have started reading the huge three-volume book (Castells) and though it's heavy going, it seems to be moving towards putting a lot of things in context. it's going back to first principles, like modes of production and how they affect society, and how identity is formed in relation to society. probably worth buying, even. this is after getting about 10 pages into Asleep at the Wheel and finding myself a bit bored and annoyed. he seems to be setting up some mythical techno-utopia-ists in order to bash them down, without explaining just who They are. as if he's the first person ever to question the introduction of tech. yes, I'll plough through the rest. maybe the first bit is just an overview.

but it took me about an hour to read 28 pages of Castells, and there must be 1000 pages of the thing. glad I'm starting now. even a small head start might make the difference between faltering halfway as usual and actually doing the reading!!!