How To Be a Geek – Essays on Software Culture

Fuller

$34.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Polity Press
07 April 2017

Impact of science & technology on society; Computing: general; Digital lifestyle

Computer software and its structures, devices and processes are woven into our everyday life. Their significance is not just technical: the algorithms, programming languages, abstractions and metadata that millions of people rely on every day have far-reaching implications for the way we understand the underlying dynamics of contemporary societies.

In this innovative new book, software studies theorist Matthew Fuller examines how the introduction and expansion of computational systems into areas ranging from urban planning and state surveillance to games and voting systems are transforming our understanding of politics, culture and aesthetics in the twenty-first century. Combining historical insight and a deep understanding of the technology powering modern software systems with a powerful critical perspective, this book opens up new ways of understanding the fundamental infrastructures of contemporary life, economies, entertainment and warfare.

In so doing Fuller shows that everyone must learn ‘how to be a geek’, as the seemingly opaque processes and structures of modern computer and software technology have a significance that no-one can afford to ignore. This powerful and engaging book will be of interest to everyone interested in a critical understanding of the political and cultural ramifications of digital media and computing in the modern world.

By: Fuller
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 227mm, Width: 154mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 388g
ISBN: 9781509517169
ISBN 10: 1509517162
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 07 April 2017
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Contents Acknowledgements Biographies of Co-Authors Introduction Histories 1. The Obscure Objects of Object Orientation (with Andrew Goffey) 2. Abstract Urbanism (with Graham Harwood) Entities 3. Software Studies Methods 4. Big Diff, granularity, incoherence and production in the Github software repository, (with Andrew Goffey, Adrian Mackenzie, Richard Mills and Stuart Sharples) 5. The Author Name (with Nikita Mazurov and Dan McQuillan) Aesthetics 6. Always One Bit More, computing and the experience of ambiguity 7. Computational Aesthetics (with M. Beatrice Fazi) 8. Phrase (with Olga Goriunova) 9. Feral Computing: from ubiquitous computing to wild interactions (with Sonia Matos) 10. Just fun enough to go completely mad about: on games, procedures and amusement Powers 11. Black Sites and Transparency Layers 12. Algorithmic Tumult and the Brilliance of Chelsea Manning Index

Matthew Fuller is Professor of Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London

Reviews for How To Be a Geek – Essays on Software Culture

"""Insightful, informative, provocative and brilliant, Fuller 'geeks out' the problematic of software. In a wide–ranging analysis that moves from object oriented languages to github, from metadata to urban models, Fuller reveals software's intersecting technical, cultural and political aspects. A must read for anyone interested in software and new media studies."" —Wendy Hui Kyong Chun, Brown University ""This new book from the pioneer of software studies sets a new standard for critical discussion about the crucial part of contemporary culture and society – software. From mobile apps and social networks to email and word processing, we use software everyday. Yet critical thinking about software that can combine big ideas with careful attention to small details and genealogies of software concepts, tools, and interfaces is still rare. Fuller and his collaborators both give us fresh ideas and wonderful insights, and also show us what it means to study software culture."" —Lev Manovich, City University of New York"