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The Car That Knew Too Much: Can a Machine Be Moral?
by Jean-Francois BonnefonThe inside story of the groundbreaking experiment that captured what people think about the life-and-death dilemmas posed by driverless cars.Human drivers don't find themselves facing such moral dilemmas as "should I sacrifice myself by driving off a cliff if that could save the life of a little girl on the road?" Human brains aren't fast enough to make that kind of calculation; the car is over the cliff in a nanosecond. A self-driving car, on the other hand, can compute fast enough to make such a decision--to do whatever humans have programmed it to do. But what should that be? This book investigates how people want driverless cars to decide matters of life and death. In The Car That Knew Too Much, psychologist Jean-François Bonnefon reports on a groundbreaking experiment that captured what people think cars should do in situations where not everyone can be saved. Sacrifice the passengers for pedestrians? Save children rather than adults? Kill one person so many can live? Bonnefon and his collaborators Iyad Rahwan and Azim Shariff designed the largest experiment in moral psychology ever: the Moral Machine, an interactive website that has allowed people --eventually, millions of them, from 233 countries and territories--to make choices within detailed accident scenarios. Bonnefon discusses the responses (reporting, among other things, that babies, children, and pregnant women were most likely to be saved), the media frenzy over news of the experiment, and scholarly responses to it. Boosters for driverless cars argue that they will be in fewer accidents than human-driven cars. It's up to humans to decide how many fatal accidents we will allow these cars to have.
The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid The Truth From Our Eyes
by Donald HoffmanCan we trust our senses to tell us the truth? Challenging leading scientific theories that claim that our senses report back objective reality, cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman argues that while we should take our perceptions seriously, we should not take them literally. How can it be possible that the world we see is not objective reality? And how can our senses be useful if they are not communicating the truth? Hoffman grapples with these questions and more over the course of this eye-opening work. Ever since Homo sapiens has walked the earth, natural selection has favored perception that hides the truth and guides us toward useful action, shaping our senses to keep us alive and reproducing. We observe a speeding car and do not walk in front of it; we see mold growing on bread and do not eat it. These impressions, though, are not objective reality. Just like a file icon on a desktop screen is a useful symbol rather than a genuine representation of what a computer file looks like, the objects we see every day are merely icons, allowing us to navigate the world safely and with ease. The real-world implications for this discovery are huge. From examining why fashion designers create clothes that give the illusion of a more “attractive” body shape to studying how companies use color to elicit specific emotions in consumers, and even dismantling the very notion that spacetime is objective reality, The Case Against Reality dares us to question everything we thought we knew about the world we see.
The Case Against Trump
by Kevin D. WilliamsonDonald Trump, who rocketed to the top of the polls in the early GOP primary race, is an unlikely Republican front-runner: a longtime supporter of Democratic politicians with a history of taking views opposed to those of mainstream conservatives. A household name for his reality-television show and his tawdry tabloid history, he has connected with an underappreciated strain of right-wing populists by focusing his fire on a single issue: immigration.In this Broadside, Kevin D. Williamson takes a hard look at the Trump phenomenon and the failures of the national Republican leadership - and defects in our national character - that gave it life. Trump may or may not be in the race for the long haul, but in either case, Trumpism will remain a force.
The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future
by Robert DarntonThe era of the printed book is at a crossroad. E-readers are flooding the market, books are available to read on cell phones, and companies such as Google, Amazon, and Apple are competing to command near monopolistic positions as sellers and dispensers of digital information. Already, more books have been scanned and digitized than were housed in the great library in Alexandria. Is the printed book resilient enough to survive the digital revolution, or will it become obsolete? In this lasting collection of essays, Robert Darnton?an intellectual pioneer in the field of this history of the book?lends unique authority to the life, role, and legacy of the book in society.
