How Latin America Fell Behind: Essays on the Economic Histories of Brazil and Mexico, 1800-1914

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How Latin America Fell Behind: Essays on the Economic Histories of Brazil and Mexico, 1800-1914
Stephen Haber
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MHSF3K

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This work provides an understanding of agricultural subsidies in the context of the World Trade Organisation and the process of liberalisation in India. It examines the issue from various angles in order to move the reform process forward.

The Subsidy Syndrome in Indian Agriculture

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The Subsidy Syndrome in Indian Agriculture
Ashok Gulati
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKYYEY

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The connective and supportive tissues constitute a considerable amount of the biomass in human and animal organisms. The aim of this book is to contribute to the understanding of the mutual relationship between the mechanical situation of tendons and ligaments and their inner structure.

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Sir Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists of all time, a thinker of extraordinary range and creativity who has left enduring legacies in mathematics and the natural sciences. In this volume a team of distinguished contributors examines the principal aspects of Newton's thought. They include not only his approach to space, time, mechanics, and universal gravity in Principia and his research in optics and mathematics, but also his lesser known clandestine investigations into alchemy, theology, and prophecy.

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Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) was one of the greatest scientists of all time, a thinker of extraordinary range and creativity who has left enduring legacies in mathematics and the natural sciences. In this volume a team of distinguished contributors examine all the main aspects of Newton's thought, including not only his approach to space, time, mechanics, and universal gravity in his Principia, his research in optics, and his contributions to mathematics, but also his more clandestine investigations into alchemy, theology, and prophecy, which have sometimes been overshadowed by his mathematical and scientific interests.

The Cambridge Companion to Newton.(Reseña de libro) : An article from: Revista de Filosofía

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The Cambridge Companion to Newton.(Reseña de libro) : An article from: Revista de Filosofía
Roberto Torretti
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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This digital document is an article from Revista de Filosofía, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 2862 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Cambridge Companion to Newton.(Reseña de libro)
Author: Roberto Torretti
Publication: Revista de Filosofía (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 59 Page: 168(5)

Article Type: Reseña de libro

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Set in Lombardy in the years 1628-30, The Betrothed tells the dramatic tale of two young lovers in a time of war, famine, and plague. Following them through exile and suffering, it displays great richness of characterization and a profound insight into the workings of history and the politics of the time. First published in 1827 as I promessi sposi, The Betrothed is the first modern Italian novel. Alessandro Manzoni was born in Milan to a noble family in 1785; although he was also a poet, he remains best known for The Betrothed. He died in 1873. David Forgacs is a Lecturer in Italian at Cambridge University; he is the author of Rethinking Italian Fascism and A Gramsci Reader. Matthew Reynolds is a Research Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Customer Reviews:

Neglected classic.......2007-10-03

What made me read this, outside of Italy, quite obscure book? Well, Umberto Eco writes highly of it in his On Literature (Harcourt, 2004). Apparently, in Italy it seems to be considered as important as the Divine Comedy.
The Betrothed belongs to historical fiction genre. The story takes place during the years 1628-30. Northern Italy is occupied by Spain, and the Thirty-Year War rages in northern Europe. The narrator claims that he is using an old manuscript as the source for his book. Historical events, like the famine of 1628, the siege of Mantua by the Imperial army in 1630, and the plague the invaders brought with them form the framework around the story in the book. Historical and events are woven into the narrative, some key characters like the Nun of Monza, the "Unnamed", and Cardinal Federico Borromeo are examples of historical characters who interacts with the fictional protagonists.
The story centres around the Renzo and Lucia, the betrothed of the title. Local lord, however, wants Lucia for himself, and forces the village priest not to marry them. After the lord's men try to kidnap Lucia, she, Renzo, and her mother flee. During the escape they get separated, and are caught up in the historical events It will take them two years before they find each other and can marry.
The writing style could be seen as a little bit preachy with an omniscient narrator. Often the narrator breaks the narrative to make a historical or moral expose, often several pages long. Even though sometimes preachy, Manzoni fills his book with a gentle humour. I have some problems with the religiosity of the author: the theme of the book seems to be that God tests us in any which way he wants, but, in the end, if we keep faith in Him everything will turn out fine. The author himself seems to take the role of God as he writes, since he subjects his protagonists to the most strenuous hardships, but in the end, he lets them be reunited since he has also let them keep their faith in God. It seems like Manzoni wrote this book during a period when he himself struggled with his faith.
The opening paragraph of the book gives a birds view of Lake Como, and then gradually zooms down onto the village of Lecco, which is close to the unnamed village of Renzo and Lucia. This perhaps does not sound too exiting, but consider that the book was written in 1842, way before it became commonplace to see the world as if from an airplane.

