Date: Sun, 06 Aug 1995 02:05:00 EST
From: "Rob Slade, the doting grandpa of Ryan Hoff"
Subject: "City of Bits" by Mitchell

BKCITBIT.RVW   950629
 
"City of Bits", William J. Mitchell, 1995, 0-262-13309-1, U$20.00
%A   William J. Mitchell wjm@mit.edu
%C   55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA   02142-1399
%D   1995
%G   0-262-13309-1
%I   The MIT Press
%O   U$20.00 curtin@mit.edu
%P   225
%T   "City of Bits"
 
In chapter four, Mitchell's background in architecture is used to advantage as
he presents examples of the forms which have followed various functions. 
Famous buildings are designed with particular uses in mind.  This provides
interesting material as the author demonstrates how technology is eliminating
the need for these architectures--but it doesn't give much information on what
the new architectures are likely to be.
 
Of the plethora of Information Superhighway books, this is the most erudite to
date, and contains overall the greatest "insight per page" ratio.  The benefits
of its historical perspective, however, could be improved by less playing with
language and more analysis.  The basics are here, but just when it starts to
get really interesting we "need to consider" or "have to figure out," rather
than taking that one step further to see if the "what if" matches up against
known fact.
 
Mitchell does tend, at early points in the book, to use impressive academic
language to cloak "gee whiz" outlooks.  In spit of that, I would still
recommend this as the primer for general discussion on the information society.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKCITBIT.RVW   950629

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