Sherry Turkle: Second Self: Computers and the human spirit

Sherry Turkle is an excellent women who is not just a Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology but also director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology program in Science, Technology, and Society. She have dedicated her life to science and i think that it is wonderful. Thanks to that we have opportunity to reach outstanding books and articles written by her.

In this posted note you will find short introduction to her book: THE SECOND SELF. As it was described by publisher the MIT Press "Sherry Turkle looks at the computer not as a "tool," but as part of our social and psychological lives; she looks beyond how we use computer games and spreadsheets to explore how the computer affects our awareness of ourselves, of one another, and of our relationship with the world. "Technology," she writes, "catalyzes changes not only in what we do but in how we think."

The aspect of computer culture development plays important part in the book. First published in 1984 and then republished after twenty years its not just showing but also giving comparison of the new media culture.

More details you can get by reading all book from cover to cover, however if you are not exactly sure i would advise to check few chapters:

• Introduction to the MIT Press Edition (2004) Sample Chapter - Download PDF (86 KB)


• Introduction (1984): The Evocative Object Sample Chapter - Download PDF (73 KB)

I am not a computer game player yet and I have always been wondering about people spending hours in front of their computer without eating and drinking. what is that magic mixture, what can keep human attention for so long time? Maybe that’s why for me extremely interesting was Chapter 2 - Video Games and Computer holding power. S.Turkle explains that for players computer games mostly are seen or associate with sports, sex or meditation - activities that gives pleasure and pleasure always have been important for human. She also talks about the architecture of games or the dynamic, vital environment of internet, which is so exciting, colorful, that compare to books or even TV - can hold attention for longer time.

I must admit that this post is created as homework in course Information Retrival and New New Media. And there is more useful coment by my classmates on certain book, for example, in Ralphycorner, T i r u m a l K u m a r and Innovations in Society.

I will stop writing her... and if someone read this far then I am impressed that I managed to hold you attention for so long... :)

PS. Book can be found online at e-brary