The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society

by Manuel Castells

Book Overview

Manuel Castells is one of the world's leading thinkers on the new information age, hailed by The Economist as "the first significant philosopher of cyberspace," and by Christian Science Monitor as "a pioneer who has hacked out a logical, well-documented, and coherent picture of early 21st century civilization, even as it rockets forward largely in a blur." Now, in The Internet Galaxy, this brilliantly insightful writer speculates on how the Internet...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199255776
• ISBN13: 9780199255771
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Summary of Book - Good Read

Castell takes us on a wonderful journey through the Internet and all of its possibilities. After reading the book, I conclude that Castell in all of his literary wanderings must strive to be a crusader for an ideal society and the libertarian (European definition) dream. About the book. In Chapter 1, Castell is thorough enough in his history to pay homage to the key players. It is clear early on that Castell is biased toward a libertarian idealogy. In Chapter 2, Castell categorizes the groups that helped with the evolution of the Internet. Castell does a solid job of tearing down popular misconceptions about the hacker culture. The messages from Chapter 3 remain important. Castells's emphasis on the network is explained in Chapter 3 and will be reiterated later in the book. In Chapter 4, Castell attempts to examine as many social implications for the Internet as possible. In Chapter 5, Castell examines the Internet in terms of politics, civil society and the state. For the time that it was written, it was very sound. Today, there is an even larger body of support for Castell than there was when this book was published. In Chapter 6, Castell really goes to his libertarian roots and laments to lack of privacy and liberty in Cyberspace. In what was an otherwise well-planned book, Chapter 7 is a major swerve off the edge of a cliff. In Chapter 8, Castell avoids going out on a futuristic limb and does a strong job of exploring Internet geography. In Chapter 9, I felt that Castell made his points about the digital divide very well. Castell's conclusion was everything that I expected after reading the book. He reiterates the importance of the Internet and the urgency that we as citizens of the planet must feel about the development of the Internet. Though I would love to quote it, I will leave it up to readers. His last two sentences of the book are predictable but priceless. Castells's book is well written, a bit outdated but a decent read. There are a lot of intelligent ideas and even some frightening warnings about the future. If the Internet is really as important as Castell would like us to believe, we must tread with caution through the Internet Galaxy.

A brilliant analysis

It is part of the conventional wisdom that the Internet affects all of our lives, is a key element in development of the 'new economy', and is becoming a major factor in political development. At the same time, how the Internet interacts with other influences and what social and technological trends are going on under the surface is not well understood. It is, however, so central to the development of our economy and society that it is essential to understand it.Manuel Castells has produced a brilliant analysis of these issues. The book is written for both an academic and a general readership and meets the needs of both excellently, although some parts of it are reasonably hard work for the generalist. The reward, at least for this reader, is a far clearer understanding of the dynamics of development of our networked society and the issues that need to be confronted. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with economic or political development at any level from local community to global issues.In style the book belongs to what I think of as the European tradition of clear and careful analysis and exposition, rather than the common American approach to business books of heavy reliance on drawing conclusions from examples derived from 'great name' companies. The result is a book that requires serious concentration in order to follow the complex, sometimes contradictory and paradoxical influences that the author elucidates for us.It is directed primarily to the reader as citizen, rather than specifically aiming to help business people toward profitable application of Internet technology. In consequence, as well as providing a valuable overview of the dynamics of development of our national and global economy and society, it contains useful reflections on ethics and governance at the business level and also on the potential benefits and risks to the development of civil society nationally and internationally.The author's starting point is that (the dot points following are slightly modified quotations excerpted from the 'Opening' to the book):* The technology of the Internet provides the means of bringing together reliance on networks, dominant in private interaction, with the capacity for coordination of tasks and management of complexity, for which organizations have historically relied on hierarchical command and control. * The logic, language and constraints of the Internet are not well understood beyond technological matters. Popular understanding is driven by myth, ideology and gossip more than by a realistic assessment of the issues. * People, institutions, companies and society at large, transform technology by modifying and experimenting with it. The Internet transforms the way we communicate and do things and, by doing many things with the Internet, we transform the Internet itself. * It follows that the Internet is a particularly malleable technology, susceptible of being deeply modified by its social practice, and leading to a whol

If the internet affects your life, access this book.

The Internet is possibly the next discovery of fire, in terms of human impact. Instant, and potentially cost-free transfer of information TO all and any FROM all and any. A true equality of 'right to know'. This book lays out the processes of how it came to be, and for that alone, it is an important work. It also sheds light on ways the Internet is in danger of controlling influences of business interests that may take away some of its most promising gifts. The book is not an easy read, but is worth the effort.

A good introductory literature

Manuel Castells is, with no doubt, the leading figure in the sociology of information. That field has been the fastest rising area in the sociology. It deals with the interaction between IT, the economy, and society. Manuel Castells secured his position with the book, ¡®The Information City¡¯ (1989). This book grounded the theoretical framework. His three volumes of ¡®Information Age¡¯ have been widely used as the textbook in the class. Those volumes have the rich depth and are well written, conclusive on each issue. But that trilogy is voluminous: about 1500 pages in total. If you prefer short but graphic, succinct introduction to the sociology of information, this is your pick. This book is based on the author¡¯s lecture held at Oxford Business School. So it¡¯s not conceived to be the systematic work but intended to orient the reader toward the basics of the field. He uses various live cases to illustrate the interaction between Internet, the economy, and society. The areas covered range from culture, new economy, virtual community, social movement, privacy, multimedia, and digital divide. Those are almost all topics tackled in the field. But this is not intended to set up serious theoretical basis in the field. If you are interested in such an attempt, I recommend James Slevin¡¯s ¡®The Internet and Society¡¯. But, as I mentioned in the review on that book, it requires the reader some basic understanding Giddens and other social theories, to get the nub of the book.

A compelling analysis of the network society

(This review has been submitted on behalf of Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society)Manuel Castells new book presents a compelling analysis of the influence of the Internet, considering topics as diverse as individual communication and freedoms, the new dynamics of social movements, business networks in the new economy, and geographic development patterns such as metropolization and digital divide.The attraction of this book is in several aspects. Firstly, it references up-to-date research data, making the arguments presented highly credible. For example, he gives a well considered assessment of the role of the Internet for social communication and community-building. Secondly, Castells addresses the network society from a rich set of perspectives, taking into account both social and economic theory. Thirdly, he presents a balanced view with respect to the impact of the Internet, observing at times profound and even transformational changes such as in business networks, while being more reserved about its influence in other cases, for example on politics. The book is rich in well-founded observations and reasoning, while at the same time staying away from speculation or hype. Even if some may contest Castells' interpretations at times, they are always food for thought. They invite to apply the thinking on related phenomena of the network society such as the development of the wireless society or the impact of broadband.For anyone interested in the policy in the network society I can highly recommend this book.Erkki Liikanen