Among the Dozen Greatest Novels of All Time.......2006-01-31

Manzoni is the preeminent figure of Italian fiction - akin to Cervantes in Spain, Twain in the USA and Hugo in France. Not only was he a fabulous writer, Manzoni was also looked upon as a kind of beloved father figure for the shapers of modern Italy. (Verdi wrote his Requiem to mark the first anniversary of Manzoni's death).

Certainly, with this work, he shaped the Italian language, in much the same way that Martin Luther shaped German with his translation of the Bible.

Although he was also a poet, his well-deserved international reputation rests chiefly upon this book. It is an episodic tale, in a Don Quixote sense, of love between two delighful people, Lucia Mondella and Renzo Tramaglino. Their love persists and prevails, in spite of their separation and nearly every kind of challenge imaginable.

There are religious themes in the book, of course, since it is a faithful rendering of its epoch. These serve to heighten the drama. As the author says in Chapter 38:

"Troubles certainly often arise from occasion afforded by ourselves; but the most cautious and blameless conduct cannot secure us from them; and, when they come confidence in God alleviates them."

Amid the themes of patriotism in the face of Spanish rule and faithfulness that overcomes tyrants, riots and plague, there is no better depiction of leave taking than in this novel. And surely, every Italian immigrant to America must have felt the same stirrings. Indeed, if you have an Italian ancestry, this is your "Roots". Read this book and soak up your heritage, in ways that you cannot elsewhere.

The sad thing is that this is Manzoni's only novel; it is as if Twain had written only Tom Sawyer, or Dickens, only Great Expectations.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

The Betrothed: a great story and great history.......2006-01-21

Don't let the fact that The Betrothed has been labeled a classic, nor its length, stop you from picking it up. It's a darn good read, with very believable characters: good, evil, and mixed. The narrator is lucid, witty, and erudite: a joy to spend time with. The translation I read flowed like a delicious cool stream. The story has both intimate moments and scenes of baroque insanity that seem somehow the progeny of the Barber of Seville and the Keystone Cops.

The third quarter of the book leaves the story entirely to follow the development of the second plague in Milan from the famine years when it began to its demise--leaving 2/3rds of the population dead. Though this is quite a large detour, the descriptions of the world reduced to this hell and the understanding Manzoni brings to bear on it, are no less engrossing than the story, which he does tie in and resolve before the end of the book. The courage and faith of some of the characters burns all the more brightly when plunged into the darkness of the pestilence. Some are transformed for the good. Others, just hardened.

It's too bad Manzoni wasn't as prolific as Dickens. He wrote a second novel, only, which apparently has been published very rarely since the time of its writing. So, The Betrothed is our one chance to be exposed to his great mind and heart. Don't miss it.

If you haven't read it, do.......2005-10-31

The best type of long novel -- humane and engrossing -- it ends too soon. It's surprising how few people I meet have read this. It deserves better. Do yourself a favor and read it.

Great servoce.......2005-09-27

I received the book in timely fashion, in good condition. Thank you!

The Betrothed 'I Promessi Sposi' A Tale of XVII Century Milan. Translated by Albert Colquhoun.

