Disconnected: Haves and Have-Nots in the Information Age

Rating:
Summary: Shows that information access and usability is many-layered
Review: Lots of messages from the media, businesses, and government push access to new media and information technology. This book, written by a computer scientist, doesn't dismiss the importance of technology by any means -- but Wresch shows that there's a lot more to information and participation than having a radio or a modem. The difference between the affluent and the poor lies in the kinds of information offered (for instance, you can easily get stock quotes -- but not pointers to social services for welfare recipients), access to traditional sources like universities, and even "who you know." Wresch sees the problem of information poverty on many levels; this means that some of the topics are only loosely related (for instance, why American TV shows and movies beat out local programming around the world) but there's a new insight in every chapter.