JoeLondon

From the page: ""Against the Machine" is a necessary book; Mr. Siegel's willingness to perform the difficult (and unpopular) work of cultural criticism on so vast and disparate an entity as the Internet is admirable. To be sure, he is not always a genial guide. He is merciless in his criticism of journalists whom he feels are too sympathetic to Internet culture, and impatient with writers who would see the Internet for its opportunities rather than its dangers. But impatience can be a virtue. Mr. Siegel's animus toward the "electronic mob" and his excesses of tone are forgivable when viewed against the overheated techno-enthusiasm of contemporary culture. By reminding us of Spinoza's insight -- "All things excellent are both difficult and rare" -- Mr. Siegel challenges us to consider the great costs to our culture and our humanity when we embrace a technology that instead makes everything merely easy and common."