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The Betrothed 'I Promessi Sposi' A Tale of XVII Century Milan. Translated by Albert Colquhoun.
Alessandro Manzoni
Manufacturer: J M Dent 1951.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000L6K95E

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THE BETROTHED (I PROMESSI SPOSI)
Alessandro Manzoni
Manufacturer: Dutton Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KJ25CM

I promessi sposi: (The betrothed) (The Harvard classics)

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I promessi sposi

I promessi sposi: (The betrothed) (The Harvard classics)
Alessandro Manzoni
Manufacturer: P.F. Collier & son
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Italian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B0008B4LAQ

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I promessi sposi.......2005-08-04

It's a great book and it includes excersizes for vocab. and charater review and plot review. It's great. I highly reccomend it.

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THE BETROTHED (I PROMESSI SPOSI)
Alessandro Manzoni
Manufacturer: D. Appleton & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VAUJQO

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The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi)
Alessandro Manzoni
Manufacturer: G. Bell & Sons, LTD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000L2OIZU

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The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi)
Alessandro Manzoni
Manufacturer: D. Appelton and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWQ5TA

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The Betrothed [I Promessi Sposi]
Alessandro Manzoni
Manufacturer: George Bell and Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N53ANG

The betrothed, "I promessi sposi,": A tale of XVII century Milan;

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The betrothed, "I promessi sposi,": A tale of XVII century Milan;
Alessandro Manzoni
Manufacturer: Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Italian | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006ASOV6

The Five Foot Shelf of Books The Harvard Classics Volume 21: I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) By Alessandro Manzoni

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The Five Foot Shelf of Books The Harvard Classics Volume 21: I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed) By Alessandro Manzoni
Charles W. (ED Eliot
Manufacturer: P. F. Collier & Son
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V86R9Y

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Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia.......2003-06-09

From its review in Choice Magazine (May 2003)

Carter's book is THE resource for anyone wishing to explore all aspect of this issue. Each article ends with see also references and suggestions for further reading. A roster of contributors gives their qualifications and lists the entries they wrote. The book explores the historical, social, legal, and political aspects of the gun issue in the US, including personalities of the gun culture. Explanations of legal cases are particularly helpful, and there are entries on the gun laws of Finland, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and the UK.

Carter (sociology, Bryant College) has written or edited nine books, including The Gun Control Movement (CH, Feb'98). This work is a fair, balanced assessment of the issue. Both volumes are indexed; the general index that concludes volume 2 prints page numbers in bold face to denote main entries. Appendixes list organizations and cover key laws and state constitutional provisions. Summing Up: Recommended. All libraries. D. M Buckley,[Reference Librarian], University of Dayton

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Deeply, deeply disappointed

Documents in World History, Volume I: The Great Tradition: From Ancient Times to 1500 (4th Edition)
Peter Stearns , Erwin P. Grieshaber , and Stephen S. Gosch
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Documents in World History, Volume II: The Modern Centuries: From 1500 to the Present (4th Edition)

World History in Brief: Major Patterns of Change and Continuity, Volume I (to 1450) (6th Edition) (MyHistoryLab Series)

World History in Brief: Major Patterns of Change and Continuity, Single Volume Edition (5th Edition)

World Civilizations: Volume I: To 1700

Advanced Placement Edition - World Civilizations: The Global Experience

ASIN: 0321330544

Book Description

Considerably revised, this edition of Documents in World History gives professors a large variety of primary sources from all areas of the world.

The book retains its global emphasis and includes more primary sources that balance social and cultural history with standard selections, political coverage, and fuller coverage of Africa and the Middle East, including Persia. Several individual passages have been replaced or augmented to provide greater richness and interest. Materials on social issues have also been augmented.

Customer Reviews:

Deeply, deeply disappointed.......2006-03-08

This book represents the nadir of world history: wide-ranging, superficially impressive, and totally devoid of real scholarship. "Documents in World History" seemed like an excellent resource for a world history course. However, it is written by people who are obviously unqualified.

For a good compendium of primary documents for a world history course, I would recommend "World History" by Howard Spodek (the accompanying supplements, listed on the publisher's website, are promising as well).

