(re-printed in November 2007 with an impressive Names and Subjects index) The author's personal website ,which is devoted entirely to his book, is accesible at: www.theinformationstory.com. "A topical review of the book, by SIX OF ONE (the prisoner appreciation society), is given under Preview. Other reviews of the book as well as more background to the book, may be reached at the author's blog: aphilosophyofinformation.wordpress.com. 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.
Having served as a member of the Allied Forces Occupation of Japan, Bernard Smith has produced a book about the time he spent in Japan in 1946 in the city of Iwakuni, near Hiroshima, both of which cities are located on the east coast of Japan alongside its beautiful Inland Sea. Except for his rather mystifying visit to Tokyo in the summer of 1946, his entire book is based almost entirely on his personal diary, and notes which he wrote while aboard his homeward bound ship at the end of his tour of duty at the end of that year, crucially when the events he describes were still very fresh in his mind. He writes about the utter devastation and despair under which people were living after the horrors of Hiroshima, about the Japanese peoples response to the Allied Occupation, and the resilience and fortitude with which they faced up to their troubles. As opposed to formal and official documents, Bernard Smith writes about human suffering and the harsh conditions under which people were living. He tells us of his meetings with families, with whom he found relaxation from the gloom and with whom he became very friendly. He also describes how the people faithfully continued to follow their traditional Japanese customs and culture, the observance of which he believes sustained them and helped them begin their ultimate recovery.
(re-printed in November 2007 with an impressive Names and Subjects index) The author's personal website ,which is devoted entirely to his book, is accesible at: www.theinformationstory.com. "A topical review of the book, by SIX OF ONE (the prisoner appreciation society), is given under Preview. Other reviews of the book as well as more background to the book, may be reached at the author's blog: aphilosophyofinformation.wordpress.com. 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.
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