Forged in War

Reviews / Votes

With this latest book, Lankes tells the history of several high-level technologies that are popular in the 21st century. He writes that data and media were supposed to bring communities together, yet they have often does the opposite. In this wide-ranging account, the author reexamines the histories of mobile phones, the internet, data (and its collection), web standards such as HTML, and more. He sheds light on the downsides of the information world we live in now, such as data monetization, attacks on privacy, and erosion of widespread public trust in information sources. In a manner similar to previous works on the subject, Lankes clearly argues that technology, data, and information sharing have human bias and are not objective. After detailing the rise of misinformation and disinformation, as well as the history of public libraries in the 20th century, Lankes concludes his multifaceted, intelligent work with the comment that his book is itself a context-based effort. This most recent book by Lankes is ideal for readers seeking a more comprehensive look at information dissemination technology, its context, and its impact on the way in which we now live. * Library Journal, Starred Review * Lankes argues for more humanist values to redesign our knowledge of infrastructure: policies and systems that prioritize privacy and give users control of personal data, intellectual property rights that better serve the common good, and nuanced data analysis instead of algorithmic dataism. Lankes' historical perspective is compelling and his arguments convincing. * Booklist * With the rise of the 'data revolution, big data, gamification, fuzzy logic, and creative visualizations' this work provides a historical pathway on how information about we as a people is transformed into purposes for commodity, messaging, marketing, and personal truths. The book is a meditation on the informational landscape of the past & present that undoubtedly unfolds into a future based upon those foundations. -- Jason Broughton, Vermont State Librarian This extremely wide-ranging work calls attention to the problems of our newest information age. -- Colin Burke, author of America's Information Wars