The first things which surprised me was the poor production quality of this book. For the ridiculous price, one would expect at least a few color photos. But beautiful artwork is rendered in stale, pixellated black and white. I imagine this book was published more for the sake of profit than scholarship.

The authors of "Documents in World History" fail utterly to show which documents are important, and which are just curiosities. The entry for Cyrus the Great fails to show this king's mythical status in Iran and even in Greece, which idolized Cyrus despite his attempts (and those of his descendants) to conquer Greece.

The sections on China are pathetic. The authors do not have any understanding of Confucianism or Chinese literature.

The greatest writer in the Chinese language, Su Shi, has only one poem in this collection. Yet that gives the authors an opportunity to display their total ignorance of China, its language, and even the fact that Chinese people have a surname and a given name. Su Shi has his name misspelled as "Sushi". Another important writer, Bai Juyi, has his name morphed into Bo Zhuyi, which can be quite confusing because "Ju" and "Zhu" are totally different in Chinese. This may seem like nitpicking, but imagine if the authors had misspelled the names of Shakespeare AND Dickens because they couldn't tell the difference between the letters "z" and "k".

Documents in World History, Volume I: The Great Tradition: From Ancient Times to 1500 (4th Edition)

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Documents in World History, Volume I: The Great Tradition: From Ancient Times to 1500 (4th Edition)
Peter Stearns|Erwin P. Grieshaber|Stephen S. Gosch
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OU8KYE

Book Description

We have long recognized technology as a driving force behind much historical and cultural change. The invention of the printing press initiated the Reformation. The development of the compass ushered in the Age of Exploration and the discovery of the New World. The cotton gin created the conditions that led to the Civil War. Now, in Beyond Engineering, science writer Robert Pool turns the question around to examine how society shapes technology. Drawing on such disparate fields as history, economics, risk analysis, management science, sociology, and psychology, Pool illuminates the complex, often fascinating interplay between machines and society, in a book that will revolutionize how we think about technology. We tend to think that reason guides technological development, that engineering expertise alone determines the final form an invention takes. But if you look closely enough at the history of any invention, says Pool, you will find that factors unrelated to engineering seem to have an almost equal impact. In his wide-ranging volume, he traces developments in nuclear energy, automobiles, light bulbs, commercial electricity, and personal computers, to reveal that the ultimate shape of a technology often has as much to do with outside and unforeseen forces. For instance, Pool explores the reasons why steam-powered cars lost out to internal combustion engines. He shows that the Stanley Steamer was in many ways superior to the Model T--it set a land speed record in 1906 of more than 127 miles per hour, it had no transmission (and no transmission headaches), and it was simpler (one Stanley engine had only twenty-two moving parts) and quieter than a gas engine--but the steamers were killed off by factors that had little or nothing to do with their engineering merits, including the Stanley twins' lack of business acumen and an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease. Pool illuminates other aspects of technology as well. He traces how seemingly minor decisions made early along the path of development can have profound consequences further down the road, and perhaps most important, he argues that with the increasing complexity of our technological advances--from nuclear reactors to genetic engineering--the number of things that can go wrong multiplies, making it increasingly difficult to engineer risk out of the equation. Citing such catastrophes as Bhopal, Three Mile Island, the Exxon Valdez, the Challenger, and Chernobyl, he argues that is it time to rethink our approach to technology. The days are gone when machines were solely a product of larger-than-life inventors and hard-working engineers. Increasingly, technology will be a joint effort, with its design shaped not only by engineers and executives but also psychologists, political scientists, management theorists, risk specialists, regulators and courts, and the general public. Whether discussing bovine growth hormone, molten-salt reactors, or baboon-to-human transplants, Beyond Engineering is an engaging look at modern technology and an illuminating account of how technology and the modern world shape each other.