The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics
by Alan DershowitzIn The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics, Alan Dershowitz—New York Times bestselling author and one of America&’s most respected legal scholars—analyzes the current battles over issues of diversity and our rapidly changing ideas about what true diversity is. Alan Dershowitz has been called &“one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America&” by Politico and &“the nation&’s most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights&” by Newsweek. He is also a fair-minded and even-handed expert on civil liberties and constitutional rights, and in this book offers his knowledge and insight to help readers understand the war being waged against meritocracy and equal protection of the law by so-called progressive advocates. The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics is an analysis of every aspect of the current fight against true diversity—diversity of philosophy, background, and opinion, rather than the more surface-level diversity of race, religion, and location. It examines the United States&’s history of systemic racism, debates about affirmative action, and ongoing reckoning with issues of bigotry against groups such as Asians, Blacks, and Jews, with an eye toward fairly balancing the concerns of a diverse populace. In the end, The Case for Color-Blind Equality in an Age of Identity Politics represents an icon in American law and politics exploring the current rapidly changing attitudes toward meritocracy, personal identity, and the preservation of civil liberties for all citizens, regardless of background, race, class, or creed. It is essential reading for anyone interested in or concerned about identity politics, racial issues, and true diversity and fairness in America.
The Case for Liberalism in an Age of Extremism: or, Why I Left the Left But Can't Join the Right
by Alan Dershowitz&“Maybe the question isn&’t what happened to Alan Dershowitz. Maybe it&’s what happened to everyone else.&”—PoliticoIn The Case for Liberalism in an Age of Extremism, Alan Dershowitz—New York Times bestselling author and one of America&’s most respected legal scholars—makes a classical liberal argument for centrist government in the US, as the Founding Fathers and the Constitution intended. Alan Dershowitz has been called &“one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America&” by Politico and &“the nation&’s most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights&” by Newsweek. Yet he has come under intense criticism for his consistent classical liberalism in the face of a rapidly polarizing political landscape and for his steadfast support of centrist governance over either &“progressive&” or reactionary radicalism. The Case for Liberalism in an Age of Extremism is a defense of liberalism and its renewed relevance today. It makes the case for classic liberal values and programs over radical-left and reactionary right-wing agendas, and for centrism over extremism in general, showing why the United States has thrived throughout history because of its enduringly centrist base. It seeks to restore contemporary liberalism to its important place in the American political landscape, and attempts to persuade centrists from both the left and right—who may today call themselves progressives or moderate conservatives—that they, too, belong in the big tent of centrist liberalism. As a professor for half a century, Dershowitz never told students what values to accept or which candidates to support, but helped guide them to conclusions based on their own sets of values. He does the same in this book. A guide for all readers, rather than a piece of political advocacy for one party or another, The Case for Liberalism in an Age of Extremism is Alan Dershowitz&’s argument for classical liberal values and their role in forming just societies and protecting against the dangers of extremism, just as they must today. It is essential reading for anyone interested in or concerned about political polarization on both the far-right and -left, and for everyone seeking a middle path between the extremes.
The Case of the Creepers (Unofficial Minecraft Mysteries #4)
by Winter MorganAll the Creepers have vanished from the Minecraft universe, and the people are starting to get worried. Though some believe that their disappearance is a good thing, others fear that it might be the start of an even more sinister plot.Edison and Billy decide to use their sleuthing skills to find the truth of the situation, and their investigation takes them all around the Overworld. But the missing Creepers aren’t easy to find. With the help of new friends, Edison and Billy search for the missing mobs—but if they find the Creepers, will they be in danger themselves? Join Edison and Billy as they solve their greatest mystery yet in the fourth installment of the Unofficial Minecraft Mystery series!
The Case of the iPad
by Cathy Burnett Guy Merchant Alyson Simpson Maureen WalshThis book brings together an international group of literacy studies scholars who have investigated mobile literacies in a variety of educational settings. Approaching mobility from diverse theoretical perspectives, the book makes a significant contribution to how mobile literacies, and tablets in particular, are being conceptualised in literacy research. The book focuses on tablets, and particularly the iPad, as a prime example of mobile literacies, setting this within the broader context of literacy and mobility. The book provides inspiration and direction for future research in mobile literacies, based upon 16 chapters that investigate the relationship between tablets and literacy in diverse ways. Together they address the complex and multiple forces associated with the distribution of the technologies themselves and the texts they mediate, and consider how apps, adults and children work together as iPads enter the mesh of practices and material arrangements that constitute the institutional setting.
