Curtis Books

This is the first book of the eight book series. Two twins, Robbie and Beka, died in the 1940's and they have continued to "haunt" the house they lived in all of those years ago. No one would move into the house because of the haunting rumours, and Robbie and Beka were fine with that. But, things stir up when Scott, Kim, and their dad use the house for a vacationing spot. So what is this mystery at Kickingbird Lake and why must Robbie and Beka return there every so often? And what does Scott find that Robbie is determined to have? This is a really great read for middle grade readers on up. I really enjoyed it and could not put it down.

this was a good boo

Rebecca, Robbie and their dog Thatch are 11-year old ghosts who died 50 years ago. When Mr. Shook moves his daughter "Kim", son "Scott" and their cat "Smudge" into the twins house - the fun begins. You will laugh when the twins practice their haunting skills on Kim & Scott, and sit on the edge of your seat when someone needs rescued. It's fun to listen in on the twins conversations on the items Kim & Scott brought with them, that we take for granted but that someone living 50 years ago hasn't seen. The fun continues as they try to help Kim solve the mystery of the treasure at Kickingbird Lake. This book is interesting, suspenseful, and funny. I was helping my 9-year old son with his book report and found myself sitting down to read the entire book. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

This is simply a beautiful work. From the story to the art, this work captures and presents a sense of place and family filled with learning, love and compassion. Its telling of a children's story in both Spanish and English not only reflects our times of increasing interactions and relations between people, but Marta Curti's story and Linda Hunter's art work push us to think differently about life and nature; push us to include all beings as part of the social.

This is a terrific little book. The story is eco-friendly and illustrates the love children have for their mother. The illustrations are vibrant and colorful. Every elementary school in both North and South America should have at least one.

Anyone familiar with Marta Curti's poetry already knows of her love for the natural world. In "Fish, Flowers and Butterflies", her bilingual book for young readers, she shares that love with children. "Fish, Flowers and Butterflies" is a simple tale which tells us, through prose and poems presented in both Spanish and English, that it's not necessary to pick flowers or capture butterflies to enjoy and share their beauty. For children who live in a place where they might not get to see many fish, flowers and butterflies, there are Linda Hunter's charming, whimsical illustrations. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words but Ms. Hunter's pictures combine with Ms. Curti's words to make this little volume priceless. It will delight any reader, from a child just learning to read to a grandparent sharing the joy of books.
Bill Lee

I've been a strong, but frustrated, proponent of the P-CMM since its inception. This book goes well beyond the original SEI documentation by thoroughly describing the rationale behind the CMM and making a strong business case with respect to the tangible and intangible benefits that accrue from implementing it.

This book contains something for managers, particularly upper management who needs to not only endorse the P-CMM, but also need to commit to it and sponsor it in order to make it happen. The chapters of the book that apply to them are:
1 -The Process Maturity Framework, portions of 5 - Interpreting the People CMM (Organizational Factors, and commitment and Ability to Perform), and 7 - Experience with the People CMM).

For technical line managers the entire book will be relevant because it covers the reasons, structure and key process areas in great detail. In addition, once a P-CMM initiative is given the go ahead, the implementation team and all primary stakeholders will also benefit from large portions of the book because it also covers implementation issues and an approach in detail.

Overall, this book presents a maturity framework that contains goals for any organization that understands the relationship between the morale and management of a technical workforce and the resulting impact on the business bottom line. I'll go so far as to state that if this book is followed and a successful implementation of the P-CMM results, attaining the corresponding level of the SW-CMM will be relatively effortless.

The software development is an activity that involves both social and engineering aspects, addressing the problem with this in mind, in an holistic way will deliver much better results that doing it partially. The People CMM address the human side of software development and completes the engineering side that at the three levels, Organization, Team, and Individual are covered by SW-CMM, TSP and PSP.
The book is divided in three parts, the first one gives the reader a clear understanding not just of the model but the principles that define it. Also very valuable are the briefs of the case studies and specially the first chapter "The Process Maturity Framework" is very helpful to understand the basics of all the CMM's.
The second Part describes the practices that are part the People CMM in a very detailed way, these practices are not any thing new , the real value of the model is defining a framework in which these practices really will deliver sustainable results, thus we may say the whole is larger than the simple sum of the parts, finally the third part, the Appendices, provides a lot of information to support the practioneer.
Definitively this book is for any body involved in a software process improvement programs that wishes to obtain better and lasting results.

