ISBN 0-201-60870-7 (US hbk),,, 0-436-41214-4 (UK hbk),,, 0-436-20208-5 (UK pbk)

"All over the globe, people who have never met are linking up by computer. They are sharing scientific research, child-rearing tips, business strategies, political opinions, sexual fantasies and the contents of entire libraries. Moreover, they are building real and powerful communities based on interest rather than geography, and in so doing redefining the social fabric. Rheingold helps us understand the full weight of this phenomenon in every aspect, from the psychological needs that make on-line communication so compelling, to the revolutionary implications for business and political organizations, to issues of free speech and who will own and control the infrastructure that makes it possible." [jacket blurb, UK hbk, 1994]

"Perhaps cyberspace is one of the informal public places where people can rebuild the aspects of community that were lost when the malt shop became a mall. Or perhaps cyberspace is precisely the wrong place to look for the rebirth of community, offering not a tool for conviviality but a life-denying simulacrum of real passion and commitment to one another." --Howard Rheingold.

"The social role of cyberspace. Virtual worlds and digital dimensions. This is the new battleground for the minds and souls of society. Our future is very much at stake... and it's time to take the reins." --Henry W.Targowski (in Mark/Space , 1995).

Essential reading.