Making the Information Society; Experience, Consequences, and Possibilities

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2002. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Anthony Gemmellaro (Cover Design). xxiv, 469, [3] pages. Illustrations. Index. Inscription signed by author on fep. The author is associated with the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota. He is a historian specializing in the business and economic history of information and information technologies. He spent over 38 years at IBM in various sales, consulting, management, and executive positions. He is active in the IEEE Computer Society, American Historical Association, and sits on the board of directors of the IT History Society. All these activities have influenced the research he does. Making the Information Society illuminates the complex chain of experiences,consequences, and possibilities that launched the information age in the U.S., and drive it onward today. Dr. James Cortada shows how Americans have leveraged information technology in every area of their lives -- and offers a provocative look at the next phase of this new American revolution. Cortada discusses the changes wrought by information technology on American society. He begins with an overview of the history of information and its associated technologies in the United States. Subsequent chapters examine the role of information in the areas of work, religion, leisure, and politics. Finally, Cortada considers the likely future implications of the digitalization of information.