In the seven years since the 1995 release of the P-CMM, version 1 I've not encountered any sincere effort by any US client to implement the process. My personal theory is that the P-CMM was little known outside of the software engineering community, especially the DoD-related community, when it should have received wider dissemination to human resources and higher-level management. This book from a mainstream publisher should change that. With respect to the model itself, the previous reviewer has done a remarkable job of describing the model and how this book supports it. I have a few additional notes to add:
(1) This book is about version 2, which corrects some flaws in the first version which had team building at level 4. In the version, 2, described in this book team building has been placed at level 3.
(2) Another change from version 1 to version 2 is the alignment of the P-CMM to the CMMI, especially with respect to integrated product and process development.
(3) Version 2 adds institutionalization goals to each process area.

If you have previous experience with the older versions of P-CMM, or CMM-SW, or the newer approaches as set forth in later versions and CMMI, you'll note that there are two implementation models: staged and continuous. The staged approach is the only supported implementation for P-CMM version 2.

The book goes into extraordinary detail about the P-CMM and how to implement it. You can easily use this book as a roadmap to achieving levels 2 through 5 of the P-CMM, or as a resource for improving the people part of the people-process-technology triad that defines IT. As such you need not have certification as a goal to gain value from this book. If you do decide to pursue certification at level 2 or higher, however, I strongly recommend that you also get a copy of Kim Caputo's 'CMM Implementation Guide'. That book, while focused on implementing the CMM-SW, contains sage advice and a sound approach to dealing with the real problems that you'll encounter: organizational inertia and resistance, training and implementation issues and obtaining they key ingredient - commitment to perform.

The DVD of the Power of Nightmares was recently released.

The Power of Nightmares by Adam Curtis


This is a great documentary, recommended to anyone interested in getting a grasp of today's world.

This is essential viewing for all Americans . It lays bare the myth of a so-called war on terror. Pieces of this have made the rounds on the web and in the internet archive and its release officially by the BBC is long overdue. What American journalism should have been doing from 2001 on.

This three-part series is remarkable in it's scope and depth. It shows the parallel development of radical Islamic forces and neo-conservatives and goes into the fascinating and chilling details that show how the neo-conservatives actually fueled terrorism and oppressed citizens (well over 600 in America and Britain) with false charges. This is very well-researched, it is definitely not an opinion piece. There are many clips from interviews of insiders as well as plenty of footage from news events and speeches. This directly addresses many myths, from how Russia fell (with neocons and Islamic fundamentalists taking credit for it), to how charges against citizens (including many people in the middle east) were trumped up in a fear-driven witch-hunt. It ends with how blatantly people are being arrested because they might commit a crime, and the consequences of this approach to society. If all you've seen is American news, this will be like finding out that Santa Claus doesn't exist. There is abundant information to show that most of the terrorist threat is a fabrication. The part about neo-cons believing CIA propaganda even after CIA TOLD them it was false was shocking.

The principles of introducing reading that the author gives are truly things that any parent can do. The author has a background in Montessori method, but the book is entirely geared toward the home situation. It's essentially a good solid introduction to phonic awareness and instruction. Her ideas require little expense, and most are intended to be things that you can do with your child even while the parent is doing other things. I bought this book and a more expensive, more structured reading instruction book at the same time, and while I like the other book, I love this one. I wish I had bought only it and read it first. It's very encouraging.

I originally checked this book out of the library along with another one. I liked this book much better because of the really easy "games" and projects that Barbara Curtis suggests to start with (we love the sound game). She also tells you how to instill a love for reading beginning with babies. I have a 3 year old who is starting to read a few things (cat, dog) phoenetically, and a 17 month old who I'm trying to read to for at least 45 minutes a day. I will purchase this book and I'm sure it will be a much used resource. She is a devout Christian and has home-schooled most of her children, but she doesn't shove either down your throat. I'd like to read her other book also.

"Ready,Set,Read!"is a wonderful book on how young children learn language.I love the fact that she focused on the parent-child relationship at the center of learning.My son is starting to read now at age 4.5.But, she is clear that not all children will learn to read that young.I also enjoyed the many titles she reccomends. We have many more Favorites in our book collection.

