Who Owns the Future?

Lanier recognizes that the Internet isn’t going away, but also provides a critical analysis of how it operates today (increasingly on mega-servers such as Google and Facebook) and the negative ways it impacts our economy. The author also offers alternative ways users can better enjoy the benefits of the digital age. Narrator Pete Simoneilli’s reading initially comes across as excessively nasal. However, his voice will quickly grows on listeners and feel natural and appropriate by the audio production’s end. Simoneilli conveys Lanier’s cautious but sincere tone throughout, and he does well with emphasis and timing to tease out the sometimes-complex ideas the author presents. Lanier’s prose is non-judgmental, and Simoneilli works hard to show this, shifting between a matter-of-fact tone and one of sympathy. A Simon & Schuster hardcover. (Aug.)