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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
Fantastic future oriented ideas in a badly overwritten book.
So, this book is important, thoughtful, and educational. It puts forward a compelling argument in favor of digital privacy (focusing largely on human dignity, autonomy, happiness, and the preservation of democracy). It is well researched. I struggled with what to give it, though, because it is a slog. It should be 1/3 of the length. If the author cut out the buzzwords, and kept only the substance, it would be a much more effective piece. On writing and argumentation style alone, I would give it two stars. But, it is too important and informative for anything less than 4. Can someone please write a cliff notes version?
When I finished TAOSC last night, I knew that I just had finished an important book. The accumulation of data by Google, Facebook, Twitter and other internet giants has changed, and will further change, society from the ground-up. The question is: how much control will we have over the data and how it is used? Who has the power? As Zuboff asks: Who knows? Who decides? Who decides who decides?
The book is divided in three parts. The first part (The Foundation of Surveillance Capitalism) traces the origins of SC (the stories of Google and Facebook are told here). The second part (The Advance of Surveillance Capitalism) describes how the internet giants (again Google, Facebook in particular) invaded every part of our lives and how it dealt with criticism. The last part (Instrumentarian Power for a Third Modernity) is rather theoretical but I felt that it is an essential part of TAOSC: How will SC affect democracy? How will a future society look like if SC is left unchecked? Chapter 16, in which Zuboff describes how we can witness life in a SC society (she calls it the "hive") by watching our children growing up, left me deeply worried that many politicians are too slow (unwillingly but possibly also willingly) in understanding the impact of unchecked SC on society.
I have given the book 5 stars because I feel this is an important book and should be widely read. But it is a long book, possibly too long. The points made in this book can be written down in a book half that length. I found reading it hard work, but I can recommend TAOSC highly. If you are looking for a similar but shorter book on this topic, I recommend Jamie Bartlett's book "The People vs Tech" , but Zuboff goes much deeper.
The book is divided in three parts. The first part (The Foundation of Surveillance Capitalism) traces the origins of SC (the stories of Google and Facebook are told here). The second part (The Advance of Surveillance Capitalism) describes how the internet giants (again Google, Facebook in particular) invaded every part of our lives and how it dealt with criticism. The last part (Instrumentarian Power for a Third Modernity) is rather theoretical but I felt that it is an essential part of TAOSC: How will SC affect democracy? How will a future society look like if SC is left unchecked? Chapter 16, in which Zuboff describes how we can witness life in a SC society (she calls it the "hive") by watching our children growing up, left me deeply worried that many politicians are too slow (unwillingly but possibly also willingly) in understanding the impact of unchecked SC on society.
I have given the book 5 stars because I feel this is an important book and should be widely read. But it is a long book, possibly too long. The points made in this book can be written down in a book half that length. I found reading it hard work, but I can recommend TAOSC highly. If you are looking for a similar but shorter book on this topic, I recommend Jamie Bartlett's book "The People vs Tech" , but Zuboff goes much deeper.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Love the contents and what I learned from it, however the author unnecessarily extends the length of the book.
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Get used to the word milieux.
This book is a bulwark to our constant surveillance. I’m so happy it exists, despite making me grasp how thoroughly over a barrel we are.
This book is a bulwark to our constant surveillance. I’m so happy it exists, despite making me grasp how thoroughly over a barrel we are.
informative
slow-paced
This book could have easily been 1/4-1/3 the length it was. Over 700 pages (24 hours audiobook) and so much of it was repetitive or prolonged metaphors. The first 70% of this book didn't seem to know what the overall thesis was other than "surveillance capitalism is bad".
It wasn't linear. It seemed to jump around from company to company and technology to technology. There was an entire chapter on authoritarian/totalitarian regimes of the 20th century that seemed unnecessary. I feel like a well stated argument could have summarized the attempted comparison much more succinctly.
Considering the volume, I was shocked at how little substantive material this book actually contained. It was full of overwrought metaphors that detracted from the overall message.
I would have likely rated this book much higher if the content had been better edited. Such a narrow scope should not have taken this long to communicate.
It wasn't linear. It seemed to jump around from company to company and technology to technology. There was an entire chapter on authoritarian/totalitarian regimes of the 20th century that seemed unnecessary. I feel like a well stated argument could have summarized the attempted comparison much more succinctly.
Considering the volume, I was shocked at how little substantive material this book actually contained. It was full of overwrought metaphors that detracted from the overall message.
I would have likely rated this book much higher if the content had been better edited. Such a narrow scope should not have taken this long to communicate.
slow-paced
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced