Making the Information Society

* Since the Pilgrims: An information culture

From broadsides to broadcasts, from the telegraph to the Internet, nothing is more American than information

* Information and democracy

How the information revolution may flow naturally from respect for the rights of individuals, free speech, and a love of law and democracy

* Work, play, and faith

How Americans are learning to leverage information technology in every significant aspect of their lives

* The role of technology

How technological developments shape the possibilities for using information

* The future of information

What next for the information revolution?

If Alexis de Tocqueville were writing about America in the information age, this is the book he'd write. In Making the Information Society, Dr. James Cortada offers profound new perspective on the meaning of the information age in American society.

Cortada is uniquely positioned to write this book: he is both a leading authority on the history of information technology and a long-time IBM technology consultant toleading corporations. In Making the Information Society, he steps back from the hurly-burly of the Internet, current technological advance, and stock market churn, viewing the broad sweep of change related to information technology, and the unparalleled impact of information on American society. Cortada takes on questions like:

• Why did the information revolution take root in America first?
• Why have Americans been uniquely receptive to the promises of information technology?
• How is American creativity leveraging information technology in every slice of life, from work to play to religion?
• What's likely to happen next, as the information age continues to evolve at breakneck speed?

Cortada's observations about the realities of information technology are grounded firmly in American culture, and his look into the future offers thought-provoking reading for anyone who wants to make sense of the information revolution—a revolution that's far from finished.

Contents

• Preface
• An introduction to the long trip to the information age
• The long trip to the information age
• Big Gizmos, new tools, and a changing way of life, 1950-1995
• America's love affair with the Internet
• How information is playing a bigger role in American work
• Information and leisure activities
• Information and religion
• Public policy and information
• A digital democracy
• The future of information in America
• Leveraging information for fun and profit
• Learning more about info-America
• Index