The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, ... (ISBN 0199241538)

really bad sociology:
My understanding is that this book is an accessible summary of the ideas Catsells presents in his three volume magnum opus, the Information Age (which starts with the Network Society). If this is so, I am definitely not missing much by not having read the trilogy. This is a really bad piece of sociology, characterized by a technologically deterministic analysis. Why did I give it two stars instead of one then? Well, it does have some OK parts. Catsell's analysis of the origins of the internet is an interesting bit of the sociology of technology and what saves the book from pure technological determinism. He also presents some convincing data (gathered by other people) that use of the internet for socializing does not suck people into an on-line world, alienating them from the world of face-to-face interaction; this happens in the case of a few troubled people, but most people use the internet to enhance their already existing off-line relationships. The rest of the book basically argues that the network format of the internet is reshaping the rest of society in its image, with everything from big business to governments to social movements adopting a network form in response to the rise of this new technology. This is, frankly, ludicrous reductionism. It doesn't even stand up to a simple test of chronology--a lot of the developments that Castells argues are driven by the internet predate the explosion of ist usage in the mid-1990s. As Castells himself admits, businesses were already taking on more of a network form before the internet appeared big time on the scene, and social movement scholars have shown the same is true of transnational social movements. On top of this, Castells shows an effusive enthusiasm for all things networked, whether they be transnational corporations or the transnational social movements that oppose these same corporations. I'm really at a loss to understand how one can enthuse about both of these opposed phenomena. Castells does see some of the problems with the new network society--loss of job security and the digital divide, for instance--but he tends to downplay these. And his solution to these problems tends to come down to more of the same--more internet access, more network social organization. Talk about a narrow vision.

Average:
I would recommend the Internet Galaxy to a person who is conducting or going to conduct a research about the Internet because the author provides tons of information in depth which could be a good background for that person. This could be a huge source of reference as well. Some chapter is interesting such as the Culture of the Internet that let us know more about the characteristic of network society (some context you can just skip it). Some chapter is up to date and it may refer to the current issue such as Digital Divide or is the Internet the end of privacy? You may find an answer here. Some chapter is too redundant and not necessary to know for some students. For someone who is really interested in what the Internet impacts us, this book could raise some points for you to further think or question about. However, if you just want to know superficially what the Internet is or what it is used nowadays I suggest to find another easy-reading Internet dummy book.

Whitewater Review:
I found this book to be very informative for those that don't know much about the internet, but for those with knowledge about the internet i would not suggest this books. Castell makes some very good points, but they are over shadowed by how repetitive his writing style is. The best chapter in this book is on e-business, he very hit a homerun with this chapter. Although for the most part this book didn't teach me much that i did not already know about the internet. The last three chapter of this book could have easily been left out to save readers for repetitive writing. Overall, I feel this book is appropriate for new users of the internet, but for those that have a working knowledge of the internet I would not suggest this book.

Too Much Redundant Info and in need of a serious update:
I felt like Castell's book was a bit dry and in need of some serious updating. Since the first version of this book came out 2001, a great deal has changed with the Internet. A lot of the information is common knowledge now. Although there was a great amount of detail, it seemed redundant and obvious. The chapters on the creation of the Internet and it's history were the most painful to read through (chapter 1-2). The information on how the Internet is used appropriately (chapter 3 on e-business) and how it is misused were interesting (ie people misrepresenting themselves in chat rooms, chap. 4 and 6). The fact that the geography reaches many different people in different countries was definitely not needed. This is just one example of common knowledge. The fact that communication may be going down hill in the fact that more people communicate now through e-mail rather than merely speaking to one another is another observation, thanks to Captain Obvious, Castells. As I stated previously, I would be interested in seeing an updated version of this book and a comparision of how things have changed since this book was first written. Out of 5 stars, I would give it 1 1/2, at best.

A bunch of common sense:
After reading through Internet Galaxy by Manuel Castells all I got out of it was some fancy lingo. There are so many new tech terms in this book that it was hard to understand at times. I am sure that this is great research and it is a well written book, but I got very little out of it. For the most part it was common sense and repetitive. If I were looking for something to put me to sleep or new nothing about the internet I would read this book.