A history, a theory, a flood, gleicks greatest skill in time travel is to synthesize. The story of information begins in a time profoundly unlike our own, when every thought and utterance vanishes. All of these plus the alphabet, logarithms, vacuum tubes, quantum particles, morse code, and more are carriers of information. Making a new science, all of which were shortlisted for the pulitzer prize. Then comes the flood, the rise on the internet, wiki and the cloud.
Author and journalist james gleick tells the story of information technologies that, he claims, changed the very nature of human consciousness. We say that time passes, time goes by, and time flows. Some of this might be familiar territory for information age readers, but it is as engrossing an account of that story as any and establishes. The life and science of richard feynman, isaac newton, and chaos. Twentyfive years ago, a young harvard liberalarts graduate named james gleick, then working for the new york times, became fascinated by an emerging body of science that examined the world not as an orderly chain of being but as a complex, scarcely predictable, sometimes scarcely comprehensible mess of events. Mar 22, 2011 gleicks prominent works include genius. It might be better merely to say that things happen, things change, and time is our name for the reference frame in which we organize our sense that one thing comes before another. The theorys origin can be traced to a seminal article written in 1948 by claude shannon, an engineer employed at that time by bell laboratories. Gleicks hybrid of history, literary criticism, theoretical physics, and philosophical meditation is itself a. The life and science of richard feynman publishers weekly. Nicholas carr says thats the troubling conclusion of james gleicks impressive new history, the information. The information is a rewarding and enjoyable read and contains many of the charming minutiae that gleick s research uncovers. James gleicks latest book thoroughly explores this idea within a history of the development of information theory. Here, he fuses the two genres with a biography of the man who w.
Oct 02, 2016 as in his 2011 exploration of information theory, the information. Gleicks previous books include works on newton and chaos theory. Additionally, although gleicks book shows newton to be idiosyncratic, particular of thought and almost toxically reclusive, newton is also shown to be sufficiently selfaware to be able to accept and expound the notion that mankind was probably on the verge of exponential cerebral expansion. Making a new science summary by michael mcgoodwin, prepared 1988, 1998. May 17, 2011 james gleicks new book, the information. The author of chaos confronts personal tragedy and the meaning of time. Smithsonian magazine has posted a fantastic excerpt from james gleicks new book, the information. In a sense, the information is a book about everything, from words themselves to talking drums, writing and lexicography, early attempts at an analytical engine, the telegraph and telephone, eniac, and the ubiquitous computers that followed. Dec 11, 2014 not surprisingly, the subject of james gleicks the information is the field of knowledge known as information theory. Gleicks most renowned writing falls into one of two categories.
A history, a theory, a flood,was published in march 2011. Acclaimed science writer james gleick presents an eyeopening vision of how our. What lies at the heart of every living thing is not a fire, not warm breath, not a spark of life. Too much information information overload is the subject of the last third of gleicks book, where he quietly drops shannons concept of information as a mathematical abstraction. Apr 29, 2011 too much information information overload is the subject of the last third of gleicks book, where he quietly drops shannons concept of information as a mathematical abstraction.
James gleick argues that information is more than just the contents of our libraries and web servers. It was on the new york times bestseller list for three weeks following its debut. As i say, gleicks appreciation and inclusion of all this context is a great strength of this book. Gleick s previous books include works on newton and chaos theory. A history, a theory, a flood chronicles the evolution of information. In 1948, as james gleick shows in his rich and fascinating new book, claude shannon transformed information into something completely. James gleick, the author of the best sellers chaos and genius, now brings us a work just as astonishing and masterly.
James gleicks new book documents the rising role of information in our lives, and technologys role in increasing its velocity, volume, and importance. Barely taking a breather during the months of marathon writing sessions on genius, gleick also found time to. I came to this volume with only a vague idea about information and information theory but having been very impressed by gleicks book on chaos chaos. Gleicks book is not one of the burgeoning genre of time management books which, as he points out, have only existed as a major category in bookstores since the 1980s. The theory focuses on such 20thcentury notables as claude shannon, norbert. Although his writing style is good, the book was quite disappointing. Gleicks books include the international bestsellers chaos. Starting with african drumming, it takes in babbages difference engine, the telegraph, the telephone, the transistor and the internet. Reading this book takes a commitment on a physical level. James gleick born august 1, 1954 is an american author, journalist and biographer whose bestselling books include the information. James gleick is our leading chronicler of science and technology, and the author of chaos and genius, both nominated for the national book award, and. This is an engaging work that explores our understanding of information and how it has changed over time. A quartercenturyand a few stockmarket crashes, the fall of empires and the. The next chapter is dedicated to the information theory.
