Consent of the Networked

        The concept of censorship and how it is utilized in cultures around the world is something I have always been interested in. For my final project I have narrowed my book selection down to three, “Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate”, “Censors at Work: How States Shaped Literature”, and finally “Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom”. Ultimately, after careful consideration, I choose the latter of the three. The reason I choose this last book wasn’t because it was the shortest or that it had the best reviews (in fact, in those two regards all three books were very similar). The main reason I choose this book was because I was very interested in taking a deeper look at how censorship shapes something I use every day, the internet.
          I was relieved with my decision when I found out, through Worldcat.org, that there were over 1500 libraries around the country that carried my book. Compared to the other two candidates, it had nearly triple the amount of libraries that carried it (It must be good!). Google books had promising results as well. While there were lots of positive reviews and chatter about all three books, I found far more for Rebecca Mackinnon’s “Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom”. One of the reviews even went as far as saying “Consent of the Networked should be required reading for all of those involved in building our networked future as well as those who live in it” (John Kamofner, The Observer). A more academic review from Joi Ito, Director of the MIT Media and IT Lab, boasted “Thoroughly researched by one of the experts in the field, the book straddles the line between an academic and general audience.” It’s reassuring to know that I won’t have much trouble trying to understand concepts and ideas in this book.
        I look forward to reading this book and hopefully, through understanding how censorship affects the world on a global platform, I will be able to relate the ideas, concepts, and effects of internet censorship into my own life.

Academic Reviews Mentioned Above

1. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/feb/12/consent-networked-rebecca-mackinnon-review

2. http://www.amazon.com/Consent-Networked-Worldwide-Struggle-Internet/dp/0465063756/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413172363&sr=1-2&keywords=internet+censorship