The Caste of Merit: Engineering Education in India
by Ajantha SubramanianJust as Americans least disadvantaged by racism are most likely to call their country post‐racial, Indians who have benefited from upper-caste affiliation rush to declare their country a post‐caste meritocracy. Ajantha Subramanian challenges this belief, showing how the ideal of meritocracy serves the reproduction of inequality in Indian education.
The Cathedral & the Bazaar, Revised Edition
by Eric S. RaymondThe Cathedral & the Bazaar is a must for anyone who cares about the future of the computer industry or the dynamics of the information economy. This revised and expanded paperback edition includes new material on open source developments in 1999 and 2000. Raymond's clear and effective writing style accurately describing the benefits of open source software has been key to its success.
The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary
by Eric S. RaymondOpen source provides the competitive advantage in the Internet Age. According to the August Forrester Report, 56 percent of IT managers interviewed at Global 2,500 companies are already using some type of open source software in their infrastructure and another 6 percent will install it in the next two years. This revolutionary model for collaborative software development is being embraced and studied by many of the biggest players in the high-tech industry, from Sun Microsystems to IBM to Intel.The Cathedral & the Bazaar is a must for anyone who cares about the future of the computer industry or the dynamics of the information economy. Already, billions of dollars have been made and lost based on the ideas in this book. Its conclusions will be studied, debated, and implemented for years to come. According to Bob Young, "This is Eric Raymond's great contribution to the success of the open source revolution, to the adoption of Linux-based operating systems, and to the success of open source users and the companies that supply them."The interest in open source software development has grown enormously in the past year. This revised and expanded paperback edition includes new material on open source developments in 1999 and 2000. Raymond's clear and effective writing style accurately describing the benefits of open source software has been key to its success. With major vendors creating acceptance for open source within companies, independent vendors will become the open source story in 2001.
The Celebrity Tweet Directory
by Jeanne HarrisTweet along with your favorite celebs! Divided by category with celebrities listed in alphabetical order so you can easily find your favorite celeb, The Celebrity Tweet Directory tweets you to conversations with hundreds of well-known actors, comedians, singers, politicians, sports figures, and more. With this handy guide, you can flutter into the world of celebrity chatter and experience how they reveal themselves in a way you don't see anywhere else. With this portable directory, you'll quickly and easily discover what's really happening in Hollywood, on Wall Street, or in Washington, all while following your favorite celeb. In addition, the helpful directory weeds out any fake celebrity twitter accounts, providing only real Twitter handles, saving you the hassle and time of sifting through phony accounts. Features a helpful celebrity directory so you can find your favorite celeb and enjoy sweet tweets from the hottest actors, singers, politicians, sports figures, and more Weeds out any phony celebrity accounts, saving you the hassle of sorting through fake accounts Helps keep you in the know with celebrities on the go, so you're up on what's happening everywhere from Beverly Hills to Capitol Hill Be the first to hear celebrity buzz and get the chic tweets from your fave celebs with The Celebrity Tweet Directory!
The Cellular Automaton Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
by Gerard 'T HooftThis book presents the deterministic view of quantum mechanics developed by Nobel Laureate Gerard 't Hooft. Dissatisfied with the uncomfortable gaps in the way conventional quantum mechanics meshes with the classical world, 't Hooft has revived the old hidden variable ideas, but now in a much more systematic way than usual. In this, quantum mechanics is viewed as a tool rather than a theory. The author gives examples of models that are classical in essence, but can be analysed by the use of quantum techniques, and argues that even the Standard Model, together with gravitational interactions, might be viewed as a quantum mechanical approach to analysing a system that could be classical at its core. He shows how this approach, even though it is based on hidden variables, can be plausibly reconciled with Bell's theorem, and how the usual objections voiced against the idea of 'superdeterminism' can be overcome, at least in principle. This framework elegantly explains - and automatically cures - the problems of the wave function collapse and the measurement problem. Even the existence of an "arrow of time" can perhaps be explained in a more elegant way than usual. As well as reviewing the author's earlier work in the field, the book also contains many new observations and calculations. It provides stimulating reading for all physicists working on the foundations of quantum theory.
