Bibliography

This page contains links to a various books and articles related to neworked objects.

I keep a section of my online notes for articles and links dedicated to networked objects. You may find it useful to browse when you're looking for techniques, ideas, or background material. There are also a number of useful technical links under the embedded network section of my code, circuits, & construction blog.

Most of the texts I'll be referring to in this class will be in the form of online articles, papers, etc. Links will be posted on the syllabus schedule page as needed.

A couple of recommended (not required) books for general inspiration related to the class. Feel free to use these in your journal responses too:

Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution, Howard Rheingold. Perseus Publishing; ISBN 0-7832-0608-3; ©2002

Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age, Duncan J. Watts. W.W. Norton & Company; ©2003. ISBN: 0393041425 - a nice introduction to the science of networks, with a good bit of focus on the social angle.

Shaping Things Bruce Sterling, Boston, MIT Press, ©2005, ISBN 0-2626-9326-7. Bruce Sterling's take on a plausible future in which everything made has a network address, and therefore a documented and documentable history. He takes this vision to its extreme, showing how it changes everything from design to manufacturing to consumption to disposal of material goods. An inspiring read if you're interested in networks, material or information design, or sustainability.

Everyware: The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing ©2006 Adam Greenfield; New Riders Press, Berkeley, CA. Provides a nice theoretical overview of ubiquitous computing, and a critical framework through which to look at it.

The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World, Lawrence Lessig. Vintage Books: ISBN 0-375-72644-6 ©2001
An excellent examination of the clash between the open-ended architecture of the early internet and the property-centric legal system in the US. Lessig puts forth the idea of the internet as an "innovation commons", and explains how current attempts to extend copyright and tighten intellectual property law threaten that commons.

The Victorian Internet : the remarkable story of the telegraph and the nineteenth century's on-line pioneers Tom Standage ©1999 Walker and Co. ISBN 0425171698.
A well-told story about the beginnings of telecommunications. Great inspiration if you're interested in networks.

The Social Life of Information John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid ©2002 Harvard Business School Press; ISBN: 1578517087; 1st edition.
This book looks at the effects of the "information revolution", and the blinders caused by seeing every problem as one to be solved by more information, or better access to information. The authors argue that information and information design seen out of context lead to blind alleys.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell. Little Brown & Company; ISBN: 0316316962; © 2000

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs. Vintage Books; ISBN: 067974195X; © 1961, Reissue edition 1992

A longer list of books for inspiration and reference is available online at the books link.