Rosenberg has revised the 1986 edition of his book. Although he makes little mention of the changes from the previous edition, descriptions of the computing milieux of the late 1980s support his updated survey of the social implications of computing. The book includes individual chapters surveying human factors in computing; the history of computing; and the applications of computing to the economic, social, cultural, political, and legal spheres, mostly in US society.

The primary purpose of the book is to provide a survey. It is also suitable as an introductory textbook, although it lacks exercises. The length is about right for an introduction; it is concise without getting too much into the details. The book is best as it surveys the field, but its style does not provide a lot of understanding of people’s positions on the issues considered. It is more of a report and possibly a source for further study. The book is probably most useful to people who have not done much serious thinking about the social implications of computer technology. The references provided are acceptable, but the book could be more effective if it provided an interested reader with a way of finding current references. The index is adequate, and the typography is good.