The Chain: The Award-Winning Suspense Thriller of the Year
by Adrian McKintyTHE ONLY WAY TO GET YOUR CHILD BACK IS TO KIDNAP ANOTHER CHILD'A blazing, full-tilt thriller that entirely justifies the hype' GUARDIAN'A heart-stopping roller coaster' DAILY MAIL* * * * *YOUR PHONE RINGS.A STRANGER HAS KIDNAPPED YOUR CHILD.TO FREE THEM YOU MUST ABDUCT SOMEONE ELSE'S CHILD.YOUR CHILD WILL BE RELEASED WHEN YOUR VICTIM'S PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER CHILD.IF ANY OF THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN:YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED.VICTIM. SURVIVOR. ABDUCTOR. CRIMINAL.YOU WILL BECOME EACH ONE. YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE CHAIN * * * * *THE MULTI-AWARD-WINNING THRILLERWinner: Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the YearWinner: Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction Winner: International Thriller Writers Awards - Best Hardcover Winner: Macavity Awards - Best International Crime Fiction Winner: Barry Award - Thriller of the Year*****'A heart-stopping roller coaster'DAILY MAIL'The book everyone is talking about'MIRROR'Scary, plausible, gripping.'IAN RANKIN'You'll miss meals, sleep, and your stop on the bus - guaranteed.'VAL McDERMID'I writhed with the pain of withdrawal when I finished it. Deserves to be the popular hit of the year.'DAILY TELEGRAPH'Incredibly propulsive and original. You won't shake it for a long time.'STEPHEN KING'A masterpiece. You will never be able to forget it.'DON WINSLOW'A unique and unforgettable thriller. Breath-taking, breakneck, brilliant.'MARK BILLINGHAM'Striking, memorable, should be savoured.'TANA FRENCH'Explosively brilliant. Genuinely unputdownable. Terribly plausible'OBSERVER'I may not read a better thriller in my lifetime.'STEVE CAVANAGH 'An electrifying thriller - one of the very best of its kind'FIONA CUMMINS'What a fantastic idea and perfectly written. I'm quite jealous.'ANTHONY HOROWITZ'Terrifying. Terrific.'MICK HERRON'THE CHAIN does for parenting what Gone Girl did for marriage. A must-read thriller.'JAMES SWALLOW'Diabolical, unnerving, relentless.'DENNIS LEHANE'Utterly brilliant'ELLY GRIFFITHSA 'THRILLER OF THE YEAR' SELECTION FOR:GUARDIANDAILY TELEGRAPHAMAZONEXPRESSOBSERVERTIME MAGAZINE
The Challenge of Violent Drug-Trafficking Organizations
by Christopher Paul Agnes Gereben Schaefer Colin P. ClarkeA RAND team conducted a Delphi expert elicitation exercise, the results of which offer an assessment of the contemporary security situation in Mexico through the lens of existing RAND research on urban instability and unrest, historical insurgencies, and defense-sector reform. Assessment scorecards from these projects were used to obtain input from the expert panel and to guide the resulting discussion.
