How the Communications Revolution is Changing Our Lives - Book Report/Review Example

? Number: Lecturer: Introduction In this paper we are going to review the book d The Death of Distance: How the Communications Revolution is Changing Our Lives. The book tries to show modern day technology has completely revolutionalized human life as the technology is applied in many aspects of society, how communication is reducing barriers that have been in existence before and how fast communication can get. With the introduction of internet and wireless technology distance between people with be a click away and even to the remotest of places on earth communication will bring people together and closer than ever before witnessed with the application in every day lives and in doing business. The book does not have a specific caliber of readers in mind but it can be used everywhere from home, to business application and academically. The work is based on two researches that was done about telecommunications. This edition (second) contains 70% new material from the first meaning there is a paradigm shift in technology to warrant the additional information. (Cairncross 257). It has been authored by Francess Cairncross, a journalist with The Economist and as she was writing the book she was a management editor. She is an accomplished author and a professional journalist with a career spanning out for many years. She has also authored a book by the name The Company of the Future published in 2002 by Harvard Business School Press. As a journalist she was awarded Institute of Internal Auditors for business and management journalism. Currently she is serving in boards of many institutions as a president or member of a fellow. Professionally, she holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Brown University, Rhode Island and A Bachelor of Modern History from St. Ann’s College, Oxford. She has been awarded by the state (United Kingdom) the Order of the British Empire as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). The book is a publication of Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Massachusetts in the United States of America and it is a second edition from the first that was first published in 1997. It was first published in Great Britain by Texere Publishing Limited in London, England. It contains 317 pages selling at $16.95 while the first edition contained 303 pages. From the table of contents the book has attempted to outline the author has attempted to capture all issues that the topic seeks to address form a fast changing society, how the changes are impacting on the economy and government and the culture of people. Some of the issues being discussed are how transport revolution, voice video data and internet is impacting the society and how the society is reacting to the changes. It shows how the world is changing, then how it impacting on government and governance, how it impacts the economy and lastly how the societal culture is affected. (Bowden 89}. Discussion As has been alluded earlier the book academically seeks to answer questions from business, economics, business communication, general corporate business, information and communication, telecommunications, general technology and engineering, social aspects of the society and general computing. From the title the words ‘death of distance’ will give any reader the a clear idea of what the book will tackle as it seeks to show how people are distant apart all over the world or are in any remote place on earth the distance between them will be smaller and smaller with how technology out of communication revolution is becoming part of everyday human life such that they are better connected and can communicate easily. The society is changing as the communication enables them to exchange ideas. The book begins by explaining how telecommunication and transportation changed from crude means in the early 20th century from invention of the first automobile in 1910 to evolve over a period of twenty five years when mass production started to the present day cars with a clutch, gearbox and brakes to the present super cars with high speeds. With it brought paving of roads, people travelling faster, railways evolved from steam engines to modern day electric/petrol powered fast moving trains able to deliver at a cost effective manner goods and people to a distant location in cities and country side. Air transport transformed from low capacity aeroplanes of the 1940s travelling over short distances to modern day high capacity jets transporting many passenger over long haul distances. (Cairncross 257). Communication began from people send in person to deliver information in distant places often walking by foot, then it went to mail before proceeding to telegraph. It was succeeded by the telephone line and broadcast over radio but innovations have culminated into modern day cellular wireless telephony and computers through which internet has enabled communication to take place in one platform delivering voice, data and video at the same time over high-capacity and speed fiber-optic cable and digital compression network. All these, from the book, have killed distance between two individuals or groups of people. All changes in transport and communication, the author tries to portray as revolutions which have come to increase efficiency, production and quality to reach unprecedented levels never witnessed before. The author supports her arguments by using research done on several issues including how internet is increasing its usage, how cellular prepaid phones are frequently used by the populations on subscriptions and penetration. On governance, transformation has helped improve governance owning to changing balance between governments and the subjects because of free communication channels. People become more informed and are able to mobilize themselves from the grassroots to overhaul how they are governed. The governments too will be in a position to deliver services in a better way. The author also wants to portray the a new dimension of how society is dramatically changing as physical borders are being dismantled in that people of all races, creed, religion and geographical locations interact irrespective of their locations. Socially societies have changed with adapting new life styles impacting both positively and negatively. (Cairncross 257). It has improved knowledge and enlightening in education by the populace but equally morality has taken the opposite direction as morally degrading content is available online with the society bearing the brunt from crime, sexuality and disrespect to the norms and values. Though the books view is a bit outdated since the year of publication owing to the dramatic change technology has undergone since then. Media changed a lot since then and the book can only be used in researching what happened in the 20th century. Innovations then took some time but these days developments change by the day with very many communication gadgets flooding the market with customers spoilt for choice. But it does noes highlight the problems associated with e-waste as it results in plastic, silicon and other from such gadgets are being thrown away as fast as they acquired in the market. Internet potent a new way of shopping and auctioning in a different marketplace as changes take place as there will no be physical shops where shoppers would get goods from resulting in no infrastructure development no jobs for shop attendants. Shopping happens online with goods becoming cheaper. Online shopping provide a platform to critique a product which may grow a product of kill it outright with negative feedback. Conclusion The book tries to take through the reader how technology has changed the way things are done. Life ease easier with technology due to improved communication, giving the title the credibility it deserves in that the distance between persons or groups of people is becoming smaller. Society is equally changing very fast to adapt and apply the new means of communication in their ever day life causing betterment of living standards due to improved lifestyles. (Cairncross 257). The book overly dwells on the positives of technology so much so that it seems it is the only way to go forgetting the immense problems that it has come with it. These days problems with technology moves at a rate information spreads around the world. Major road accidents are caused by over speeding vehicles, criminal in far countries export crime easily, cyber crime are so rampant causing governments and business services like banks are brought down by cyber criminals on daily basis. Terrorists are using technology to plan and carry out attacks causing unprecedented life loss. These are the issues that the book does not give much consideration with the attention that the author gave to the positives of technology. Works Cited Bowden, John. Writing a Report: How to Prepare, Write and Present Effective Report. United Kingdom. Oxford. How to Books Ltd. 2004. Cairncross, Frances. Death of Distance: How the Communications Revolution is Changing Our Lives. USA. Massachusetts. Harvard Business School Press. 2001. Read More