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A Philosophy Of Information: (Information is the Power that Drives and Controls us All)

by Bernard T Smith

522 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #05-2299; ISBN 1-4120-7404-5; US$30.43, C$35.00, EUR25.00, £17.50

A thoughtfully written book showing how "Information is at the heart of our very existence and everything we do".

About the Book

(re-printed in November 2007 with an impressive Names and Subjects index)

The athor's personal website ,which is devoted entirely to his book, is accesible at: www.theinformationstory.com

A Philosophy of Information A Philosophy of Information by Bernard Smith tells us how Information Technology (IT) is changing our lives and may be our species. It warns us of many of its dangers which we ignore at our peril. The book should be of interest to everyone using IT .Indeed because, for human beings, information is exactly the same thing as memory; the book should also be of interest to everyone concerned with human mind and memory. Our memory is the start of our consciousness and is at the heart of our existence. Like computer memory; our memory may be held in many places; not only in the brain where it is processed but in the body and beyond. The right and proper uses of our memory are examined, as are sometimes less laudable connections like dreaming. Minor aberrations of the mind such as compulsion and eccentricity are also considered, as is serious mental illness. Human memory is shown to be an important part of meditation, as well as a basis for Faith and similar disciplines. The role of memory in manifestations of the paranormal and in the "appearance" of ghosts is also examined. The effects of IT on global warming are discussed and are identified possibly as great a danger to the environment as are the world's vast emissions of carbon.

About the Author

Bernard Smith has spent his entire career working with Information Technology, that is with computers and computer communications, from their earliest days. This was firstly in UK central government; and latterly for several years in industry.

His work in central government was recognised in 1984 when he was made an OBE.

He wrote the early, user friendly, computer language SPECOL; details of which were published in 1970 by the Civil Service Department. It is described in his latest book, A Philosophy of Information.

He was an active member and Fellow of the British Computer Society; and has presented papers for both the Society and central government.

Excerpts

Reviews

British Computer Society Book of the Month - November2006.

People who have an interest in IT often focus on the technology aspect. This isn't surprising as technology manifests itself in tangible objects such as iPods, PCs and mobile phones. Information is far less tangible. You can't hold information in your hand, it doesn't smell, it doesn't come in different colours and it doesn't make a sound. The physical law of the conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant. In other words, energy can be converted from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed. Information doesn't obey such a law. If I give someone some information, I still have it as well. So, what are the laws that govern information? What is information? And how do we, as human beings interact with it? The author has been contemplating these questions and many more for several years. This book is the result. Bertrand Russell postulated that philosophy is something intermediate between theology and science.The ideas discussed in this book definitely address both aspects. Bernard Smith covers areas such as memory, dreams and the paranormal, as well as how computers store and process information. He makes many comparisons between the human mind and computers. However, this is not a technology book. Without information there would be no need for the technology that we dedicate our careers to. And without information, the author suggests that we wouldn't exist. Don't you owe it to yourself to understand a little more about this thing called information?

Danny Williams MBCS CITP

CURRENT EVENTS

A Philosophy of Information:
Information is the Power that Drives and Controls Us All
Bernard T. Smith
Trafford Publishing
511 pages
Softcover $30.43
978-1-4120-7404-9
Four Stars (out of Five)

The current era has been called "The Age of Information," and much attention is given to the development of faster, more effective, and even more stylish ways to store, retrieve, and transmit that information. But beyond decisions about what new gadget to acquire lies a more pressing issue: the meaning, intent, and effect of the information being transmitted, and its deeper implications for individuals and for the larger world.

Author Bernard T. Smith avers that one of the main lessons of human life is learning "how to cope with an infinite mass of information, knowledge, and mystery," and that information is the "most potent agent in nature and, equal to life itself…" Although intangible, information is one's reality, and Smith states that, "Nothing is really known to exist until information about it is passed through a human mind." Information affects one's life for good or for ill depending upon its content, its truth or falsehood, and the use one makes of it; without it life is impossible, and from the cellular level to the far reaches of the universe, effective transmission of the necessary information is imperative. The author, who lives in the United Kingdom, has worked with computers from their earliest beginnings, designing information systems and writing software. He writes from intimate knowledge of information technology and is able to take complex technical topics and present them in a manner that is engaging and accessible to average readers.

