Against the Machine: Being Human in the Era of the Electronic Mob
Author(s): Lee Siegel
Against the Machine is a fascinating look at how the Internet is reshaping the way we think about ourselves and the world. Siegel explores how the internet affects culture and social life, particularly the psychological, emotional and social cost of high-tech solitude. Arguing that the internet's widespread anonymity eliminates boundaries and encourages otherwise polite people to be downright abusive, Siegel discusses the half-fantasy, half-realism of online personae. By experiencing virtual selves rather than other individuals, we run the risk of being reduced to avatars that other internet users manipulate for their own ends. Insightful and written with convincing evidence to support the author's polemic, this book is a welcome addition to the debate on the personal ramifications of living in a wired world. First published 2008.
Product Information
"'One of the heroic few' Guardian 'One of the country's most eloquent and acid-tongued cultural critics' Deborah Solomon, New York Times 'To read him is to be reminded of what criticism used to aspire to in terms of range, learning, high standards, and good writing and--dare one say it?--values' David Rieff 'In every case, Siegel is wildly and satisfyingly unpredictable' Janet Malcolm"
The author of Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television, Lee Siegel is a cultual commentator and art critic. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
General Fields
- :
- : Profile Books Ltd
- : Serpent's Tail
- : 04 June 2008
- : United Kingdom
- : books
Special Fields
- : Lee Siegel
- : Paperback
- : 1
- : 303.4833
- : 192