The Information

This summer, I finished James Gleick's The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood. This is a book that needs to become on of the "must reads" for the second decade of the 21st century; despite the 426 pages of text.

The subtitle does explain the content and organization of the book perfectly. First, several chapters dedicated to the arrival of writing (and its effects on society) and the history of books and computers and networks. These chapters deserve careful reading and reflection by those who hope to be educated in our knowledge age. Second, several chapters detailing the work of the information theorists in the mid-20th century and ho people like Claude Shannon and Alan Turing (and their many colleagues and collaborators) tamed and framed information so that that computer revolution could occur. Finally, a brief treatment of the changed information landscape.

Educators should take some time to become familiar with the history and the flood of information and to come to understand the implications for their work and the questions that arise. These are the issues that will determine the direction our professional takes in the coming years. Educators should be familiar with the theory of information because it tells us the concepts upon which our professional is built, but I am think getting caught up in those details may interfere with what we do in the classroom.