Since information defines reality, and since it is easily manipulated by anyone with sufficient access and motivation, understanding its nature and meaning is vitally important. Comparing and contrasting the functioning of computers with the way the human brain works, Smith makes readers aware of the blessings and dangers inherent in this "information age," and has much to say about the effects of technology on daily life: "Nowadays, with a mobile telephone in the back pocket, the magic has gone.…Information at the finger tips is not an unmitigated blessing. Our lifestyles, and maybe our spiritual yearnings, are turned upside down because of it. We could be becoming a different kind of being, something not quite human." Indeed, the manipulation of human DNA, the "basic blueprint of life," is "the greatest test yet facing us in the handling of information," and a wide range of benefits and horrors could be made possible through modifications made to the information carried in human genes.

Bernard T. Smith invites readers to become part of a vitally important discussion; recognizing that the "Information Age" has brought many blessings, he also brings to light the potential for the manipulation of individuals and populations to their detriment. A more engaging title might carry his invitation to a wider range of readers and include those not particularly drawn to philosophy; they too need to be aware that the relationship between human beings and information has a dark side, and that to ignore this is to risk the survival of humanity.

Kristine Morris
Foreward CLARION Review

A book review by SIX OF ONE the prisoner appreciation society

INFORMATION INFORMATION INFORMATION

Society member Bernard Smith kindly sent us a copy of his book "A Philosophy of Information" (Trafford Publishing, 508 pages, around £20). The writer reports how Information Technology is changing our lives and embarks upon a personal study of "What it means to be human". Karen Langley read the book and now reports on it.

The goal of many a No.2 in the Prisoner has now become the subject of a philosophical book by author Bernard T Smith. The work is a lengthy study of what the author describes as "the power that drives and controls us all. Published on demand by Trafford Publishing, based in Canada, the large format soft back deals with a number of aspects which might appeal to appreciators of The Prisoner. "Dreaming and What It Tells US" (A, B, and C.), "Information and Society" (the global Village), "Organising and Controlling Data" (the Village and its systems) and "Reality is in the Mind" (The Prisoner generally).

At over 500 closely typeset pages, the book is not a light read by any stretch of the imagination, either physically or in content. Smith has witnessed the start of Information Technology from the early days of computers and has a strong belief that the control of information influences humanity and its behaviour to a great degree. This is not for the casual reader to pick up and flick through, but if such titles as "Information Use and Misuse", "Information and Illusion", and "Information and the Human condition" and the concept of people being replaced by computers intrigues you, then this may be the book for you.

Karen Langley
The official magazine of SIX OF ONE (the prisoner appreciation society).
ISSUE TWENTY THREE SUMMER EXTRA 2007

A book I really enjoyed, from Francis Bacon's essay on Truth, at the beginning of the book, right through to the wisdom of Polonius at the end.

Christopher Blackburn
Toronto, Canada

A Philosophy of Information is a comprehensive reference work that should prove to be of interest to anyone involved with Information Technology (IT) and anyone else who is interested in the impact that information and its use has and will continue to have on the way we live our lives and the possible changes that are being made as a consequence. This is a book that can provide a very interesting read on a continuing basis or can be used rather like a dictionary to look up or read how different aspects of information impact on us and Bernard Smith (who happens to also be a CSPA member) uses a wide range of situations and circumstances to describe and justify his conclusions.

This is a weighty tome in a literal sense and contains nearly five hundred pages. However this has been laid out in a user friendly presentation and has a considerable index and bibliography to assist anyone wishing to pursue particular aspects covered by the book. For a cover price of £17.50 the book does seem to offer a lot of good reading.

Ralph Groves
The Civil Service Pensioner Alliance (CSPA)
Autumn 2007 Book Review

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