July 1, 2009

Book 32: Small Pieces Loosely Joined

Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory of the Web
David Weinberger

Unfortunately, the very premise of this book's subtitle is false when compared to the book beneath its cover, as admitted directly by author David Weinberger and as evidenced by the construction of the book itself, which more directly follows the direction of its headline. The irony of the idea of a "unified theory of the Web" is central to this book and Weinberger's sly acknowledgement of how inapt this title is in its own way sums up Small Pieces Loosely Joined: the author alternates between anecdotes of questionable relevance to the book as a whole and bits of misplaced, occasionally offensive, and nearly always flat attempts at humor. It isn't that the ideas in this book are bad or misguided; indeed, as Weinberger sums up his book in its final chapter, he presents a very interesting thesis about the Web and the ways in which it is making human experience more human than our experiences of what we call the "real world". The problem is that Small Pieces Loosely Joined is exactly what its title promises. The book is an often incoherent jumble of difficult philosophy, real-world examples, and online examples that read much more like ads than pieces used to construct an argument. In this context, which relies heavily on the theoretical while using abstract concrete examples that require much more lucid explanations than those offered, it is almost refreshing to note the author's perplexing and absolute obsession with online pornography, which slips in every few pages no matter what the topic and which makes a hilarious, laugh-out-loud cameo in the final sentence of the book. This is the humor that works.

With Weinberger's woefully inept attempts at humor crashing quickly and often, it is reasonable to assume that his interest in web pornography is deep and his continued references to it an unintentionally funny rearing of Dr. Freud's esteemed head. Regardless, Weinberger makes some interesting points in between the failed jokes and porno fetishism, though they come unexpectedly and haphazardly in the uneven text. Many of Weinberger's points, while potent, are a bit abstract and rely so heavily on the context he builds, often unreliably, that they are ultimately lost in the noise. Others, while interesting, seem to bear no relation to the text at hand: I am lost as to how the section on "bits" and their delivery systems relates to the idea that the Web is most useful as a tool for creating and connecting groups. Weinberger seems so intent on making his points fit into the categories he has invented that the book loses its sense of flow and logic; there are a lot of small pieces and some are loosely joined but others float freely and are lost. Weinberger is at his most potent when he keeps it simple and uses web examples to illustrate how the prevalence of the Internet in our lives is connecting us in unforseen ways and compressing and changing our notions of space and time. In a few sections he does make good comparisons between the physical, mental, and Web realms, but the philosophy behind his points is too complex (and subsequently too watered down) to connect to most readers. Ultimately, Small Pieces Loosely Joined provides a few theories about the Web, champions a few select websites, hilariously refers to Google as "www.Google.com" (though Weinberger can hardly be blamed for that), unevenly presents complex existential philosophies, and explains how Web porn relates to each and every one of its points. If only it came with its own Wiki or comment pages.

Grade: B-

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