The Challenges of Artificial Intelligence for Law in Europe (Data Science, Machine Intelligence, and Law #6)
by Marton Varju Kitti MezeiAs artificial intelligence continues to transform our world, Europe stands at the forefront of ensuring this revolutionary technology serves humanity&’s best interests. This essential volume brings together experts on law, regulation, human rights, ethics, and policy to provide the first comprehensive analysis of Europe&’s pioneering approach to AI regulation. From the landmark AI Act to data protection and data governance frameworks, this meticulously curated collection offers unprecedented insights into (1) the delicate balance between the public and private benefits of AI, and the public and private risks it poses; (2) the regulatory policy and regulatory strategy influencing European law-making; (3) the role of ethics and human rights in regulating AI in Europe; (4) the real-world implications of evolving European AI regulation; and (5) future challenges and opportunities in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.Distinguished contributors from the fields of legal scholarship, policymaking, and legal practice provide unique perspectives on the legal and policy foundations of the AI Act, the Council of Europe Framework Convention, and other international documents; the regulatory design and requirements of the AI Act; the challenges of using AI in adjacent legal and regulatory areas; ethical issues surrounding the technology and their impact on its proliferation in the private and public sectors; and compliance-related challenges and practical solutions in key sectors.This authoritative work offers invaluable guidance to help legal professionals, researchers, policymakers, and technology executives navigate the complexities of AI regulation at the intersections of innovation, the public and private good, and social control. The volume combines theoretical depth and contextual analysis with practical applicability, making it an indispensable resource for anyone involved in shaping or adapting to Europe&’s AI regulatory landscape. The book is also essential reading for AI researchers and developers, technology consultants and industry analysts, policymakers and regulators, legal practitioners and compliance officers.
The Challenges of Era 5.0 in Accounting and Finance Innovation (Information Systems Engineering and Management #28)
by Graça Azevedo Elisabete Vieira Rui Marques Luís AlmeidaThis book seeks to explore the transformative impact of emerging technologies on the accounting and finance sectors, with a specific focus on how innovations such as artificial intelligence and digital currencies can align with human-centric values like sustainability, corporate responsibility, and ethical governance. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities presented by ‘Era 5.0,’ where technological advancements are coupled with societal progress. Featuring cutting-edge research from leading scholars and industry experts, the collection spans a wide array of topics. Readers will find detailed studies on sustainability reporting, corporate governance, and the role of AI in financial processes, alongside examinations of cross-border tax evasion, the integration of education for sustainable development, and the use of geospatial analysis in business decisions. Other key areas of focus include the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), financial inclusion, and the interplay between human capital and corporate performance. This book serves as an essential resource for academics, practitioners, and policymakers aiming to understand the rapidly evolving dynamics of accounting and finance in a technologically advanced and socially responsible world. Whether reader's interest lies in innovative financial technologies or the ethical dimensions of corporate behavior, this book provides the insights needed to navigate the future of the field.”
The Change Agent: Transforming an Underperforming Internal Audit Department (Security, Audit and Leadership Series)
by Hernan MurdockJohn Taylor has been hired to transform the underperforming internal audit unit at InSports. The auditors are not reviewing what the audit committee and executive leadership consider essential for the organization’s success, their methodology is subpar, and their relationships with their clients are strained. The audit committee has been patient, but not anymore. Their mandate is clear: make clear improvements in one year or the function will be outsourced. This is the story of a visionary leader who needs a strategy to transform processes and deliver better results for stakeholders at all levels within the organization. The audit committee, all levels of management, and employees expect more from internal audit. Now, John must lead the group through 12 challenging months as they focus on what matters most when performing audit and advisory services. They must communicate results faster and better, leverage existing quality control and data analytics techniques, and, with every encounter, help the organization address strategic, operational, compliance, and financial risks. With similarities to "The Goal" and "The Phoenix Project" and leveraging Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change, follow John and the internal audit team from Boston to New York, San Francisco, London, and Buenos Aires, as they address almost insurmountable challenges in their transformation journey.
