Cyburbia

James Harkin is Director of Talks at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and writes regularly for the GUARDIAN and the FINANCIAL TIMES

** 'Just what the doctor ordered for a world in thrall to the online revolution: a bracing, sharp-eyed examination of how technology and the ideas that drive it are reshaping every corner of our culture. A fresh, sane and fascinating look at how we are changing - for good and ill - in the age of the Net' Carl Honore, author of IN PRAISE OF SLOW and UNDER PRESSURE ** 'In the seventeenth century the way humans conceived of the world was radically transformed by the new mechanical philosophy that used the machine as a metaphor. In this truly fascinating book James Harkin shows how our consciousness is being reshaped again by a new metaphor - the cyberworld of the computer. Humans thought they were creating a new world with computers, but Harkin argues that computers have created a new human. It's a mind-altering read' Clive Hamilton, author of SCORCHER and AFFLUENZA ** 'Fascinating ... essential reading for anyone who needs to understand how communication between people is being impacted by technology, and how that technology is completely changing the way we live. In other words, this book is a must-read for everyone. It will change the way you look at society, your business and even your own life' Peter Sheahan, author of GENERATION Y and FLIP! 'James Harkin's elegant re-framing of our internet culture ... Harkin makes a convincing case' Pat Kane, INDEPENDENT 'We are morbidly afraid of disconnection. It is, Harkin argues persuasively, both a wonderful and a sinister new stage in the evolution of human society' Rafael Behr, OBSERVER 'Fascinating and slightly disturbing' WBQ 'Harkin is a fine guide to the alleys and dark spaces of Cyburbia' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Lively and enjoyable' James Montgomery, FINANCIAL TIMES 'Intriguing ... Cyburbia has become a meeting point for assorted freaks and weirdos, from Islamist radicals posting information about how to construct home-made bombs to anorexics giving one another tips on how to lose weight' Charles Cumming, MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A swift-moving history. A persuasive book, and a brave step in thinking about the mess we may have all got ourselves into' Nicholas Blincoe, DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Entertaining, engaging and well-argued ... Cyburbia is just the sort of corrective to the blind technology of the networked world' BBC FOCUS