The social, political and technological implications of the information revolution are the focus of this textbook. It explores the major social and technological issues surrounding the introduction of information technology into everyday life.

Introduction - Nick Heap
PART ONE: DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES
Introduction - Ray Thomas
The Social Shaping of Technology - David Edge
The Hacker Crackdown - Bruce Sterling
Evolution of the US Telephone Network
Theorising the IT/Society Relationship - Hugh Mackay
The Roots of the Information Society Idea - David Lyon
A Gendered Socio-Technical Construction - Anne-Jorun Berg
The Smart House
Access and Inequality - Ray Thomas
PART TWO: IT IN THE WORKPLACE
Introduction - Geoff Einon
Robotics, Automation and a New Industrial Revolution - Paul Kennedy
The Pursuit of Flexible Specialization in Britain and West Germany - Christel Lane
Computerized Machine Tools, Manpower Consequences and Skill Utilization - Gert Hartmann, Ian Nicholas, Arndt Sorge and Malcolm Warner
A Study of British and West German Manufacturing Firms
Technological Change and the Future of Work - Peter Senker
Technological Change at Work - Ian McLoughlin and Jon Clark
PART THREE: IT AND LEARNING
Introduction - Robin Mason
Do Companies Need Technology-Based Training? - David Hawkridge
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning - Anthony Kaye
The Educational Value of ISDN - Robin Mason
Access to Books for Visually Impaired Learners - Tom Vincent and Mary Taylor
An Investigation into the Use of Compact Disc Technology (CD-ROM)
Supporting Resource Based Learning - Josie Taylor and Diana Laurillard
Constructivist Learning Theories and IT - Ann Jones
PART FOUR: IT AND THE HOME
Introduction - Hughie Mackay
Conceptualizing Home Computing - Graham Murdock, Paul Hartmann and Peggy Gray
Resources and Practices
The Feminine Culture of the Telephone - Ann Moyal
People, Patterns and Policy
Patterns of Ownership of IT Devices in the Home - Hughie Mackay
PART FIVE: IT FUTURES
Introduction - Nick Heap
Extra Terrestrial Relays - Arthur C Clarke
Can Rockets Give World-Wide Radio Coverage?
Iridium - Lawrence W Lockwood
A High Flying Phone System
No Silver Bullet - Frederick P Brooks, JR
Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering
There Is a Silver Bullet - Brad J Cox
Virtual Reality in the Real World - Ralph Schroeder
History, Applications and Projections
Telework and the Changing Relation of Home and Work - Leslie Haddon and Roger Silverstone
The New Space Race - David B Crosbie
Satellite Mobile Communications