Since the first edition of this work came out in 1975, this work has been a must-have for anyone, layman or professional, who is interested in Australia's unique and very speciose collection of reptiles and amphibians. Successive upgrades through the years have kept this book up to date (but at the same time considerably larger and more expensive than the original).

Quite simply, this book is a guide to ALL of Australia's (including it's island territories) frogs and reptiles. Each taxa has a full description of it's appearance, distribution (by way of both text and an accompanying shaded map), habits and, in the majority of species, a corresponding colour photograph of the living animal. The book has very thorough and simple to use dichotomous keys that should allow any specimen in hand to be quickly identified. A comprehensive list of scientific references is also given for those wishing to conduct more in-depth research. Also included are basic guides to the collection, preservation and captive care of specimens.

I have only one gripe with the current (Sixth - year 2000) edition. Since (I think) 1992 there has been no major rewrite of the main text - instead an increasingly large Appendix of has been slapped on the end. The current Appendix is now over 40 pages long with numerous subsequently described species and nomeclatural rearrangements. It can be very annoying having to flick from the main text to the Appendix in such a large volume to see what the current information is.

Still, this is a bearable hardship to pay for such a treasuretrove of information and illustrations.

Very good book, lots of pictures and maps.

I work at David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast and this is the reference book I recommend to those wanting to identify either reptiles or amphibians that they have in their backyard, come across while travelling or from photographs. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia is a very large, thick and heavy doorstopper of a book so not really ideal for the backpacker who wants something to carry in their backpack. If you have a car, or want it for the home though it is ideal.

As well as great photographs to compare what you are wondering about there is also a substantial amount of information on each reptile and amphibian. There are also shaded maps to indicate where you are most likely to come across each animal that you seek.

If you are after a book that covers the whole range of animals in Australia and not just reptiles and amphibians I would recommend Encyclopaedia of Australian Wildlife by Janet Healey. If you live in South East QLD then Wildlife of Greater Brisbane by the Queensland Museum is also a great reference book. For those interested only in birds I would recommend Michael Marcombe's A Field Guide to Australian Birds.

This book is an easy, engrossing read. It gives a clear picture of the times and life of the author, good and bad.

This engrossing memoir of a woman still working part time at age 90, and actively involved with people and politics, is a prime portrait of a fully engaged life. Rhoda Curtis, daughter of Romanian Jewish immigrants, grew up in Chicago where she showed an independent streak at an early age. Since her teen years she has supported herself, first putting herself through college and then working in numerous jobs. Two very different careers reveal her approach to work; whatever she did, Rhoda threw herself into it completely, mastering the basics and then developing innovations.

In the fifties and sixties, as owner and designer of Rhoda Pack leathers in San Francisco's North Beach during the Beat Generation and early hippie years, she became part of that world. Rhoda helped start the Grant Avenue Street Fair, still an annual event there. Later in Berkeley she taught English as a Second Language, then branched into training teachers in this field, receiving a masters degree at age 60 and becoming an expert. The chapters describing her later teaching stints in Korea and China are some of book's most compelling.

The personal, including her sex life, form an intertwined sub theme. After three marriages that ended in divorce, at age 76 she met Peter, "the love of my life;" they spent eight happy years together which ended only with his death. Rhoda's descriptions of coping with life's crises were so immediate and vivid that I sometimes found myself thinking of how I reacted to similar situations: I suspect that many other readers will do the same.

This book is an exceedingly good read. If people's lives interest you, don't miss it.

Rhoda Curtis takes us through the changing worlds in which she has lived from the 1920's to the present. Born in Chicago to Jewish immigrants, she now lives in Berkely. She writes with penetrating intelligence, compassion, humor, and a novelist's sense of story. The book is gripping, not only as a personal story but as a historical and cultural narrative.

The Lake Erie Campaign was one of the few bright lights during the War of 1812. This succinct, readable book details the challenges and hardships faced by the combatants in what was then a largely unsettled part of North America. I bought mine at the National Historic Site headquarters at Put-In-Bay, South Bass Island, Ohio...and at the time, they had plenty of copies.

Skaggs and Altoff have done a terrific job with this almost forgotten piece of North American history. The authors deal not only with the battle itself, but also describe the events that lead to it, and the repercussions of it. The research is meticulous and put forth in a very readable way. This should be required reading for any history buff.

