Lawfare Daily: Tim Wu on ‘The Age of Extraction’

In 'Small Is the New Big', Seth Godin compiles his most impactful short pieces from his blog and columns, offering new perspectives on business and success in a rapidly changing marketplace. The book emphasizes the advantages of small, agile organizations and provides inspiration for entrepreneurs and innovators to challenge the status quo.

In 'The Master Switch,' Tim Wu explores the pattern of how new communications technologies are introduced by innovators and eventually coopted by major corporate interests, leading to centralized control and the loss of openness and freedom. The book chronicles this cycle through various mediums such as radio, telegraph, telephone, and film, and questions whether the internet will follow the same path. Wu advocates for a 'Separations Principle' to keep content, communications, and electronics industries separate to prevent monopolistic control and ensure the continued openness of the information economy.

In this provocative book, Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu tell the story of the Internet's challenge to governmental rule in the 1990s and the ensuing battles with governments worldwide. The authors discuss how the original vision of the Internet as a liberating force from government and borders has been uprooted as governments assert their power. They explore cases such as Google's struggles with the French government, Yahoo's capitulation to the Chinese regime, and eBay's struggles with fraud. The book argues that the future of the Internet will reflect the interests of powerful nations and their conflicts, while also highlighting the rediscovery of the importance of territorial government and the rule of law in controlling the Internet.

In 'The Attention Merchants', Tim Wu explores the history and impact of the industries that feed on human attention. Starting from the 19th century with Benjamin Day's penny newspapers, Wu traces the evolution of advertising through various media, including radio, television, and the internet. He argues that the basic business model of 'attention merchants' has remained constant: offering free diversion in exchange for moments of attention, which are then sold to advertisers. The book also examines the societal and psychological effects of this attention economy and the various revolts against it.