The Control Revolution: How the Internet is Putting Individuals in Charge and Changing the World We Know

In this masterful exploration of the meaning of the Internet, journalist and legal scholar Andrew Shapiro weaves a narrative through events that are occurring all around us: Dissidents use the Net to evade censorship to get their message out. Cyber-gossips send dispatches to thousands via email. Musicians bypass record companies and put their songs on the world wide web for fans to download directly. "Day traders" roil the stock market, buying securities online with the click of a mouse and then sell minutes later when the price jumps.

Shapiro argues that there is a common thread underlying these developments. It is not just a change in how we compute or communicate. Rather, it is a potentially radical shift in who is in control--of information, experience, and resources. With a mix of anecdote and analysis, Shapiro explains how:

* new technology is allowing individuals to take power from large institutions such as government, corporations, and the media;

* powerful entities are resisting this change and limiting our new digitally enabled autonomy;

* individual control can be pushed too far, threatening personal well-being and democratic values; and

* we can reap the benefits of the new control without succumbing either to resistance or to excess.

Along the way, The Control Revolution explores electronic commerce, cyberporn and censorship, customized news delivery, online democracy, Microsoft's market power, encryption and law enforcement, copyright in the digital age, virtual communities, Matt Drudge, privacy, and the role of interactive technology in struggles against political tyranny. The result is a penetrating exploration of how the Internet shapes our lives--often more than we realize--and how the question of who is in control will determine its influence all the more.