what just happened

This book of previously published essays by the author ofChaos and Faster is an eclectic chronicle of the informationrevolution's first 10 years. "The last decade of the twentiethcentury came as a surprise," writes James Gleick. What JustHappened shows how surprising it was: in the book's first piece,from 1992, Gleick notes that "a relatively small number of personalcomputer users use Windows." (He's a good sport about it, too,poking fun at himself in an introduction for making such anobsolete observation.) A longish piece on Microsoft from 1995 seemsto correct the problem when Gleick comments on "the ever-advancingboundary of Microsoft's Windows package." Then it goes on to getsomething really right: "Microsoft's own power poses a threat,too--the threat that comes with the self-fulfilling destiny of anymonopolist." That's a prescient observation, considering theantitrust actions taken against the company since those words werewritten. The closing chapter of the book is fascinating andforward-looking; it's not about what just happened but what mayhappen. Gleick anticipates the appearance of wristwatchescontaining "biometric information about your loved ones, so you cansee how your parents are doing." If that doesn't sound excitingenough, consider this prediction: "One can even imagine properlyfunctional motor-vehicle offices." Now that's something to lookforward to. --John Miller --This text refers to an out of print orunavailable edition of this title. ^[1] 

INTRODUCTION

CHASING BUGS IN THE ELECTRONIC VILLAGE,August 1992

THE TELEPHONE TRANSFORMED INTO ALMOST EVERYTHING,May 1993

OREN,SESAME,April 1995

THIS IS SEX?,June 1995

WASHINGTON UNPLUGGED,August 1995

DIRTYTRICKS@CAMPAIGN96.ORG,September 1995

MAKING MICROSOFT SAFE FOR CAPITALISM,November

REALLY REMOTE CONTROL.December 1995

HERE COMES THE SPIDER,March 1996

MANUAL LABOR, April I996

HALL OF MIRRORS, May I996

THE END OF CASH, June I996

OH-OH, June I996

BIG BROTHER IS US, September 1996

FW: FWD＞ FWD- (FWD) A JOKE FOR Y, September I996

HOLD THE SPAM: MAKE MONEY, NAKED BABES ... ARGGH DecemberI996

A BUG BY ANY OTHER NAME, June1997

THE DIGITAL ATTIC: ARE WE NOW AMNESIACS? OR PACKRATS?AprilI998

CLICK OK TO AGREE, May 1998

CONTROL FREAKS, July 1998

WHAT THE BEEP, August 1998

ACCOUNTING FOR TASTE, October 1998

PLEASE HOLD FOR MA BELL, November 1998

GREED DOT COM, December 1998

MILLENNIUM MADNESS, January 1999

FLOTSAM ON THE MOVE, May 1999

MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER, December 1999

PATENTLY ABSURD, March 2000

INESCAPABLY CONNECTED, April 2001

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS