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Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans In The Age Of Connection (2013)

by Ethan Zuckerman(Favorite Author)

3.45 of 5 Votes: 6

ISBN

0393082830 (ISBN13: 9780393082838)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

review 1: I think that for someone that is not intimately familiar with the many ways that life online has transformed our global world, much insight would be gained from this book. The information presented by the author, mid-read, that recounts some basic theories of mass communication, gate-keeping and the press bored me, because of my professional familiarity with the literature. There were some new ideas and ways of looking at networking online that I found interesting and well presented. For some reason though, I found the ideas dis-jointed and was unable to find a coherent thesis that linked the chapters in this book. I would recommend this book to someone who wanted to know more about the impact of the internet on our world, but note that this book is a beginning, and no... moret the last word on "the Age of Connection". The title is mis-leading in that the focus is not on "Digital Cosmopolitans" which I assumed referenced users, rather this is a disjointed look at some very interesting current theories with related real-world outcomes.
review 2: I thought the content of this book was interesting. However, I really couldn't get over the fact that the author just assumes that the reader wants (or should want) to be a digital cosmopolitan. I'm not saying I don't think being one would be great, but he directly alludes to the "caring problem" that needs to be overcome and provides no suggestions to get there. I'm not one to consider myself to be all that cosmopolitan - at least not in the sense that the author describes one as (i.e. an emphasis on global/cultural awareness). I think a lot about the fact that I should read the news more but I have a hard time motivating myself to. This book provided no such motivation. I spent the entire book being mad and indignant at the authors assumptions that being a cosmopolitan in the way he describes is a superior way to live and something we should aspire to. I do honestly think there are merits and benefits to exposing oneself to diversity, but the author really doesn't spell these out at all and I don't think it should be left up to me to guess why I should suddenly care about things I don't currently care about. The author brings up the fact that it's hard to care about topics that are unfamiliar to us but then provides no suggestions as to why we SHOULD care and if we should, how to get ourselves to do so. less

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