In lively, mordantly witty prose, Negroponte decodes the mysteries--and debunks the hype--surrounding bandwidth, multimedia, virtual reality, and the Internet, and explains why such touted innovations as the fax and the CD-ROM are likely to go the way of the BetaMax. "Succinct and readable. ... If you suffer from digital anxiety ... here is a book that lays it all out for you."--Newsday.

Includes index.

pt. 1. Bits are bits. The DNA of information -- Debunking bandwidth -- Bitcasting -- The bit police -- Commingled bits -- The bit business -- pt. 2. Interface. Where people and bits meet -- Graphical persona -- 20/20 VR -- Looking and feeling -- Can we talk about this? -- Less is more -- pt. 3. Digital life. The post-information age -- Prime time is my time -- Good connections -- Hard fun -- Digital fables and foibles -- The new e-xpressionists.