Customer Reviews:

Gave Me New Career Perspective.......2006-10-02

Despite the fact that this book may cause the casual reader to want to gloss over the details of the history of the A-bomb or nuclear reactors or even of electricity, for a young PhD Research Engineer such as myself, it gives greater meaning to research. In fact, it has been instrumental in spurring me towards a career in science policy and/or technology transfer, or something that involves the integration of science, policy, and business (a pursuit currently under way). The point is very clear - the best technology does not always win. This underscores the need for more technologists to understand the non-technical factors involved in product or process commercialization and to respect the democratic process, rather than being aloof about the "goodness" of "pure science".

Excellent Discourse - a wakeup call.......2002-11-13

I think this book is a wakeup call for society - for all of us to re-evaluate ourselves and recognize the role we play in the evolution of technology. I think the author brings out such a valid point of the complexity of technology, and as a scientist/engineer myself, I find it refreshing, and not a burden, to think up new ideas and view my field in light of what effect society could/would have on it, instead of just what effect it could have on society. I personally think some of the detail on nuclear power could have been avoided without the reader missing the point (but I guess you can't disregard the hand (publisher) that feeds you). I also draw attention to another book, Biomimicry by Janine Benyus, which makes the point that nature provides a model for scientific innovation. If nature was our map, then the complex picture of technology that Pool paints could be a lot clearer and brighter.

Co-evolution and Learning - Society and Technology.......2002-06-17

`Beyond Engineering' is subtitled `How Engineering Shapes Society'. It is that but it is much more. It is a book about technology and society. It is part a descriptive history and sociology of technology and part a prescriptive analysis of how society can manage technology to its best purposes. It is broken into two main parts. The first describes the technological process and shows how technologies are selected for mass utilization. The second uses this analysis and discusses the issues that have now arisen with the ascendancy of technology and its central place in society.

In discussing the technological selection process, the author Robert Pool makes much of the power of incumbency. A new technology does not arise form nothing but is developed in a co-evolution between scientific progress and societal capabilities. It is developed by human beings who live in a particular point in history and thus have their values and practices shaped in a specific manner. Any technology that is developed will have to be compatible with the social and technical attitudes prevailing at that time. Pool shows in his discussion of the development of the Watt steam engine that the engine was developed taking into full account the attitudes of the people who would have to implement and manufacture it. Watt could scientifically demonstrate the need for tight tolerances to maximize efficiency but his engine was being developed in an era of craft workman who could not see the necessity of such tolerance. Watt was compelled to set up controlled manufacturing sites where he could build machines to the required tolerances. It would have been more efficient to manufacture the engines in place with local labour but that could not be done in the ethos of that time.

Mistakes once made in the development of technology will propagate themselves in the social and technical attitudes of the people involved in its continuing development. Pool shows how nuclear power developed within the technological attitudes of military propulsion and civilian power generation. Pool shows how attitudes in these domains shaped the technological choices and how these choices were not the best either technically or commercially. Pool's analysis of the power of incumbency and the multi-armed bandit is excellent here.

The second part of the book talks of central place of technology in our society. Technology has moved far from the time of Watt. Now, technology is so complex that no one human being can be aware of all that factors that go into the development and operation of a major new invention. The implication of this is that no one can understand and predict the operation of a major invention in all circumstances. Technological risk cannot be obviated by the building of entirely predictable systems. Rather risk has become probabilistic with designs being created to hopefully prevent failures causing major loss of life or economic loss rare.

Society must decide if the risks inherent in a technology are acceptable given the benefits tha can be derived from it. Since no complex technology is predictable this acceptance must in some manner be built around a faith in our societies ability to cope with uncertainty. Since no technology can be proved safe in all circumstances, society must be shaped in such a way that it can rapidly cope with unexpected serious failures.