This is a book of less than 350 pages, including a lengthy bibliography which readers looking for more time wanderings will find invaluable, but it holds within it a wealth of knowledge and speculation. Gleick s books include the international bestsellers chaos. Not surprisingly, the subject of james gleicks the information is the field of knowledge known as information theory. James gleicks complex magisterial essay encompasses everything from linguistics to cosmology philip ball sat 23 apr 2011 19. A history, a theory, a flood is a book by science history writer james gleick published in march 2011 which covers the genesis of our current information age. Gleick s most renowned writing falls into one of two categories. Quotations are for the most part taken from that work, as are. I came to this volume with only a vague idea about information and information theory but having been very impressed by gleick s book on chaos chaos. It is information, words, instructions, richard dawkins declared in 1986. Making a new science many years ago and loved it, so his history of information was a natural second book for me to read. Jul, 2017 nicholas carr says thats the troubling conclusion of james gleicks impressive new history, the information. In chapter 6, the book introduces shannon, the main character of gleicks narrative on information.
James gleick is our leading chronicler of science and technology, and the author of chaos and genius, both nominated for the national book award, and isaac. Author james gleick traces informations evolution in new book. A history, a theory, a flood, james gleick does not pretend to answer these questions fully. Imagine luxuriating on a wifiequipped desert island with mr. Gleick s notes became my list for texts to further read around the topic. He explains concepts such as nonlinearity, the butterfly effect, universal constants, fractals, and strange attractors, and examines the work of scientists such as mitchell j. The irish times this is a work of rare penetration, a true history of ideas whose witty and determined treatment of its material brings clarity to a complex subject. The author describes how scientists studying the growth of complexity in nature are discovering order and pattern in chaos. I had to read it, and when i saw it at the carrot common location of book city, just sitting there on a table, i picked it up and bought it. In my doctorate i read and enjoyed many of the original 1950s papers applying information theory to psychology.
Making a new science by james gleick isbn 0140092501 i in his book, chaos. Why the basis of the universe isnt matter or energy. The information is to the nature, history and significance of data what the beach is to sand. The economist praise for james gleick s chaos an aweinspiring book. Information, communication, and information theory. Three of his books have been pulitzer prize 6 7 8 and national book award 9 10 finalists. A sprawling yet fascinating book by an acclaimed american science writer, the information ranges from biology to particle physics and explores the links between information, communications, data and meaning from earliest times to the present day. The book is not written as a straightforward history, which might have been a temptation for someone charting the progress of. The flood of gleicks subtitle is, of course, the torrent of words and images that courses through the internet into our computers, and thence into. In chapter 6, the book introduces shannon, the main character of gleick s narrative on information. Making a new science, james gleick chronicles the emergence of chaos theory from the first romantic insights to the dire ordeals endured by a few courageous thinkers. James gleick, the author of the best sellers chaos and genius, n. James gleick born august 1, 1954 is an american author, journalist, and biographer, whose books explore the cultural ramifications of science and technology.
James gleick is one of america s most popular and lucid science writers, author of the bestsellers chaos and genius and of. Jeffrey brown talks to the author about how the information superhighway. Gleicks hybrid of history, literary criticism, theoretical physics, and philosophical meditation is itself a timejumping, headtripping. Apr 23, 2011 james gleick s complex magisterial essay encompasses everything from linguistics to cosmology philip ball sat 23 apr 2011 19. Impressively, reassuringly, gleicks substantial, dense book comes as close as anything of late to satiating the twin demand for knowledge and clarity. Rather, he aims to show the possibilities these questions pose for the human race, which evolves from both obvious and obscure forms of information, from the messages carried by drumbeats and emails to the. This work has been summarized using the 1987 editionpage numbers reference that edition. A history, a theory, a flood is a book by science history writer james gleick published in march 2011 which covers the genesis of our current. The information, popular science author james gleicks new book, begins with a history of information technologies. If time is like a river, are we standing on the bank watching, or are we bobbing along. It was on the new york times bestseller list for three weeks following its debut the information has also been published in ebook formats by fourth estate and random house, and as an audiobook by random house audio. Wilson literary science writing award in 2012 and the.
The onset of chaos feigenbaum bifurcation fractal image created by mcm acknowledgement. The rest of the book circles around his figure and his theoretical developments, like the application of boolean mathematics to electrical computing. We also think of time as a medium in which we exist. In this piece, he presents a popular yet fresh introduction to the.
The following entry presents an overview of gleicks career through 1999. I also liked that the book does what more science books ought to share not just the stories of success, but also the deadends, wrongturns and failed ideas that are inevitably part of the story. This weekend i finally got to sit on the couch with a cup of tea and james gleicks the information. Few writers distinguish themselves by their ability to write about complicated, even obscure topics. Apr 19, 2011 smithsonian magazine has posted a fantastic excerpt from james gleick s new book, the information. The information is so ambitious, illuminating and sexily theoretical that it will amount to aspirational reading for many of those who have the mettle to tackle it. As in his 2011 exploration of information theory, the information. Sep 27, 2016 this is a book of less than 350 pages, including a lengthy bibliography which readers looking for more time wanderings will find invaluable, but it holds within it a wealth of knowledge and speculation.
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