Partner Since
4+ YearsPublisher | SIMON & SCHUSTER |
ISBN 13 | 9781501147074 |
ISBN 10 | 1501147072 |
Book Subtitle | The Internet As Art |
Book Description | Just as Susan Sontag did for photography and Marshall McLuhan did for television, Virginia Heffernan (called one of the best living writers of English prose ) reveals the logic and aesthetics behind the Internet. Since its inception, the Internet has morphed from merely an extension of traditional media into its own full-fledged civilization. It is among mankind s great masterpieces a massive work of art. As an idea, it rivals monotheism. We all inhabit this fascinating place. But its deep logic, its cultural potential, and its societal impact often elude us. In this deep and thoughtful book, Virginia Heffernan presents an original and far-reaching analysis of what the Internet is and does. Life online, in the highly visual, social, portable, and global incarnation rewards certain virtues. The new medium favors speed, accuracy, wit, prolificacy, and versatility, and its form and functions are changing how we perceive, experience, and understand the world." |
Editorial Review | Heffernan's rhetoric is so dexterous that even digital pessimists like me can groove to her descriptions of achingly beautiful apps, her comparison of MP3 compression to Zeuxius's realist paintings from the 5th century BC. And Heffernan is subtly less optimistic than she at first seems she knows that magic is not the opposite of loss, but sometimes its handmaiden. She's written a blazing and finally wise book, passionate in its resistance to the lazy certitudes of a cynically triumphal scientism. Michael Robbins, author of "The Second Sex "and" Alien vs. Predator"" |
Language | English |
Author | Virginia Heffernan |
Publication Date | 42614 |
Magic And Loss: The Internet As Art Paperback English by Virginia Heffernan - 42614