This excellent book is the definitive history of this hard-fought, valiant effort by two small fleets fighting each other to the death quite literally in the middle of nowhere, 1813.

Two quickly built naval squadrons, getting men and material for sailor and ships from wherever they could, fought each other to literal annihilation for the loser, and great strategic gains for the victor. Two talented naval officers, Briton Robert H. barclay, and American Oliver Hazard Perry, built their small fleets, manned them with whatever came along (in Perry's case 'a motley set, blacks, soldiers, and boys', including a Marine officer who was given his choice of a court-martial or serving on the northwest frontier-he was later killed in action in the battle, quite gallantly taking his death wound leading his men), and set sail to settle the fate of Lake Erie and its surrounding territory.

The authors tell their tale with wit, verve, and aplomb, from the different characters to the ships and the men that manned them. This volume definitely has the smell of gunpowder about it and is meticulously researched and very well-written. It is highly recommeded both as a valued addition to the literature of the period and a book than can stand on its own.

Any one who wants to live life deliberately instead of going about the business of life as laid out by others of whom you may never be aware needs to read this book.

This book is ofcourse fantastic. Like the Middle Mind, it unhinges you from being ok with being a zombie. Superb in the thickets, if I may steal. How do you live when you can't honestly live a happy and decent life these days without taking out the horse blinders is the only thing worth thinking/reading about.
Also- I had no idea Curtis White had written another non fiction book. Even his Harpers article didn't mention that he was about to come out with a new book- actually I got the article off of Lexis Nexis so perhaps thats the kind of garbling I didn't pay for.

If you get very tired of what passes for debate in this country, try this book on for size. White calls it like it is -- Democrats and Republicans claim to be so different, but they are basically both about keeping society this way it is, "good for business"; capitalism is bankrupt spiritually, leading to an unsustainable work/life balance for families, and a lousy car-centric suburbia landscape that has alienated ourselves from ourselves. I really liked his critiques of familiar pop-culture artifacts like the Simpsons and Office Space because often in a book like this, these pieces, accessible to general audiences, are ignored disdainfully. He also leaves you with some hope, which most critics don't get around to. Turn off the tube and give yourself some stimulation, read the book.

When, in 1983, the authors of this erudite volume began to reflect on the concept of the information society, they noted that its `high visibility1 was belied by its `indistinct content as an academic concern1. The concept was to become even more prominent over the next few years, to the extent that it became spoken of as a new paradigm, a new way of interpreting the social world. Regrettably, confusion over the nature of the information society did not diminish: if anything, it increased. In Tendencies and Tensions of the Information Age: The Production and Distribution of Information in the United States, however, Jorge Schement and Terry Curtis have done much for the cause of disambiguation.

Schement and Curtis understand that the chief methodological issue, the question which must be settled before anything else can intelligently be said, is: should the information society be construed as a post-industrial society or as an extension of industrial society? They favour the latter, arguing forcefully that the information society is not the aftermath of any sudden `information revolution1 but rather a protracted outplaying of the forces which have shaped Western industrialisation. The idea of a socio-economic change on a par with the industrial revolution was always counter-intuitive. Schement and Curtis provide our intuitions with some empirical succour by demonstrating that the United States began the transition to an information-based work force as far back as the 1920s and 1930s. This upsets the orthodox chronology laid down by Fritz Machlup and Marc Porat and, if correct, relocates the information society safely inside the industrial era.

Although it has exerted the greatest influence, post-industrialism is not the only variant of the information society thesis. Another emphasises the expansion of information flows in modern societies, especially those utilising the mass media. In a chapter entitled `media environments1, Schement and Curtis present statistics of the popular consumption of information goods, discuss methods of coping with information overload, and explore the implications of the information explosion for the theory of alienation. `For the first time in human history1, they conclude, `a strategy of information exclusion has become urgent1. This sounds quixotic and even heretical, but may indeed be our most realistic option.

A third version of the information society thesis has as its focus the microelectronics revolution which has been unfolding since the 1970s. Here it is the computer, not the economy or the communications media, which plays the leading role. In an enthralling essay on `technological visions1, Schement and Curtis approach information technology from various angles, as `fact of life1, as `pursuit of an ideal1, as `sword of Damocles1, as `metaphor1. Their philosophy of technology also makes room for a sophisticated stance on the much-contested issue of technological determinism.

