Lee Siegel's book review

Having read Lessig's new book Remixed, which was good if not a bit like his previous books. I felt a need for a change and got Lee Siegel's book Against The Machine: Being Human in the Era of the Electronic Mob. Its a very short book, but in many ways similar to Andrew Keen's Cult of the Amateur. Certainly some people might not enjoy the book. The book was enjoyable in that he criticised some of the web 2.0 outlooks and technologies. I was especially impressed in the debunking of Gladwell's tipping point book. He points out that the story of connectors and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere was untrue and historically incorrect. I really liked the book, even though I can't always agree with it all, but then as Fitzgerald said :-

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.

So I highly recommend this book.

Malcolm Gladwell tour tickets in London

Malcolm Gladwell will be touring London for his new book out called Outliers. Popbitch has a reduced price for tickets for his tour. I am not sure £20 is cheap enough though.