Discount Shopping Online :: Books The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google : :

The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google
by: Nicholas Carr

List Price: $25.95

Amazon.com's Price: $17.13

You Save: $8.82 (34%)
Prices subject to change.

Used Price: $13.00
Third Party New Price: $15.00

Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 303.4834
EAN: 9780393062281
ISBN: 0393062287
Label: W. W. Norton
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 276
Publication Date: January 07, 2008
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Sales Rank: 3845
Studio: W. W. Norton

Related Items:

Editorial Review:

Product Description:
An eye-opening look at the new computer revolution and the coming transformation of our economy, society, and culture.

A hundred years ago, companies stopped producing their own power with steam engines and generators and plugged into the newly built electric grid. The cheap power pumped out by electric utilities not only changed how businesses operated but also brought the modern world into existence. Today a similar revolution is under way. Companies are dismantling their private computer systems and tapping into rich services delivered over the Internet. This time it's computing that's turning into a utility. The shift is already remaking the computer industry, bringing new competitors like Google to the fore and threatening traditional stalwarts like Microsoft and Dell. But the effects will reach much further. Cheap computing will ultimately change society as profoundly as cheap electricity did. In this lucid and compelling book, Nicholas Carr weaves together history, economics, and technology to explain why computing is changing—and what it means for all of us.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- The future of computing?
Nice discussion/analogy of the history of electric power generation and the future of computers. Not sure if we'll get to where the author claims, but the trend is there.

Maybe it's time to sell Microsoft stock?

Rating:

- The first six chapters are stellar
The Big Switch started out as one of the most interesting books I've read in a while. In part one Carr presents a terrific analogy between electricity and the Internet as general purpose technologies. Unfortunately part two is just as dull as part one is compelling. Part one succeeds in my view because it's an effective historical analogy rich in comparisons and historical insight. In part two Carr highlights the many of the issues raised by the development of Internet as a utility (i.e., loss of privacy). I think what's missing is the lack of solutions or unique insight. The first six chapters are stellar; I'd skim the rest.

Rating:

- Really two books in one
For those who know or care about the infrastructure undergirding our technology revolution, this is a must-read book. The thesis is simple: we're at a tipping point where "utility computing" will quickly replace in-house data centers. It sounds simple, but the implications are not. The first half of the book lays out and describes the revolution, sometimes in breathless terms. The second half is much darker, however, detailing projected consequences. The author points out that a number of popular websites these days have nearly zero staff--the content comes from users and the infrastructure is rented utility computing from the likes of Google and Amazon. This means that huge online businesses do not translate to employment. In the past, when industries, such as electrical utilities, have undergone major transformation, people lost jobs, but new jobs were available using different skills. The author has a ... Read More

Rating:

- future view is flawed
I found this book interesting when it covered the time period from 1870's to current day (2008). When the author began to discuss possible futures, I thought he was unrealistic and pessimistic. I do not think his forcasts are grounded in any sort of a good understanding of technology and are not to useful.

Overall this book is worth reading but the author should have stopped at the current time; his future views really distract from the quality of the book.

Discount Shopping Online Books and Publications

Books : The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google
Books and Publications Average Rating:

Search the web for info about The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google

Discount Shopping Online Books and Publications

Books : The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to GoogleBooks and Publications Average Rating:

Search the web for info about The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google

Books : The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google
Books and Publications Average Rating: