This book by the philosopher and computer scientist Jaron Lanier could be characterised as his summa technologiae. That said, it is probably not as easy a read as Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica. The book is divided into nine parts, with numerous subheadings that, one suspects, are there to give some respite from the opaque, rambling writing as Lanier meditates on all things web-based and their influence on humanity. It is arguable whether readers will find their endeavours radically rewarded in reading subchapters such as "Interpersonal Economic Symmetry Through Theatrics" and "Creepiness Thrives on the Quest for Utopia" or having to cogitate on lines such as "Don't worry exclusively about the past forms of power; worry also about the future forms." (So we should worry about all forms of power?) Lanier's software did not run on this reviewer's operating system.
