Product Description

Social critics and artificial intelligence experts have long prophesized that computers and robots would soon relegate humans to the dustbin of history. Many among the general population seem to have shared this fear of a dehumanized future. But how are people in the twenty-first century actually reacting to the ever-expanding array of gadgets and networks at their disposal? Is computer anxiety a significant problem, paralyzing and terrorizing millions, or are ever-proliferating numbers of gadgets being enthusiastically embraced? "Machines that Become Us," now in paperback, explores the increasingly intimate relationship between people and their personal communication technologies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1911222 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 346 pages

Review
"A valuable addition to our growing understanding of the wide-ranging implications of new technologies.... Machines That Become Us offers a rich compendium of insights into why we think new machines both 'improve' and 'jumble' our lives." - Steve Woolgar, Chair of Marketing, Said Business School, University of Oxford "Machines That Become Us is very much focused on the empirical understanding of information technologies. This kind of work is sorely needed as such technologies become more and more present in everyday life. James Katz is to be commended for putting together a highly successful volume." - Mark Poster, professor of history, University of California, Irvine "Machines That Become Us represents a major interdisciplinary work.... The process of machines 'becoming us' no longer can be left to cognitive or computer sciences alone, but needs a deep, global view focusing on social practices, including everyday changes in human life; that is what Katz's book does with theoretical passion." - Patrizia Calefato, professor, Dipartimento di Pratiche linguistiche e analisi di testi, Universita degli studi di Bari"

About the Author
James E. Katz is professor of communication at the School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies at Rutgers University. He is the author of Connections: Social and Cultural Studies of the Telephone in American Life, available from Transaction.

Customer Reviews

An intriguing collection
Social critics and artificial intelligence experts have predicted physical and emotional links between robot and human for decades, also sharing fears of a dehumanized future as a result. Katz gathers articles that address these concepts, considering if computer anxiety is creating more problems than it causes and exploring connections between people and their personal communication devices. Machines That Become Us considers the advancing age of cyber-technology and robotics, considering everything from personal digital assistants and mobile phones to wearable computers, implants, and various mobile technologies. An intriguing collection is created which goes beyond the usual concept of the human/robot meld to consider how everyday computer-driven devices are changing our lives.