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Homepage / Publications & Opinion / Uncommon Sense Reviews "I'm currently reading the copy of your book that I won courtesy of Silicon.com and I have to say I think it's excellent. It's so impressed one of friends/colleagues that he's just ordered one as well."
Peter Cochrane spent many years as Director of Research at BT Laboratories and also held the first UK Chair of Public Understanding of Science and Technology. I first discovered his work in Wired magazine and then picked up his Tips for Time Travellers (Orion Business Books, 1997) at a bookshop. This book, Uncommon Sense, is a collection of short essays or notes, liberally illustrated with diagrams and charts, that explores the digital future (which in many cases is already here) from a managerial, technical and social perspective. His ideas are provocative, his opinions refreshing and his knowledge extensive. The contributions appeared first on the web in his very popular silicon.com column. The book offers a compact (ideal for holiday reading) and very readable guide to understanding some of the management challenges of the world we live in. Out of the box thinking for an in the box world by Peter Cochrane A series of challenging insights into work, communication and the family (ie almost everything) touched by the world of technology. Based on his regular column at www.silicon.com. A must read for anyone who wants to understand what is really going on. The Institute of Directors : Jim Ewan From the UK's first Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Technology comes a book full of fascination - plus a few dire warnings. Peter Cochrane is a visionary with a sound scientific background who acts as advisor and consultant to many organisations around the globe. He predicted, among other things, the rise of email, text messaging and the fate of the dotcoms. So it pays to listen to his ideas. In Uncommon Sense he explains how to cope with the ever-increasing speed of change, with the exponential growth of information, with the breakdown of copyright laws. He warns about the control freaks, negative management styles and the next oil crisis. The book consists of a collection of 50 of Cochrane's essays on every technology-related topic imaginable. But this is not some try intellectual tone with little relevance to the real world. He dissects and exposes failures of management, politicians, big business and technology itself. He paints and optimistic vision of the future that awaits us while dropping in some timely caveats. This is a book that will help you make sense of what is happening around you, especially if you, like me suffer from 'information overload'. You will find it hard to put down and my only small niggle is that there is no indication of when the individuals articles were written. It would be nice to have an idea of just how far ahead of the rest of us Cochrane is! New Scientist : Wendy M Grossman Formerly head of British Telecom Research, Peter Cochrane is probably the UK's best-known commentator on the digital world. In this compilation of his columns for silicon.com, he looks at the future of telecoms, e-commerce, business management, artificial intelligence, and the consequences of infinite data storage. Illustration in Uncommon Sense is copious: Cochrane says he understands pictures better than words. Amazon US & UK Various "€a man with something to say to a world that should listen."
"A series of remarkable insights into work, communication, the family, communities and just about everything else touched by technology. Or so it says on the blurb. Alternatively, it's a bloke in a bar - lots of opinions, some repeated. Repeated? But what's his beef? Ant? Cricket? Really? Any real insights into the world of technology? Fascinating. Any more? Any evidence to support his views? Always useful. Who is this guy anyway? Eats technology? Yuk. Big question: should I buy this book? |
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Out of the box thinking for an in the box world by Peter Cochrane