I don't think that the author understands just how computers have changed everything. >The big differences are cell phones (which they will understand to be a

I don't think that the author understands just how computers have changed everything. >The big differences are cell phones (which they will understand to be a sort of telephone, albeit with no cord and capable of sending telegram-like communications, but still figuring that it works via radio waves rather than magic), computers (which they will see as interactive televisions), sure, someone from the '50s would see games systems as interactive televisions and probably not be too shocked; games systems aren't a world-changing thing (vs. tv) - the same is true if you use cellphones as, you know, mobile telephones. Think about the information we all have in our pockets now. Like how to fix things... if you don't repair your own stuff... you should try it one weekend, just for fun. I've used youtube to figure out everything from how to assemble a crazy-complex sony vaio to replacing a bad fan in a fridge, to replacing shocks on my motorcycle. and the textual information that is available to you is also absolutely huge. We're all carting around a really bad interface to a library that is more vast than the library of congress... in our pockets. What I think is interesting here is the huge availability of what would have been out of print books in the '50s... books who's copyright has expired; those are available at the snap of the fingers. Even more modern stuff is also available, of course, it's just not as available as the out of copyright stuff. Actually, I think this is the interesting thing going forward... who can access information, and at what cost. But I think there is sufficient focus on that.