This analysis shows the basic disagreement between the neo-Luddites or technological pessimists and the technological optimists. Pool discusses the work of a Yale sociologist named Charles Perrow who argues that complex technologies cannot be so maintained. They are rife with un-understood emergent properties that render them unmanageable. They are so complex that they cannot be understood by any one person and therefore must be managed centrally and hierarchically by enforcing detailed operation procedures that are the result of long term research by multiple specialists. On the other hand they are prone to unexpected failures and so must be managed locally by workers who can respond to serious contingencies. According to Perrow this is a contradiction that shows that some technologies cannot be managed so as to prevent losses due to accidents. Perrow calls these `normal accidents'. This is a statement of technological pessimism and is one that calls foe the aggressive use of the `precautionary principle' in rejecting technologies that cannot be proved safe. Since this is true of most modern technologies it seems as if society must give up the benefits of modern technology in order to remain safe.

However there are many large complex technological systems that function safely. Pool uses the research of Berkeley political science professor Todd a Porte to show this. La Porte discovered may organizations that were managing large scale technologies in a very safe and efficient manner. The characteristic of these organizations is that they combine the properties that Perrow said wee incompatible. The combine a centralized hierarchical control of best practices with distributed local control able to cope with contingencies. La Porte shows how these function in the operation or the US air traffic control systems, military organizations such as aircraft carriers, large chemical manufacturing companies such as Dupont. These overlay a central concern with best practices with an educated workforce who are expected to montitor their own activities, communicate and learn.

This insight demonstrates the technological pessimism inherent in analyses like Perrow's can be overcome. Society can shape itself to be able to benefit from modern technology. Since this benefit will derive from the actions of an educated, self-initiating, learning middle class, technology can also indirectly create social good.

This is book well worth reading. One fault in the book is that Pool does not outline his argument anywhere. In no one pace does he give a clear summery of his ideas. An introduction and a final summary would have improved the book. Nevertheless this is a book this it found to be full of insight. It one that is well worth reading.

Outstanding Thematic Study of Society and Technology.......2001-04-24

Beyond Engineering is the brightest of the many shining stars that make up the Sloan Technology Series. It is easily the most educational, enlightening and thought provoking ("The One Best Way" by Kanigel being a close second) of the series, and will be the barometer by which I personally measure all future popular technology books. Mr. Pool looks at the way in which technology and society shape each other by looking at eight key elements of these interactions. These areas form the chapters of Beyond Engineering, with Mr. Pool frequently using many poignant technological case studies, biotechnology, steam powered automobiles, the Xerox Alto, and many others. The recurring case study which unites the book is that of the nuclear power industry in the U.S. Despite the non-chronological nature of this story, it is told thoroughly, using just the right amount of technical explanation to explain without overwhelming.

Indeed, Mr.Pool began his book as a history of the US Nuclear Power Industry, but changed his topic as several other authors beat him to it ("Nuclear Choices" by R. Wolfson and "Nuclear Renewal" by R. Rhodes). It is a good thing they did, otherwise he would not have looked at this as merely a case study, in which to frame socio-technological interaction. The eight areas that are covered; momentum, idea creation, business, complexity, choices, risk, control and trade-offs are very quickly paced and liberally sprinkled with very poignant references. His thematic review of the subject matter is similar to the author Lisa Jardine's histories of the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution. The most frequently referred to text is Kuhn's classic "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." This book could be viewed as the technological adaptation of Kuhn's scientific applications.

There are no ways in which the text disappoints, and it would be difficult to endorse it any more enthusiastically than I am. This book will be of benefit to anyone that works in technology, has a general interest in that area, is curious about nuclear power, or is simply looking for a good book.

Interesting but not very profound.......1998-06-10

The author admits that he originally started out to write a book on the nuclear power industry. It is obvious that that is where his interest and knowledge lie. I found myself skipping over lots of the details of the history of this industry. His stories and observations about the origin of the electric light bulb and other inventions by Thomas Edison don't seem very profound and have been told elsewhere. Time and again he seemed to be leading the reader to a hypothesis, theory, or conclusion, but then fizzled out on it. I would recommend skimming this book and looking for the few stories or subjects that you might be interested in.

The author does make a case for examining a technology in its infancy in order to best plan how society should use it, but, given market forces and corporate greed as it is today, this is very unlikely to happen.

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