A Philosopher Looks at Digital Communication by Onora O'Neill falls into the category of book, for me, that both delights and frustrates. All in all, a very useful contribution though one I think could be made far more powerful.

The positives for me, and they far outnumber the negatives, have to do with the historical approach and the application of that information to our current environment. While I would have liked a bit more of a prescriptive book, or at least a more prescriptive closing chapter or two, I think this is more of a contribution for others to build on rather than any kind of solution(s). To the extent there were prescriptive ideas, they tended toward broad, albeit excellent, ideas and not policies nor suggested legislation or regulation.

My biggest negative was the blandness of the book. The ethics courses were always among my favorite, and when ethics was explored, whether in courses I took or those I taught, the discussions were lively. This book is most definitely not lively. While it is important to make sure the reader understands what is and is not being considered and the working definitions for the ideas used, I think those points can be made in less repetitive terms and with far more clarity. I want to make sure not to give the impression that the book lacks clarity, the arguments are quite clear and the presentation is certainly accessible, but in making sure to narrow the discussion to the specific desired focus, there were many instances of repetition and more explanation than was needed.

I would absolutely recommend this book, both to those interested in our current state of communication as well as policymakers who would like some foundational ethics with which to make policy.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )