Virtual Society

While it's worthwhile to think about the potential impact of the next phase of technological development before it arrives, and the author has presents an interesting perspective, in my opinion he makes a few too many leaps for a compelling argument. The idea of the (still somewhat vaguely defined) Metaverse as a step change, rather than a continuation of previous developments, seems at odds with the line drawn back through the internet and the printing press back to religions and ancient monuments in the earlier part of the book. As another example, while ways to track and exchange value across metaverses and with the real world, I've yet to see a strong case for blockchain technology being the only, or indeed a particularly good, solution for this. Overall, some useful speculation and food for thought, but its long-term relevance remains to be seen.