What Will Be: How the New World of Information Will Change Our Lives

In the early 1980s, Dr. Dertouzos boldly predicted a place where people could freely exchange information and services using a personal computer. Today this place is widely known as the Internet. Dr. Dertouzos, head of the MIT Lab for Computer Science, uses this book to share more of his ideas and predictions of "What Will Be" in the future.His book, without getting too technical, explains how society will be changed by a new revolution he calls the Information Marketplace. His examples of new networked technologies that will simplify our lives opened my eyes and got me excited about what lies ahead in the future. His idea of a 'Bodynet,' a personal mobile network which enables you to make phone calls, watch the news, and mingle with strangers as you stroll down the block is realistic. But other ideas, such as a database that keeps track of your clean clothes in your closet to help you decide what to wear seems farfetched and even useless. Overall I was satisfied with the content of Dr. Dertouzos' book. It was clear and concise and provided some humorous examples of how the new technologies will be used. I would recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in how technology will shape society's future.

Dr. Dertouzos has given us all much to think about in this book. There isn't a person in the world who won't be impacted by the great changes that may occur. Everyone should read this book and then figure out how you want to be changed. It will be a better future for all of us if we take active roles in the Information Marketplace.

How will the information superhighway, or information marketplace as Michael calls it, change our lives? He has been there, seen that done that, and now, he has put together an excellent book on how it will impact the way we live, whether we like it or not. It opened my eyes to the new wave and how those who do not address it, will be left behind. Excellent reading for everyone, not only computer buffs. CEOs, Managers, Engineers, Doctors, Taxi drivers....READ THIS. A very good insight into what the future holds for mankind

What an excellent book. If you want a clear and concise review of the possibilities of the coming technology, this is the one for you. As the director of computer science at MIT, he allows you inside his lab, to see and hear about the new technology waves. He cuts through all the hype that the media bombards us with, and is very detailed in his thoughts. Overall a great rea

I gave this two ratings because (in spite of what the book cover spiel says - ".. written for every reader affected by technological change - both the digital sophisticate and those still struggling to understand e-mail"), my guess is that most net heads will find this book boring, as a lot of this is self-evident. Having said that, because netheads are a minority (at least today), *MOST* people will find this book very good. I think that Michael does an *EXCELLENT* job of keeping the techno-babble to a minimum, and clearly explaining *HOW* the net, the information highway, the WWW or whatever you want to call it, will affect us todmorrow, and how it is affecting us today. Another good book that complements this is: The Digital Estate, by Chuck Martin