Content: Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright, and the Future of the Future

Cory Doctorow

Language: English

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Published: Sep 2, 2008

Description:

From Booklist

Doctorow here proves he’s smart, funny, and good at accessibly boiling down issues he’s passionate about. On topics ranging from fanfic (readers’ additions to their favorite authors’ creations, usually online) to the terrible business model Microsoft presents by treating customers like potential thieves from the beginning, Doctorow moves to the forefront of conversations likely to determine how creators and audiences are able to use new technologies. He compares Internet content-management problems to similar technological snafus—such as the transition from live performance to radio, and from manuscript to printed books—and how the established order of the day reacted, demonstrating his grasp of the ways in which history repeats itself and how we can use the lessons of history to cope with further changes in the exchange of information. Doctorow excels in writing short forms, the essay no less than the short story, making this collection a pleasure to read, not to mention thought-provoking. --Regina Schroeder

Review

"Doctorow here proves he's smart, funny, and good at accessibly boiling down issues he's passionate about . . . a pleasure to read, not to mention thought-provoking."  —Booklist

"Cory Doctorow straps on his miner's helmet and takes you deep into the caverns and underground rivers of pop culture."  Neil Gaiman, author, American Gods

"We should all hope and trust that our culture has the guts and moxie to follow this guy. He's got a lot to tell us."  —Bruce Sterling, author, Zeitgeist

"Cory Doctorow is the apotheosis of what we talk about when we talk about the Web."  —SF Site

"If all those Generation Z and proto-Singularity kids reading Doctorow's Little Brother also find their way to Content, this book may well become a classic."  —mattselznick.com

"The most articulate and accessible writer engaged in these topics."  —Time Out Chicago

"A nice collection of essays."  —TeleReads

"More than just insightful, brilliant, and to the point—it's also funny and fun to read."  —Electronic Frontier Foundation