communication" systems was understood to mean communication only within a very closed world. Edwards' thesis is that this approach influenced the very structure of our modern computers....

Authors: Daniel Weintraub.
Hardcover, 237 pages
Publisher: Polipoint Press
Publication Date: 2008-01-15


Reviews :

    Since his landslide reelection in a state dominated by Democrats, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has arguably become the nation's most successful Republican politician. His near-universal name recognition and status as governor of the nation's most populous state have placed Schwarzenegger at the forefront of such key issues as health care, environmental protection, and immigration.

Combining liberal stands on social and environmental issues with conservative pro-business policies, Schwarzenegger has found favor with Republicans, Democrats, and independent voters, whose support has been critical to his success. Swept into office on a balanced budget and anti-special interest platform in a winner-takes-all special election, he initially fumbled on a variety of fronts but has endured with a message that resonates with voters who value problem solving over ideology.

Party of One goes beyond a portrait of a political celebrity. Detailing Schwarzenegger's gambits, missteps, and achievements on a range of issues, it suggests that the "governator" represents the future of American politics, in which practical results will mean more to voters than partisan identity....

Authors:
Paperback, 753 pages
Publisher: Springer
Publication Date: 2008-10-24
Edition: 1

Reviews :

   

This book, in conjunction with the volume LNAI 5288, constitutes the refereed proceedings of theFirst World Summit, WSKS 2008, held in Athens, Greece, in September 2008. The 95 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 286 submissions. The topics include applications for the human and the society; information systems and information technology; knowledge management and e-learning; libraries, digital culture and electronic tourism; e-business, egovernment and e-banking; politics and policies for the knowledge society; sustainable development for the knowledge society.

...

Authors: Xu Wu.
Paperback, 280 pages
Publisher: Lexington Books
Publication Date: 2007-09-28


Reviews :

    Chinese Cyber Nationalism offers the first comprehensive examination of the social and ideological movement that mixes Confucian cultural traditions and advanced media technology. Over the past decade, the Internet has increasingly become a communication center, organizational platform, and channel of execution by which Chinese nationalistic causes have been promoted throughout the world....

Authors: Herman Holtz.
Hardcover, 252 pages
Publisher: Chapman & Hall
Publication Date: 1985-08

Authors: Robert Slade.
Paperback, 256 pages
Publisher: Syngress
Publication Date: 2006-07-05


Reviews :

   

IT professionals and IT students will find this a handy reference to help them identify terms used in practice, in journals and articles, and on websites. The dictionary has complete coverage of security terms and includes cutting-edge technologies and newer terminology only now becoming accepted use amongst security practitioners. Certification candidates for security specializations like CISSP and Security will also find this a valuable resource. The dictionary has the most up-to-date terms, including those related to computer viruses, malware, and more recent technologies such as wireless networking.

...

Authors: J.J. Luna.
Paperback, 290 pages
Publisher: Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 2004
Edition: First Thus

Reviews :

    From cyberspace to crawl spaces, innovations in information gathering have left private lives open to scrutiny and exploitation. In this thoroughly revised update, J.J. Luna shows how to protect yourself from information predators by securing your: vehicle and real estate ownership, bank accounts, business dealings, computer files, home address, and more. Luna shows how to achieve the privacy you crave and deserve, whether to shield yourself from casual scrutiny or take your life savings with you and disappear without a trace. Luna reveals the shocking secrets that private detectives and other personal information seekers use, and then shows how to make a serious commitment to safeguarding yourself.There is a prevailing sense in our society that true privacy is a thing of the past. Filled with vivid real life stories, this book is an antidote to privacy concerns that only continue to grow as ever more efficient ways of undermining our personal security are made available. Privacy is a commonly-lamented casualty of the Information Age and of the world's changing climate-but that doesn't mean you have to stand for it. About the Author J. J. (Jack) Luna sold his outdoor advertising business in the Upper Midwest in 1959 and moved with his wife and small children to Spain's Canary Islands (off the coast of West Africa). Outwardly, he worked as a professional writer and photographer. Secretly, however, he dodged the Spanish Secret Police while working underground in an activity that was at that time illegal under the dictatorship of Generalissimo Francisco Franco. In 1970 Franco, yielding to intense pressure from the western world, moderated Spain's laws. Luna was now free to come in from the cold. By that time, however, privacy had become an ingrained habit. In the years that followed he started up various low-profile home-based businesses, built them up and then sold them. He is currently an international consultant specializing in personal privacy and security....

Authors: Dan Verton.
Hardcover, 304 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
Publication Date: 2003-08-19
Edition: 1

Reviews :

    The first book to define the clear and present danger posed by a cyber-terrorist attack on the U.S. computer- and network-dependent infrastructure. The pages are packed with interviews from members of terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, as well as key insiders involved in planning and executing the U.S. plan for the defense of cyberspace, including Tom Ridge, James Gilmore, CIA and NSA officials--and even al-Qaeda supporters. Internet security expert Dan Verton investigates how cyber-terrorism could occur, what the global and financial implications are, the impact this is having and will continue to have on privacy and civil liberties, and how to prepare and prevent against cyber-terrorism....

Authors:
Paperback, 386 pages
Publisher: National Academies Press
Publication Date: 2008-05-12


Reviews :

    The debate over offshoring of production, transfer of technological capabilities, and potential loss of U.S. competitiveness is a long-running one. Prevailing thinking is that 'the world is flat' - that is, innovative capacity is spreading uniformly; as new centers of manufacturing emerge, research and development and new product development follow. "Innovation in Global Industries" challenges this thinking. The book, a collection of individually authored studies, examines in detail structural changes in the innovation process in 10 service, as well as manufacturing industries: personal computers; semiconductors; flat-panel displays; software; lighting; biotechnology; pharmaceuticals; financial services; logistics; and venture capital. There is no doubt that overall there has been an acceleration in global sourcing of innovation and an emergence of new locations of research capacity and advanced technical skills, but the patterns are highly variable.Many industries and some firms in nearly all industries retain leading-edge capacity in the United States. However, the book concludes that is no reason for complacency about the future outlook. Innovation deserves more emphasis in firm performance measures and more sustained support in public policy. "Innovation in Global Industries" will be of special interest to business people and government policy makers as well as professors, students, and other researchers of economics, management, international affairs, and political science....

Authors: Gregory F. Treverton.
Paperback, 288 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication Date: 2003-03-03


Reviews :

    In a bold and penetrating study, Gregory Treverton, former Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council and Senate investigator, offers his insider's views on how intelligence gathering and analysis must change. Treverton suggests why intelligence needs to be contrarian and attentive to the longer term. Believing that it is important to tap expertise outside government to solve intelligence problems, he argues that involving colleagues in the academy, think tanks, and Wall Street befits the changed role of government from doer to convener, mediator, and coalition-builder. Hb ISBN (2001): 0-521-58096-X...