In their final chapter, on `the information society as a state of mind1, the authors argue that what the information society thesis requires most of all is a `systematic macro theory1, one which can explain multifarious phenomena in an abstract and holistic way. They state that Daniel Bell is the thinker who has come closest to this ideal. Most scholars would endorse this judgment, and many would also accept their contention that Bell1s project failed as a result of inherent `weakness1 in `the logic of post-industrialism1. However, Schement and Curtis1s diagnosis that Bell1s shortcomings `underscore the importance of factoring capitalism into any macro theory of the information society1 is much less convincing. To explain the information society as a phase of `industrial capitalism1 is to be left with the unacceptable corollary that highly industrialised non-capitalist societies cannot be information societies. Schement and Curtis try in an appendix to deal with this objection, but end up by contradicting themselves. It is preferable to treat capitalism and industrialisation as separate analytical constructs, and to construe the information society as a function of the latter.

As regards the social issues or `tensions1 of the information age, Schement and Curtis should be specially commended for their incorporation of political philosophy. They acknowledge, as had Bell in the coda of The Coming of Post-Industrial Society, the relevance of John Rawls1s great work on distributive justice. The authors do not really resolve whether the Rawlsian theory of `justice as fairness1 provides philosophical support for a policy of universal access to information (or for some other form of informational equality), but at least they point in the right direction. In normative as well as methodological matters, therefore, Tendencies and Tensions of the Information Age makes a major contribution to information society studies.

When, in 1983, the authors of this erudite volume began to reflect on the concept of the information society, they noted that its `high visibility1 was belied by its `indistinct content as an academic concern1. The concept was to become even more prominent over the next few years, to the extent that it became spoken of as a new paradigm, a new way of interpreting the social world. Regrettably, confusion over the nature of the information society did not diminish: if anything, it increased. In Tendencies and Tensions of the Information Age: The Production and Distribution of Information in the United States, however, Jorge Schement and Terry Curtis have done much for the cause of disambiguation.

Schement and Curtis understand that the chief methodological issue, the question which must be settled before anything else can intelligently be said, is: should the information society be construed as a post-industrial society or as an extension of industrial society? They favour the latter, arguing forcefully that the information society is not the aftermath of any sudden `information revolution1 but rather a protracted outplaying of the forces which have shaped Western industrialisation. The idea of a socio-economic change on a par with the industrial revolution was always counter-intuitive. Schement and Curtis provide our intuitions with some empirical succour by demonstrating that the United States began the transition to an information-based work force as far back as the 1920s and 1930s. This upsets the orthodox chronology laid down by Fritz Machlup and Marc Porat and, if correct, relocates the information society safely inside the industrial era.

Although it has exerted the greatest influence, post-industrialism is not the only variant of the information society thesis. Another emphasises the expansion of information flows in modern societies, especially those utilising the mass media. In a chapter entitled `media environments1, Schement and Curtis present statistics of the popular consumption of information goods, discuss methods of coping with information overload, and explore the implications of the information explosion for the theory of alienation. `For the first time in human history1, they conclude, `a strategy of information exclusion has become urgent1. This sounds quixotic and even heretical, but may indeed be our most realistic option.

A third version of the information society thesis has as its focus the microelectronics revolution which has been unfolding since the 1970s. Here it is the computer, not the economy or the communications media, which plays the leading role. In an enthralling essay on `technological visions1, Schement and Curtis approach information technology from various angles, as `fact of life1, as `pursuit of an ideal1, as `sword of Damocles1, as `metaphor1. Their philosophy of technology also makes room for a sophisticated stance on the much-contested issue of technological determinism.

In their final chapter, on `the information society as a state of mind1, the authors argue that what the information society thesis requires most of all is a `systematic macro theory1, one which can explain multifarious phenomena in an abstract and holistic way. They state that Daniel Bell is the thinker who has come closest to this ideal. Most scholars would endorse this judgment, and many would also accept their contention that Bell1s project failed as a result of inherent `weakness1 in `the logic of post-industrialism1. However, Schement and Curtis1s diagnosis that Bell1s shortcomings `underscore the importance of factoring capitalism into any macro theory of the information society1 is much less convincing. To explain the information society as a phase of `industrial capitalism1 is to be left with the unacceptable corollary that highly industrialised non-capitalist societies cannot be information societies. Schement and Curtis try in an appendix to deal with this objection, but end up by contradicting themselves. It is preferable to treat capitalism and industrialisation as separate analytical constructs, and to construe the information society as a function of the latter.

