For more information

We point, somewhat arbitrarily, to a few recent sources--both in paper and on the net--that we've made use of. Some brief comments attached to the items we found particularly interesting or helpful.

Further reading: general books about computers and the internet

• After Thought: The Computer Challenge to Human Intelligence, James Bailey (1996, Basic Books)
  From the jacket: 'Jim Bailey understands what makes the digital revolution truly revolutionary. After Thought explains how computers are changing not only what we do, but more importantly how we think and what we think about. Bailey argues persuasively that new computational ideas are part of a broader intellectual shift, producing new model and metaphors for understanding the world around us'. Probably will interest most those who are intrigued by questions of artificial intelligence.
  
  
• Close to the Machine: Technophilia and its Discontents, Ellen Ullman (1997, City Lights Books)
  An interesting, pensive, and occasionally bleak memoir about a software engineer who first began working with computers in the early 1970s. From the jacket: 'Her talent enables readers to explore intimately...one of the biggest questions of our time: What is it about the numerical, seemingly inhuman world of computing that holds such powerful, wholly human allure?'
  
  
• Moths to the Flame: The Seductions of Computer Technology, Gregory J.E. Rawlins (1996, The MIT Press)
  An engrossing series of essays on the power and effect of digital technology. Brilliantly written by an author with a grasp of the field and a gift for telling stories. The book is also available entirely on the web, on a well-designed site: http://www.obs-us.com/obs/english/books/rawlins/moths/
  
  
• The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making, Adrian Johns (1999, University of Chicago Press)
  Every technology disrupts, some more than others. Intriguing, well written, and massive, the author discusses the extraordinary changes provoked by that now harmless ubiquitous object we call 'a book'. Have a look at the author's web page, 'Ten Things You Didn't Know About Your Book': http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/401219.html
  
  
• The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace, Margaret Wertheim (1999, Virago Press)
  Although occasionally a bit laboured in her prose, the author nonetheless gamely tackles the linkages between the mediaeval concept of interior spiritual space and the internet. The amazon.co.uk web page gives more detail: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1860495273/026-9488167-3832223
  
  
• Release 2.0: A Design for Living in the Digital Age, Esther Dyson (1998, Broadway Books)
  An accessible, well-written overview of why the internet is a positive force in the world, by a longtime professional in digital communication. The publisher's web page about the book: http://www.release2-0.com/catalog/display.cgi?isbn=0767900111 'As Dyson makes clear, the digital society will bring profound shifts in the balance of power between producers and consumers, governments and citizens, the mass media and their audiences. Now the challenge, and the opportunity, is for citizens to resolve these conflicts and tradeoffs in their own public and private communities'.
  
  
• Techgnosis: Myth, Magic + Mysticism in the Age of Information, Erik Davis (1999, Harmony Books)
  A laudable attempt to deal with technology from a mystical rather than rational point of view, but it ultimately fails in its objective. Worth mining for the bits that relate to religion and community, although it is very American-centric. The companion web site -- http://www.levity.com/techgnosis -- offers extensive excerpts.

Further reading: starting out on the internet, guides to the internet

There are, quite literally, hundreds of beginner's guides and how-to books on every aspect of the internet: how to connect, how to choose a service provider, how to do email, how to develop web pages...

We recommend that you visit your favourite bookshop and ask about the most popular titles in the area that interests you. Or you might choose to visit one of the online bookshops, such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble, and review the titles and descriptions of books in this area. You won't have any problem finding them.

Further exploration: Anglican-related sites on the internet

• Anglican news on the internet
  Anglicans Online has a roster of all the official sources, the church newspapers online, and diocesan newspapers and magazines with web sites. http://anglicansonline.org/news
  
  
• Anglicans Online
  A good starting place for Anglican resources on the Net (This is the largest and oldest Anglican web site, with 5,000+ links, updated weekly). You can find links to everything from online versions of the Books of Common Prayer to tips for developing good parish web sites. http://anglicansonline.org
  
  
• Anglican.org
  The internet domain anglican.org and how it will help you find information on the Net about the Anglican Communion. http://anglican.org
  
  
• Anglican-related online mailing lists
  This URL gives you a roster of most Anglican-related mailing lists, along with instructions for joining them--if you'd care to see what online community is like. http://anglicansonline.org/resources/discuss.html
  
  
• Church of England official web site
  The church's official foray into explaining itself on the internet. What do you think? http://cofe.anglican.org