what just happened

內容簡介

This book of previously published essays by the author ofChaos and Faster is an eclectic chronicle of the informationrevolution's first 10 years. "The last decade of the twentiethcentury came as a surprise," writes James Gleick. What JustHappened shows how surprising it was: in the book's first piece,from 1992, Gleick notes that "a relatively small number of personalcomputer users use Windows." (He's a good sport about it, too,poking fun at himself in an introduction for making such anobsolete observation.) A longish piece on Microsoft from 1995 seemsto correct the problem when Gleick comments on "the ever-advancingboundary of Microsoft's Windows package." Then it goes on to getsomething really right: "Microsoft's own power poses a threat,too--the threat that comes with the self-fulfilling destiny of anymonopolist." That's a prescient observation, considering theantitrust actions taken against the company since those words werewritten. The closing chapter of the book is fascinating andforward-looking; it's not about what just happened but what mayhappen. Gleick anticipates the appearance of wristwatchescontaining "biometric information about your loved ones, so you cansee how your parents are doing." If that doesn't sound excitingenough, consider this prediction: "One can even imagine properlyfunctional motor-vehicle offices." Now that's something to lookforward to. --John Miller --This text refers to an out of print orunavailable edition of this title.

what just happened

基本介紹

內容簡介

圖書目錄

相關詞條

熱門詞條