There has been much debate over the idea of "the information society". Some thinkers have argued that information is becoming the key ordering principle in society, whereas others suggest that the rise of information has been overstated. Whatever the case, though, it cannot be denied that "informization" has produced vast changes in advanced societies. This reader pulls together the main contributions to this debate from some of the key figures in the field. Major topics addressed include post-industrialism and globalization, surveillance, the impact of corporate capital on the information revolution, the public sphere, community and identity and the impact of the virtual on knowledge. Contributors include Manuel Castells, Daniel Bell, Anthony Giddens, Michel Foucault and Christopher Lasch.