This is an excellent book which will answer many of your questions ( even those that you think had no answers). Contrary to its name, it is not just about internet and networks. It infact covers wide variety of subjects, ranging from open source, copyright to company strategies.
It is a dense book. It therefore demands certain patience and a little bit of willpower to go through. But it is worth at the end of it. It is filled with references from research, but the research is condensed in such a way that it does not divert the flow of the topic.
If you have any of these questions, then you must read this book:
1. Why does IBM follow the dual strategy of 'patents' as well as funding 'open source' Linux?
2. What is the real benefit of 'open source' initiative, both for the world and for companies? Is it just saving money or something more than that?
3. Why & how has the meaning of 'copyright' undergone change in the last decade? And more important how is it going to affect us in the future?
4. How is the fight of software industry being fought by proprietary market players at the physical, logical and content layer? And which layer is likely to impact the most?
5. How is the 'social exchange' facilitated by digital network environment impacting the 'management' of organisations of the proprietary goods like ours?
6. Why we, normal people, contribute our efforts, time and even money to many of these 'social non-funded initiatives'? ( I promise you that you will be shocked by the extent of projects that are emanating from this world.....which is so alien to us)
and many more...
