The Anarchist in the Library How the Clash Between Freedom and Control Is Hacking the Real World and Crashing the System

The Anarchist in the Libraryis the first guide to one of the most important cultural and economic battlegrounds of our increasingly plugged-in world. Siva Vaidhyanathan draws the struggle for information that will determine much of the culture and politics of the twenty-first century: anarchy or oligarchy, total freedom vs. complete control. His acclaimed book explores topics from unauthorized fan edits ofStar Warsto terrorist organizations' reliance on "leaderless resistance," from Napster to Total Information Awareness to flash mobs.

Siva Vaidhyanathan, a cultural historian and media scholar, is Director of Communication Studies and an Associate Professor in the Department of Culture and Communication at New York University. His research has been profiled on National Public Radio, CNN, International Herald-Tribune Television, and Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. He lives in New York City.