I'd also recommend "How the world was one" ( http://www.amazon.com/How-World-Was-Arthur-Clarke/dp/0553074407 http://www.amazon.com/How-World-Was-Arthur-Clarke/d

I'd also recommend "How the world was one" ( http://www.amazon.com/How-World-Was-Arthur-Clarke/dp/0553074407 http://www.amazon.com/How-World-Was-Arthur-Clarke/dp/0553074... ) It does an astonishingly good job of describing how networks evolved and why the function as they do today (as of mid-90's - not much has changed AFAICT).