A compelling blend of cultural criticism and business writing (à la Tracy Kidder's The Soul of a New Machine), and the first full-length look at the revolution in listening to and trading music online, Alderman's detailed, unflaggingly entertaining book sets a dizzying standard. Notably well-versed in Internet history, Alderman tracks the music industry power struggles precipitated by the proliferation of MP3 technology and the infamous Napster. Alderman, a journalist with Wired
and Mondo 2000
on his résumé, ably explains the controversy, from the encoding algorithms used by early online music pioneers, the legal battle between the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Napster ("Being essentially a legal group, RIAA's concentration was on litigating and lawmaking, rather than research or development that might create new models") to the appeal and impact of online music ("The scale and enthusiasm of Napster use trumped all predictions that the online market was exaggerated"). Though Alderman clearly advocates Web trading—"The bottom line is that musicians need listeners, and the Web is shaping up to be the best thing yet at connecting, organizing, and sometimes marketing to like-minded people"—he challenges the music industry to "craft a solution that pays artists fairly, is not overly restrictive of fair use, and leaves the market open for broad tastes." More important, Alderman places the Napster phenomenon squarely within larger Internet history, observing that "[a]side from... e-mail, MP3 trading was the first large-scale benefit of using computers to connect everyone." This is required reading for anyone interested in the connection between culture and the Internet. (Sept.)
Forecast:More Napster-style sites and lawsuits throughout 2001 will give this timely book a shot at sustained shelf life.
