The Information Age: Power of Identity v.2: Economy, Society and Culture: Power of Identity Vol 2 Information Age Series: Amazon.co.uk: Manuel Castells: Books

Review

"Not since Weber has there been such a determined and largely successful effort to bring to bear the results and analytical perspectives of all the social sciences on the evolution of society." Chris Freeman, University of Sussex.

"These three volumes represent a staggering undertaking. Castells has attempted nothing less than to take stock of our entire contemporary world. He has succeeded beyond any reasonable expectation. Truly global in scope, yet sacrificing nothing of the concreteness and detail without which enterprises of this kind can be empty and unsatisfying, this trilogy must rank as one of the great works of ′grand theory′ of our time." Krishan Kumar, University of Virginia.

"... the first great philosopher of cyberspace, a big thinker in the European tradition who can nonetheless tell the difference between a bit and a browser." G. Pascal Zachary, Wall Street Journal, Europe.

"This is a magesterial effort to paint a comprehensive view of the current–day world society in all its political, economic, social and cultural aspects, as well as its developmental tendencies.... the best candidate available for the role of main reference book for the next century." Zygmunt Bauman, Universities of Leeds and Warsaw.

"Manuel Castells, one of the age′s most extraordinary thinkers, is the guru′s guru." The Guardian.

"The Information Age may be the most important analysis of the interaction between technology, economics, politics and religion ever produced." Cliff Barney, Upside.

"The Information Age trilogy stands as a synthesis of Castell′s work over the past two decades. As such, it is an excellent source for students and academics alike, offering a range of accessible and usable introductions to the work of one of the most influential theorists. It highlights the achievements of recent global scholarship, while pointing its readers – whether they be advanced level, undergraduate or graduate students, or more established researchers and teachers – towards exciting and challenging research terrains. It is a book which will accompany us into the new millennium and beyond, helping us to make sense of the puzzling mix of newness and the ever–the–same which is 21st century capitalism. A new world indeed." Alan Latham, University of Auckland.

"So full are the shelves now with shallow and indulgent works on the postmodern condition, essays trapped in their own technological determinism or narrow moralism or political wishful thinking, that it has seemed unlikely that a space would be found for an enduring work of sociology examining the new world as it is changing. But Manuel Castells has found and filled that space on the shelf – and for a long time to come." Anthony Smith, THES.

"A magnum opus if there ever was one, these three books together constitute, in my view, the finest piece of contemporary social analysis to come available for at least a generation. The Information Age, written by Castells at the height of his intellectual power, launches him into the pre–eminence of those whose work must be read by anyone seriously engaged with trying to make sense of the world today." Frank Webster, The British Journal of Sociology.

Review

"Every now and then one reads a book of social science that is uplifting and mind expanding. These books are ambitious and lustrous, teaching us much about our world. Such is this work from the brilliant sociologist Manuel Castells. There is no other sociological work today that brings together in one panoramic expanse so many of the changes now occurring. This is a story not simply of global economic change, but of cultural upheavals. It is a tale not simply of the decline of sovereign states, but of the emergence of the new bases of power. And it is a narrative not merely about computer technology or the media, but of the very terms in which those agents work."
–Anthony M. Orum, Contemporary Sociology

"A magnum opus if ever there was one. In my view, the finest piece of contemporary social analysis for at least a generation."
–Frank Webster, British Journal of Sociology

"A truly stunning achievement. A scholar who, with remarkable mastery, has brought his experience over a lifetime to bear on astonishingly diversified data set, pulling them together into a compelling account of the complex relationship between the progressive and the reactionary, the globalizing and particularizing forces that are transforming our perplexing world."
–Benjamin Barber, The Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Reviews --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

A Contemporary take on Toeffler and Naisbitt 17 April 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This book is more the application of the theories expounded by Toeffler (Future Shock and Third Wave) and John Naisbitt (Megatrends) in the context of the Geo-political and Social happenings today. While the concepts are not necessarily new, the application is in depth and conclusions are well founded and statistically well supported. A good read for people in the fields of Science and Technology policy and Socio-psychology.

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0 of 21 people found the following review helpful

No Identity, False information, 18 Feb 2010

By Highlander

This book has two inaccuracies already discovered and I have never read it yet.Frankie Schaeffer,Francis Schaeffer's son wrote the book "A Time for Anger" and Francis August Schaeffer ,his father died in 1984 not 1981.No Identity, false information and doubt caused as to whether one should buy it.Pity because I like to read a book before reviewing it but this made me doubt whether it was worthwhile and was the rest of his stated interest in various identities valid and was it correct information?.These two mistakes, seen in the look inside section do not inspire confidence.Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life

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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

Brave New World 11 Jan 2000

By "denjohnh" - Published on Amazon.com

Castells trilogy, The Information Age, was written in the late 20th century but it is really the first sociology classic of the 21st and, as such, comparable to the masterworks of Durkheim and Weber. The first audacious volume chronicled the rise of a new global order based on a network of information flows. Since Castells views the human species as essentially predatory, some remedial measures are needed to resist the injustices that will arise. This second volume is therefore prescriptive. A masterly presentation of the world's current social movements follows. The author's discussion of the affect of the internet on political action and political campaigns is especially useful. Despite the volatile subject matter, I thought that Castells never quite sacrificed his objectivity although a delicate balancing act does take place throughout the volume. This book and the previous one sometimes read like some great epic of science fiction but it is our own very real world in the 21st century that the author is discussing. As an introduction to our brave new planet, this book could hardly be bettered.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Globalized public sphere 12 Jun 2002

By Suckwoo Lee - Published on Amazon.com

This is the second volume of 'Information Age'. This volume deals with how the social movement has changed through internet and globalization.
The public sphere is where social movement projects itself. The internet has had great impact on the public sphere with its global reach. We's witnessed that kind of potential on the some handful of anti-globalization protest in recent years.
But what has changed is not only the way of protest. According to Touraine's typology, a social movement is defined by three principles: the movement's identity; its adversary; its vision or social model. Globalization transformed the identity of social movement. Zapatistas and recent environmental movements are the graphic examples. Now adversary is not confined to local government, but the government representing the interests of global agencies like TNCs. They oppose their specific identity and the well-being of society against the global adversary. The impact of these movements comes from their media presence and from their effective use of IT. Castells argues that the ability or inability of the state to cope with these challenges will largely condition the future of society in the 21st century.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Time of Change.... ? 9 Jan 2007

By Petr Lupac - Published on Amazon.com

The second book of already classic Castells' trilogy The Information Age, in which the author attempts to reveal structural similarities between various contemporary social movements opposing dominant socioeconomic order. Obviously inspired by Marxist's search for the subject of historical change, Castells tries to infer from these similarities what are necessary prerequisites for the rise of a successful global movement with a positive (constructive) program of social change - change that would remove at least the most serious inequalities and injustice that stem from capitalist logic of today's globalized world. Even if partly unsuccessful in its goal, this book represents very valuable source of sociologically, economically and historically relevant up-to-date (2004) information about contemporary resisting collective identities and their strategies - varying from feminists, Zapata and green movement to Al-Qaeda and Aum Shinrikyo. Castells is successful - although mostly in simplified form - in connecting development of selected collective identities with crisis of modern state, rise of network logic of social organization, development in the mass-media system, and globalization of national economies. This book represents essential reading for all social scientists who are interested in related problems. Because it is very readable and far from being assailed for academic babbling, I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand better the changes of the world we live in.

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The Information Age: Power of Identity v.2: Economy, Society and Culture: Power of Identity Vol 2 (Information Age Series) [Paperback]

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