Still, it’s contribution to the larger story of Congressional dysfunction can’t be undersold. Taken together with books such as Lawrence Lessig’s Republic, Lost (which the authors argue is a well-written critique but ultimately unrealistic in its goal), one can begin to understand the deep, underlying forces that have disrupted traditional governance — at least on a federal level — in the United States.
The book is a series of essays that deconstruct the concerns people express about technology in general and the Web in specific. It’s divided into four parts — Untangling Me, Untangling Us, Untangling Society, and Untangling the Future — each of which explores individual ideas that you’ve heard people discuss.
Susan Jacoby’s book is at its best when she’s weaving together her philosophical take on intellectualism and elitism with failings in modern education, American citizens, and public debate.