Entertaining; concise; and relentlessly probing; City of Bits is a comprehensive introduction to a new type of city; an increasingly important system of virtual spaces interconnected by the information superhighway. William Mitchell makes extensive use of practical examples and illustrations in a technically well-grounded yet accessible examination of architecture and urbanism in the context of the digital telecommunications revolution; the ongoing miniaturization of electronics; the commodification of bits; and the growing domination of software over materialized form.
#72525 in eBooks 2011-05-09 2011-05-09File Name: B004Y4UT5Y
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very readable and informative.By CustomerI am certainly not a musician. and just a casual listener of jazz music. However. I found this book very interesting. informative and readable. I found it piqued my interest in learning more about the history of jazz. and some of its great performers and performances. Gioia does an excellent job - with minor exceptions - of interweaving three themes throughout the book. He sets the scene in American history - his historical accounts of 18th and 19th century New Orleans are particularly fascinating - in which the music existed. He does a great job of providing detailed accounts of the great jazz performers and their music. My personal view is that very little awareness of the artist or his / her most noted works is needed to appreciate and understand these descriptions. The third theme is the changes in the styles / trends / preferences of jazz music over the years. Certainly some understanding of music theory is helpful here. but not essential.I found the book highly readable. although it is a long read. The two minor quibbles I have about the book are the vocabulary. and the last chapter. The vocabulary is certainly at a fairly high level. I am certainly glad I had my dictionary app handy on multiple occasions. The vocabulary manifests itself in both musical jargon - which I presume is unavoidable - and in use of words such as interstices (on multiple occasions). The last chapter reflects the challenge of any historian - to try to identify trends and their future historical significance - that are contemporary to the writing of the book. As other reviewers have noted. Gioia resorts to listings of names of artists on multiple occasions that add little depth or value to the writing. or are of little help to the reader. However. in the same chapter. Gioias comments about the impact of present day technology on the distribution of and access to jazz music are very insightful. as is his linkage of his comments on Joshua Redman to the rise of formal jazz musical education and instruction.Overall. as a casual listener of jazz music. I highly recommend this book. In fact. I have already purchased Gioias latest work - The Jazz Standards - as a result of his deepening of my interest in this musical genre.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. So far an excellent read. Lots of facts and the backstory I ...By CustomerSo far an excellent read. Lots of facts and the backstory I knew nothing about. Lots of specific music cited. too bad there isnt some way to link from the book to another medium and listen to what hes talking about as you are reading. Now. Im switching between the book and Youtube.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This narrative. complete in many ways especially the state ...By CustomerThis narrative. complete in many ways especially the state of jazz in todays world. the book from my perspective missed the inclusion of some incredibly important individuals in the development of this story.
