The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks
by Chris Stokel-Walker
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Pub Date 26 Oct 2023 | Archive Date 30 Sep 2023
Michael O'Mara Limited | Michael O'Mara
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Description
The internet is everywhere. But how did it start? How has it changed? And what will it look like in the future?
No development in human history has changed the world as radically, or as quickly, as the advent of the internet. There’s almost no aspect of 21st-century life that it hasn’t shaped or fundamentally altered, for better or for worse. But the history of the internet is longer than you might think. Its foundations stretch as far back as the 1960s, decades before it would become an accessible and inescapable part of everyday life.
In this new entry in the bestselling Bite-Sized Chunks series, author and journalist Chris Stokel-Walker traces the internet from its (relatively) humble beginnings to the ubiquitous force that exists today, from email and dial-up to social media and the metaverse.
Breaking down complex concepts around how the world wide web works, how it has changed over time, and the effects it has had on the world as we know it, as well as explaining key terminology and spotlighting important figures, The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks explains everything you need to know about this era-defining technology in short, easy-to-digest chapters.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781789295597 |
| PRICE | £12.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 224 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Emma F, Reviewer
From the early 60s US military ARPANET which developed the network nodes connecting academics in west coast America in the late 60s. By the early 70s growing to connect computers internationally. In the 90s the internet became accessible to home computer users, and led to the browser wars. Onto the rise of illegal file sharing, then the growth of social media through to streaming content, the internet has come a long way. This book charts the history of the internet.
I’ve been using the internet since my early-adopter parents installed it at home back in 1995. Usenet groups and Netscape Navigator were my introduction to the internet. As a computing teacher I’m always on the lookout for books on the subject that are accessible to students. And this book definitely fits the bill. It’s an easy read, written without lots of technical detail. Anything even slightly technical (for example why an MP3 file size is much reduced) is explained in an easy to understand way. Plus, as the title says, it’s written in bite-size (or byte-size) chunks.
One slight negative is that the author often reads as if he’s not sharing his own contemporaneous experience but what he’s read himself about the period. As it’s fairly recent history it makes it feel a little inauthentic. Also, the Gettysburg address comparison is meaningless to me, it’s not something I studied so as an example doesn’t work. Maybe it’s for an American audience who will have more of an idea. Two minor complaints about what is an accessible history of the internet.
