I’m reading it now and my (superficial) opinion is firmly positive. Maybe the only aspect which leaves me a bit buffled is the big number of statistics data positioned inside almost every paragraph… A very small spot in a great context signed by Manuel Castells.
In this very period new concepts like social networking are becoming more and more common and almost everybody seems to understand that “isolated-element” systems are so infrequent that may easy be considered as ideal structures. However there are people, societies and contries that continue remaining alone in a world of connections… Of course this is a paradox, but even if networks and links are so widespread, it doesn’t mean that anything must be a part of them… Unfortunately, just like there are entrance barriers for monopolies, in this case there is a strong pre-condition to meet: to accept and obey common rules.
As Castells keeps on repeating, even network societies are so widespread, only OCSE countries (together with China and India) profit by this brand new reality. Probably the main task of global organizations (ONU, IMF, etc.), in this very moment, should be directed not only to avoid a wild exploitation of underdeveloped country resources, but also to oblige any superpower nation to establish new business relations (that could be called “startup-relations“) which goal should be a concrete facilitation for every isolated country to join the club of global interchanges.
I’m going to write further information when I’ll have finished reading it. However I suggest this book to anyone who’d like to increase his/her knowledge about new economy impacts on worldwide companies and societies.
Of course I wait for any other comment…
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I also enjoyed the book and loved the trilogy as a whole. Here’s a link to an article of his that I just translated: http://www.negations.net/?p=114 (It’s called “Neo-anarchism”).
Thanks, Chuck ! I’m going to read your translation and post my personal comment. I hope to read you again !