The Changing Face of Government Information: Providing Access in the Twenty-First Century
by Suhasini L. KumarLearn what innovative changes lie in the future of government informationThe Changing Face of Government Information comprehensively examines the way government documents&’ librarians acquire, provide access, and provide reference services in the new electronic environment. Noted experts discuss the impact electronic materials have had on the Government Printing Office (GPO), the reference services within the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and the new opportunities in the transition from paper-based information policy to an electronic e-government. This source reveals the latest changes in the field of government documents librarianship and the knowledge and expertise needed to teach users how to access what they need from this enormous wealth of government information.Major changes have taken place in the way government information is created, disseminated, accessed, and preserved. The Changing Face of Government Information explains in detail the tremendous change taking place in libraries and government documents librarianship. Topics include the increasing accessibility to the federally funded technical report literature, information on the Patriot Act&’s effect on the status of libraries in the aftermath of 9/11, the uses of Documents Data Miner©, and information about catalogs, indexes, and full text databases. This book also provides a selective bibliography of print and electronic sources about Native Americans and the Federal Government, as well as specific sources for information about the environment, such as EPA air data, DOE energy information, information on flora and fauna, hazardous waste, land use, and water. Each chapter is extensively referenced and several chapters use appendixes, tables, and charts to ensure understanding of data.This useful book gives readers the opportunity to learn: how the University of Oregon successfully integrated its business reference service and map collection into its government documents collection the results of a survey of FDLP institutions identifying the factors contributing to the reorganization of services details of the pilot project undertaken by the University of Arizona Library along with the United States Government Printing Office&’s Library Programs Service to create a model for a virtual depository library which critical features are missing in today&’s e-government reference service models details of the GPO&’s plans to provide perpetual access to both electronic and tangible information resources-and the strategies to authenticate government publications on the InternetThe Changing Face of Government Information is stimulating, horizon-expanding reading for librarians, professors, students, and researchers.
The Changing Landscape for Electronic Resources: Content, Access, Delivery, and Legal Issues
by Yem S Fong Suzanne M WardKeep up-to-date with the latest in innovative electronic information services! The Changing Landscape for Electronic Resources: Content, Access, Delivery, and Legal Issues focuses on the effects and challenges of providing electronic resources for libraries. The authors are librarians and other professionals with practical experience in current issues and developing trends. With this book, you will learn about technical, legal, and resource sharing developments that will contribute to the future distribution of global information in libraries. This book shows how libraries using electronic resources can reduce costs and save transaction time for large and small public libraries as well as academic libraries. It also reveals recent initiatives related to open source software and core standards for resource sharing and interlibrary loal, such as the Bath profile and the NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol (NCIP). Special features of this timely book include figures, diagrams, references, and Web sites. This book contains the wisdom and experience of professionals applying electronic resources to: interlibrary loan systems copyright and licensing open source software international data standards scholarly publishingThe Changing Landscape for Electronic Resources will help you avoid many of the potential pitfalls of managing electronic content in the evolving modern library. This book will help you prepare for a future in which electronic access improves the range, speed, and quantity of cost-effective information services for patrons and resource-sharing partners.
The Changing Nature of Telecommunications/Information Infrastructure
by Steering Committee on the Changing Nature of Telecommunications/Information InfrastructureAdvancement of telecommunications and information infrastructure occurs largely through private investment. The government affects the rate and direction of this progress through regulation and public investment. This book presents a range of positions and perspectives on those two classes of policy mechanism, providing a succinct analysis followed by papers prepared by experts in telecommunications policy and applications.
The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World
by Max FisherThe Chaos Machine is an essential book for our times - Ezra KleinThe Chaos Machine is the story of how the world was driven mad by social media. The election of populists like Trump and Bolsonaro; strife and genocide in countries like Myanmar; the rampant spread of COVID-19 conspiracy theories as deadly as the pandemic itself; all of these are products of a breakdown in our social and political lives, a breakdown driven by the apps, companies and algorithms that compete constantly for our attention.Max Fisher is a leading New York Times technology reporter whose work has covered the way that social media sites - driven increasingly by artificial intelligence rather than human ingenuity - push users towards more and more extreme positions, deepening the divisions in society in pursuit of greater engagement and profit. With extraordinary access to the most powerful players in Silicon Valley, and with testimonies from around the world of the havoc being wreaked by our online selves, The Chaos Machine shows us how we got to this uniquely perilous moment - and how we might get out of it.
