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Browse Reviews

The Circle by Dave Eggers

By Claire Fitzgerald
October 30, 2013
Dave Eggers’ new novel, “The Circle,” follows 20-something Mae Holland through her first days as a new hire to her increasingly public role at “the most influential company in the world.” By the time Mae steps foot on the company’s 400-acre campus—complete with pristine glass and steel offices, picnic areas, tennis and bocce courts, dorms, parties, a day center and health clinic—the Circle is already well known and admired for having transformed the web by combining social media profiles,…

Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy by Robert McChesney

By Sanjay Asthana
December 9, 2013
The book under review offers persuasive political economic analysis of the Internet, and its complex (and ongoing) inter-relationship with capitalism and democracy in the United States. Placing his work under the rubric of political economy, McChesney charts a detailed analysis of the alliances and interplay between private/public institutions, policy and legislative debates, government, and media conglomerates that have shaped the evolving Internet architecture.

Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World

By Owen King
September 30, 2015
Owen King provides a review of Bruce Schneier's book, "Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World."

Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

By Owen King
February 3, 2017
Owen King provides a review of Cathy O’Neil's book, "Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy."

The Breakup 2.0 by Ilana Gershon

By Sonja Lind
July 24, 2017
While teaching an undergraduate class on language and culture, author Ilana Gershon asked her class to describe "bad" breakups. The answers surprised her: the students all mentioned text message and Facebook breakups. Gershon had her next research project. Over two years, conducted ethnographic interviews with 72 undergraduate students at her university.

Personal Connections in the Digital Age by Nancy Baymson

By Allyn McCalman
September 6, 2017
Personal Connections in the Digital Age by Nancy Baym Polity Press | 2010

In her book, Personal Connections in the Digital Age, Nancy K. Baym describes exactly how we, in this current digital age, are still making personal connections. With six chapters and a conclusion addressing the myth of cyberspace, Baym walks readers through what personal connections can look like in relation to new media and addresses questions associated to mediated relationships.