The End of Big

March 25, 2013
Mele overstates the obvious in yet another dire warning about the promises and perils of technology, in this case the Internet, and the siren’s lure of the radical connectivity it fosters. The promise of such connectivity to democratize the world and create community arises, he observes, precisely because our institutions—government, media, military, entertainment—have failed us in significant ways. For example, in an era of radical connectivity, when anyone with a blog can act as a journalist reporting the news, will such a blog be able to ask tough questions and hold politicians and corporations accountable? Can a blogger who offers simple reports, without taking a position on the news everyone wants to read, replace the investigative reporting of a major media source? Can radical connectivity create new political institutions that act as the major political parties did before money took hold, and encourage action for the public good? Mele concludes with the old adage that it’s not the technology but the people behind it that can foster either its beneficent or malign use. He proposes several ways that we can inhabit this new world, including a “focus on making institutions more amenable and responsive to individuals” and a “demand for serious, thoughtful, informed leadership.” We must also, he declares, “strengthen and reimagine local community.” With lackluster prose and sweeping generalizations, though, Mele’s tiresome rehearsal of long-familiar questions fails to join or advance the conversation about these matters. Lorin Rees, Rees Literary Agency.

July 1, 2013

Mele (public policy, Harvard) focuses his first book on how today's "radical connectivity" has empowered individuals and undermined traditional power structures. In chapters focusing on government, journalism, entertainment, and the military, Mele argues that, for better or worse, lone actors can now rival the strength of traditional institutions. Mele explains and evaluates these shifts in each area and recommends policies for the future. Narrator Sean Runnette's varied tones make Mele's intricate arguments easy to follow. VERDICT Recommended to those looking for a broad introduction to the Internet's impact on our institutions and culture.--Mark Swails, Johnson Cty. Community Coll., Overland Park, KS

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 24, 2013
Mele, an early pioneer in web political and business strategy, offers a treatise on how digital media is reshaping—for both better and worse—the major institutions of society and shattering long-standing hierarchies. In his performance, Sean Runnette adopts a style that seems a bit monotone—but because this title centers on the triumph of outlaw “nerd culture” and the growth of the Internet, his delivery seems to matches the cerebral aspects of the narrative. Runnette does convey a range of emotion in sections addressing the urgent need for society to preserve civic ideals and principles in the uncharted waters of new media. Runette also utilizes deliberate annunciation and shifts in rhythm to emphasize key points. However, listeners not already steeped in public policy issues related to technology may find themselves a little lost. A St. Martin’s hardcover.