As regards the social issues or `tensions1 of the information age, Schement and Curtis should be specially commended for their incorporation of political philosophy. They acknowledge, as had Bell in the coda of The Coming of Post-Industrial Society, the relevance of John Rawls1s great work on distributive justice. The authors do not really resolve whether the Rawlsian theory of `justice as fairness1 provides philosophical support for a policy of universal access to information (or for some other form of informational equality), but at least they point in the right direction. In normative as well as methodological matters, therefore, Tendencies and Tensions of the Information Age makes a major contribution to information society studies.

When, in 1983, the authors of this erudite volume began to reflect on the concept of the information society, they noted that its `high visibility1 was belied by its `indistinct content as an academic concern1. The concept was to become even more prominent over the next few years, to the extent that it became spoken of as a new paradigm, a new way of interpreting the social world. Regrettably, confusion over the nature of the information society did not diminish: if anything, it increased. In Tendencies and Tensions of the Information Age: The Production and Distribution of Information in the United States, however, Jorge Schement and Terry Curtis have done much for the cause of disambiguation.

Schement and Curtis understand that the chief methodological issue, the question which must be settled before anything else can intelligently be said, is: should the information society be construed as a post-industrial society or as an extension of industrial society? They favour the latter, arguing forcefully that the information society is not the aftermath of any sudden `information revolution1 but rather a protracted outplaying of the forces which have shaped Western industrialisation. The idea of a socio-economic change on a par with the industrial revolution was always counter-intuitive. Schement and Curtis provide our intuitions with some empirical succour by demonstrating that the United States began the transition to an information-based work force as far back as the 1920s and 1930s. This upsets the orthodox chronology laid down by Fritz Machlup and Marc Porat and, if correct, relocates the information society safely inside the industrial era.

Although it has exerted the greatest influence, post-industrialism is not the only variant of the information society thesis. Another emphasises the expansion of information flows in modern societies, especially those utilising the mass media. In a chapter entitled `media environments1, Schement and Curtis present statistics of the popular consumption of information goods, discuss methods of coping with information overload, and explore the implications of the information explosion for the theory of alienation. `For the first time in human history1, they conclude, `a strategy of information exclusion has become urgent1. This sounds quixotic and even heretical, but may indeed be our most realistic option.

A third version of the information society thesis has as its focus the microelectronics revolution which has been unfolding since the 1970s. Here it is the computer, not the economy or the communications media, which plays the leading role. In an enthralling essay on `technological visions1, Schement and Curtis approach information technology from various angles, as `fact of life1, as `pursuit of an ideal1, as `sword of Damocles1, as `metaphor1. Their philosophy of technology also makes room for a sophisticated stance on the much-contested issue of technological determinism.

In their final chapter, on `the information society as a state of mind1, the authors argue that what the information society thesis requires most of all is a `systematic macro theory1, one which can explain multifarious phenomena in an abstract and holistic way. They state that Daniel Bell is the thinker who has come closest to this ideal. Most scholars would endorse this judgment, and many would also accept their contention that Bell1s project failed as a result of inherent `weakness1 in `the logic of post-industrialism1. However, Schement and Curtis1s diagnosis that Bell1s shortcomings `underscore the importance of factoring capitalism into any macro theory of the information society1 is much less convincing. To explain the information society as a phase of `industrial capitalism1 is to be left with the unacceptable corollary that highly industrialised non-capitalist societies cannot be information societies. Schement and Curtis try in an appendix to deal with this objection, but end up by contradicting themselves. It is preferable to treat capitalism and industrialisation as separate analytical constructs, and to construe the information society as a function of the latter.

As regards the social issues or `tensions1 of the information age, Schement and Curtis should be specially commended for their incorporation of political philosophy. They acknowledge, as had Bell in the coda of The Coming of Post-Industrial Society, the relevance of John Rawls1s great work on distributive justice. The authors do not really resolve whether the Rawlsian theory of `justice as fairness1 provides philosophical support for a policy of universal access to information (or for some other form of informational equality), but at least they point in the right direction. In normative as well as methodological matters, therefore, Tendencies and Tensions of the Information Age makes a major contribution to information society studies.