The Death of Distance: How the Communications Revolution Is Changing our Lives

In this paperback edition of the acclaimed book, "The Death of Distance", journalist Frances Cairncross of "The Economist" shows us how the world is changing with the introduction of the Internet and wireless technology. First published in 1997, Cairncross' provocative book - based on evidence from two sweeping surveys on telecommunications - argues that new communications technologies are rapidly obliterating distance as a relevant factor in how we conduct our business and personal lives. Now, the author has substantially rewritten and updated the book, with 70 percent new data, fresh analysis, and new company examples to offer a look at the economic landscape ahead.Cairncross argues that the story today is not only the diminishing importance of distance, but also the mobility and ubiquity of technology. New material covers the implications of recent events and debates including: the rise and fall of the dot-com phenomenon; the spread of mobile telephones and other wireless communications; the wave of technology mergers; the authenticity of the "new economy;" diverging trends in business-to-consumer and business-to-business e-commerce; the restructuring of the organization in the wake of the Internet; the increasing impact of patent law on the communications economy; the so-called "digital divide"; and, the democratizing effects of communications technology on companies, governments, and society. With an updated "Trendspotter's Guide" that offers a snapshot of the new opportunities and challenges we face in a wireless world, this timely book will help all of us envision and enjoy an increasingly connected future.

From the advent of electronic communications, there's been talk about how the world has been shrinking. Frances Cairncross, senior editor for the Economist, makes her case from an economical standpoint: The growing ease and speed of communication is creating a world where the miles have little to do with our ability to work or interact together. Cairncross predicts that it won't be long before people organize globally on the basis of language and three basic time shifts--one for the Americas, one for Europe, and one for East Asia and Australia. Much work that can be done on a computer can be done from anywhere. Workers can code software in one part of the world and pass it to a company hundreds of miles away that will assemble the code for marketing. And with workers able to earn a living from anywhere, countries may find themselves competing for citizens as people relocate for reasons ranging from lower taxes to nicer weather. Cairncross discusses about 30 major changes likely to result from these trends, including greater self-policing of businesses, an unavoidable loss of personal privacy, and a diminishing need for countries to want emigration.