The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World
by Max FisherHow social media is hacking our minds, our societies and the world - and what we can do about it.The Chaos Machine is the story of how the world was driven mad by social media. The election of populists like Trump and Bolsonaro; strife and genocide in countries like Myanmar; the rampant spread of COVID-19 conspiracy theories as deadly as the pandemic itself; all of these are products of a breakdown in our social and political lives, a breakdown driven by the apps, companies and algorithms that compete constantly for our attention.Max Fisher is a leading New York Times technology reporter whose work has covered the way that social media sites - driven increasingly by artificial intelligence rather than human ingenuity - push users towards more and more extreme positions, deepening the divisions in society in pursuit of greater engagement and profit. With extraordinary access to the most powerful players in Silicon Valley, and with testimonies from around the world of the havoc being wreaked by our online selves, The Chaos Machine shows us how we got to this uniquely perilous moment - and how we might get out of it.(P) 2022 Hachette Audio
The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World
by Max FisherFinalist for the Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in JournalismFrom a New York Times investigative reporter, this &“authoritative and devastating account of the impacts of social media&” (New York Times Book Review) tracks the high-stakes inside story of how Big Tech&’s breakneck race to drive engagement—and profits—at all costs fractured the world. The Chaos Machine is &“an essential book for our times&” (Ezra Klein). We all have a vague sense that social media is bad for our minds, for our children, and for our democracies. But the truth is that its reach and impact run far deeper than we have understood. Building on years of international reporting, Max Fisher tells the gripping and galling inside story of how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social network preyed on psychological frailties to create the algorithms that drive everyday users to extreme opinions and, increasingly, extreme actions. As Fisher demonstrates, the companies&’ founding tenets, combined with a blinkered focus on maximizing engagement, have led to a destabilized world for everyone. Traversing the planet, Fisher tracks the ubiquity of hate speech and its spillover into violence, ills that first festered in far-off locales, to their dark culmination in America during the pandemic, the 2020 election, and the Capitol Insurrection. Through it all, the social-media giants refused to intervene in any meaningful way, claiming to champion free speech when in fact what they most prized were limitless profits. The result, as Fisher shows, is a cultural shift toward a world in which people are polarized not by beliefs based on facts, but by misinformation, outrage, and fear. His narrative is about more than the villains, however. Fisher also weaves together the stories of the heroic outsiders and Silicon Valley defectors who raised the alarm and revealed what was happening behind the closed doors of Big Tech. Both panoramic and intimate, The Chaos Machine is the definitive account of the meteoric rise and troubled legacy of the tech titans, as well as a rousing and hopeful call to arrest the havoc wreaked on our minds and our world before it&’s too late.
The Character of Consent: The History of Cookies and the Future of Technology Policy (Information Policy)
by Meg Leta JonesThe rich, untold origin story of the ubiquitous web cookie—what&’s wrong with it, why it&’s being retired, and how we can do better.Consent pop-ups continually ask us to download cookies to our computers, but is this all-too-familiar form of privacy protection effective? No, Meg Leta Jones explains in The Character of Consent, rather than promote functionality, privacy, and decentralization, cookie technology has instead made the internet invasive, limited, and clunky. Good thing, then, that the cookie is set for retirement in 2024. In this eye-opening book, Jones tells the little-known story of this broken consent arrangement, tracing it back to the major transnational conflicts around digital consent over the last twenty-five years. What she finds is that the policy controversy is not, in fact, an information crisis—it&’s an identity crisis.Instead of asking how people consent, Jones asks who exactly is consenting and to what. Packed into those cookie pop-ups, she explains, are three distinct areas of law with three different characters who can consent. Within (mainly European) data protection law, the data subject consents. Within communication privacy law, the user consents. And within consumer protection law, the privacy consumer consents. These areas of law have very different histories, motivations, institutional structures, expertise, and strategies, so consent—and the characters who can consent—plays a unique role in those areas of law. The Character of Consent gives each computer character its due, taking us back to their origin stories within the legal history of computing. By doing so, Jones provides alternative ways of understanding the core issues within the consent dilemma. More importantly, she offers bold new approaches to creating and adopting better tech policies in the future.