[ecrea] New Paperback Edition of Digital Disconnect

Digital Disconnect—new paperback edition…

This is the work of a deep-thinking scholar who draws on a reservoir of 
media history scholarship and contemporary internet literature… an 
immensely impressive and highly recommended examination of modern 
communications and economic power.
—Digital Journalism

My acclaimed new book Digital Disconnect is now available in paperback. 
It is a comprehensive political-economic critique of the Internet and 
the digital revolution, written in unpretentious and engaging language. 
Digital Disconnect is written for the general public and is ideal for 
classroom use. It is the crowning achievement of my career. In the book, 
I assess:

* the secretive policy decisions that led the Internet to being a center 
of commerce and profit-making
* the rise of gigantic monopolistic firms like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, 
and Google to complete dominance, and what this means going forward for 
our economics, politics and culture
* the crucial relationship between these gigantic firms and the 
surveillance work of the National Security Agency
* how surveillance is built into the commercial Internet, and how this 
is radically transforming advertising and commerce
* the dramatic decline in journalism and why the Internet will not solve 
the problem—and only make matters worse unless there is smart public 
spending on journalism
* how the digital economy is destroying more decent paying jobs than it 
is creating, and is therefore aggravating the great economic crisis 
facing the nation, and, especially, young people
* a series of proposals to address the problems highlighted in the book

To learn more about Digital Disconnect—including reviews and interviews 
with me—or to purchase the book, click here.

Thanks for your time. If you read the book or use it in a class I would 
welcome your feedback.

Bob McChesney
Digital Disconnect Website
Powell's Books

Amazon
IndieBound.org

Praise for Digital Disconnect…
No one knows this field better than McChesney, and with this book he has 
reached the pinnacle.

—Matthew Rothschild,
editor, The Progressive

The book offers a superb understanding of the political-economic 
conditions and political and cultural implications of the current 
digital world. It is a highly significant, socially relevant, and timely 
contribution to media and culture studies...and is accessible to a broad 
readership. This reviewer strongly recommends it to everyone interested 
in (re)creating and improving the public sphere and political democracy 
in America and other countries that face similar challenges.

—Journal of American Culture

This work truly sets the standard for Internet policy books. Anyone 
serious about Internet affairs would be well served to master the 
content in order to have a realistic grasp of what the current state of 
the Internet is and where it is headed.

—The Great Kladderadatsch

This book does not break from the general thrust of McChesney's long 
career, but it does tread new ground by focusing his sharp analysis on 
the Internet. Ultimately, students, scholars, and activists can gain 
much from this work.

—Choice

As always, McChesney produces a wealth of figures to support his case, 
and his arguments for a more democratic internet should be heeded by 
anyone interested in the future of journalism.

—CounterFire

McChesney has written or edited over twenty books, all of which seem to 
circle around the same common themes that Digital Disconnect combines 
into one sleek, carefully plotted and meticulously researched package.

—Boiling Frogs
Once again, McChesney stands at the crossroads of media dysfunction and 
the denial of democracy, illuminating the complex issues involved and 
identifying a path forward to try to repair the damage. Here’s hoping 
the rest of us have the good sense to listen this time.

—Eric Alterman, The Nation

The breadth and reach of this book is immense and its ability to cover 
and touch upon diverse topics at the intersection of the Internet, 
capitalism, and democracy is commendable. The book is well-researched 
and draws on an incredible wealth of information.

—Work Organisation,
Labour and Globalisation

For its thorough research, its engaging prose, and its theoretical and 
practical relevance, Digital Disconnect should therefore join the list 
of must-read texts penned by McChesney during his illustrious career.

—International Journal of Communication

The book is well-written, impeccably organized, and argued forcibly with 
relevant and instructive examples.… It is a worthwhile read for anyone 
who cares about the role of the Internet in our democracy.

—Journal of Broadcasting
and Electronic Media

McChesney cogently lays out grim Internet realities…Compared to Digital 
Disconnect, the standard media critiques of the Internet are fairy tales.

—CommonDreams

It is a book stuffed full of insights, at times disturbing, with its 
revelations about the way giants Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and 
Amazon develop strategies to entrench their market dominance and attempt 
to own consumers’ ‘every waking moment,’ aided and abetted by lax 
government enforcement and deregulation.

—Free Press (UK)

---------------
ECREA-Mailing list
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier and ECREA.
--
To subscribe, post or unsubscribe, please visit
http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
URL: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~ncarpent/
--
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
Chaussée de Waterloo 1151, 1180 Uccle, Belgium
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
---------------