Social Technology

John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid show us how to look beyond mere information to the social context that creates and gives meaning to it. Arguing elegantly for the important role that human sociability plays, even - perhaps especially - in the digital world, The Social Life of Information gives us an optimistic look beyond the simplicities of information and individuals.

Consider anybody you know and record the substantial qualities that make that individual interesting to you and unmistakably separate to different individuals you know. Similarly, a brand, for example, Coke or Persil, may have a physical size, shading, and weight. In humans, too, there are noticeable qualities like attire, hair shading, stature, construct, and so on. Then, consider the components of the individual that are, maybe, not as easily obvious. This might be their attitude, character, understanding, and comical inclination - you get the idea.

We’re often told that disinformation is everywhere and that it’s endangering our democracy. But what if the war on disinformation itself is really just a weapon to squash any and all legitimate dissent? The Information State is an incisive examination of how we reached the point where...

An unflinching look at the aspiring city-builders of our smart, mobile, connected future. We live in a world defined by urbanization and digital ubiquity, where mobile broadband connections outnumber fixed ones, machines dominate a new "internet of things," and more people live in cities than in the countryside.

When Pete Etchells was 13, his father died from motor neurone disease. In order to cope, he immersed himself in a virtual world - first as an escape, but later to try to understand what had happened. Etchells is now a researcher into the psychological effects of video games, and was co-author on a recent paper explaining why WHO plans to classify "game addiction" as a danger to public health are based on bad science and (he thinks) are a bad idea. In this, his first book, he journeys through the history and development of video games via scientific study....

After her father died in 2003, Susan Fensten turned to a genealogy message board to search for surviving relatives. Days later, she was delighted to receive an email from someone claiming to be a distant cousin. In fact, Susan had just been ensnared by a relentless sociopath. She soon became the target of an elaborate cyber-hoax involving dozens of frightening characters, including known sex offenders, who made threats of kidnapping, murder, rape, torture, and cannibalism. Remarkable in its complexity, this story of Internet stalking is also a harrowing tale of courage in the face of madness.

“Read this if you want to understand how to shape our technological future and reinvigorate democracy along the way.”—Reed Hastings, cofounder and CEO of Netflix ""A triumph: an analysis of the critical challenges facing our digital society that is as accessible as it is sophisticated.""...

Swallow the Ghost traces the impact of a violent event on three different lives, each interconnected story further complicating the truth. Things are going well for Jane Murphy, or so it seems. She’s making it in New York, a sort of wunderkind at the social media marketing startup where she...

When we make decisions, our thinking is informed by societal norms, “guardrails” guiding our decisions, like the laws and rules that govern us. But what are good guardrails in today’s world of overwhelming information flows and increasingly powerful technologies, such as artificial intelligence? Based on the latest insights from the cognitive sciences, economics, and public policy, Guardrails offers a novel approach to shaping decisions by embracing human agency in its social context.

The key to a booming business is your community. Founder of social media consultancy The Selfhood Daisy Morris is here with the ultimate guide for all the side-hustlers, creators, business owners and freelancers looking to build a genuine community on social media. This audiobook drops the jargon - Daisy will teach you how to take your community on a journey. From brand awareness through to conversion, you will have the confidence to expand your reach while nurturing your existing fans, followers, subscribers and customers to turn them in to loyal and repeat customers.

Have you ever wondered why, despite all the new updates on Facebook, people often forget the simple foundations that made it powerful in the first place? Today, everyone talks about the latest features, algorithm changes, and new trends. But the truth is, Facebook was created many years ago, and its core foundations — the ones that built communities, businesses, and global connections — are often overlooked. This book is not about the newest hacks or the latest shiny tools. Instead, it takes you back to what mattered years ago and shows you how those same basics are still relevant today.

Isaac Kronenberg does it again with another fabulous blogging book that goes above and beyond anything else out there! This latest book by Kronenberg is the most advanced blogging book on the market, teaching nothing but the most effective blogging monetization strategies that exist to get your blog from zero to $2000 a month in 90 days.

Are you ready to transform your passion into profits and build an online empire that thrives in the ever-evolving digital world? In "Blog, Vlog, and Thrive," you’ll discover the ultimate blueprint to not only launch your blog or vlog but to turn it into a passive income machine that earns while you sleep. Whether you're a complete beginner or have been struggling to gain traction, this book gives you the exact strategies, tips, and insider secrets that digital entrepreneurs are using right now to build six-figure businesses in 2024 and beyond!

Between 1817 and 1898, New York City evolved from a vital Atlantic port of trade to the center of American commerce and culture. Although this important urban transformation is well documented, the critical role of select Union soldiers turned New York engineers has, until now, remained largely unexplored.

Discover the science behind the most popular sci-fi franchise of all time. Capturing the imagination and hearts of crowds worldwide, Star Wars is a fantastic feat of science fiction and fantasy. We marvel at the variety of creatures and technology and the mystery behind the force. But how much of the Star Wars world is rooted in reality? Could we see some of the extraordinary inventions materialize in our world?

To a generation in revolt against authority, "Tune in, turn on, drop out" was a mantra, and its popularizer, Dr. Timothy Leary, a guru. A charismatic and brilliant psychologist, Leary became intrigued, and then obsessed, by the effects of psychedelic drugs in the 1960s while teaching at Harvard. What began as research into human consciousness turned into a mission to alter consciousness itself. Timothy Leary is the first major biography of one of the most controversial figures in postwar America.

Chinese society has been shaped by the interplay of the EAST—exams, autocracy, stability, and technology—from ancient times through the present. Beginning with the Sui dynasty's introduction of the civil service exam, known as Keju, in 587 CE—and continuing through the personnel management system used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—Chinese autocracies have developed exceptional tools for homogenizing ideas, norms, and practices. But this uniformity came with a huge downside: stifled creativity.

Bestselling YA author Melinda Salisbury exposes the dark underbelly of new AI technology in this gripping thriller. Freya desperately wants to be a famous influencer, like her former best friend, Hye-jin, but no matter what she does, her posts flop. Until Freya’s stepdad arrives home with...

No matter what you answer, kids will just ask why again. Is your child full of questions? Do you find these questions to test your own knowledge? Well, look no further: Now you have the answers, and they are not boring ones! Encourage your child’s imagination through these fairy tales for children. They will answer some of the common questions that we parents are often asked. The Book of Why for Curious Kids will help you give fun and creative answers to your child’s strangest questions, encouraging them to develop their imagination.

In Artificial You, Susan Schneider says that it is inevitable that AI will take intelligence in new directions but urges that it is up to us to carve out a sensible path forward. As AI technology turns inward, reshaping the brain, as well as outward, potentially creating machine minds, it is crucial to beware. Homo sapiens, as mind designers, will be playing with "tools" they do not understand how to use: the self, the mind, and consciousness.