Description:The author explores the "net effect" - not just how it evolved and what it does, but how it relates to the way we live. Most writing about the Net focuses on a particular aspect: its use for business or its driving technology, for example. This book aims at a broader target. The author highlights the connections between the various Net companies and places them in the wider context of society, its development and continued evolution. Although it concentrates on the developed world, Porter extends the discussion to all populations, since she contends that theoretically the Net is available to everyone and can affect the future cultural development of our entire species.