The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom? 1999. A
nonfiction book by
David Brin. Brin considers what a
free information society would be like, extrapolating the
Big Brother concept of constant
surveillance into a society that he thinks might be far
freer than what we have now.
It's all very
counterintuitive. I went into the book determined to disagree vehemently, and came out rather shaken. Now, even Brin says he's not completely convinced by his arguments, but this is
social thinking at its best: extremely
thought-provoking. Moreover, Brin is an excellent
writer, so the book is a
good read rather than inflated pontificating, mindless rambling, or
Negropontesque
digerati doublespeak.
Everythingites, who are involved in the creation of an
information community, may have a particular interest in this book.
Highly recommended.