In a message dated Sun, 30 Sep 2001 10:44:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time, "Nick Arnett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> I'm buying the book, based on your comment and the reviews on Amazon. > Sounds like the area that fascinates me. After reading the negative review > comments, I'm wondering if he really claims that there is an absolute > definition of progress that can be logically defined. Thanks for the > suggestion. > I don't know if he makes a logically defined case. To me he made a compelling case. I think the negative reviews are the result of the end of the book where he flirts with the idea that increasing complexity in the world (as a result of nonzero sum games) implies the presence of god. This tarnished (for me) an otherwise excellent book. > Are you saying that he argues that the printing press played a major role in > democratization? That seems quite true, first taking power from Rome, then > the divine rights of kings, etc. > As I remember it (I read it over a year ago) yes he makes this claim. He points out that the same is true for money. He see each of these advances as increasing the power of the individual in society. He makes a powerful case I think and one that is consistent with either data or notions I have seen in Kaufman, Ridley etc. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > > Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2001 8:16 PM > > To: Brin-L > > Subject: RE: balancing civil liberties and security. > > > > > > It is little wonder to me, > > > thus, that spiritual communities are deeply critical of the media today. > > > And for what it's worth, I believe that over time, the Internet > > will affect > > > these oligopolies as printing affected the Church of Rome's monopolies, > > > decreasing their power tremendously. > > > > > In "NonZero" Robert Wright makes much the same arguement about > > the effect of the printing press on democritization. > >
