Technology interacts with society in unpredictable ways, and arguably one of the first instantiations of a technological revolution that upended norms, business models, and the law was the telegraph. As Standage shows in this masterful book, the advent of the telegraph spawned changes that are shockingly similar to those we've observed with the internet and other modern technologies - utopian prognostications about its effects, new forms of military action, platform business models, network effects, disinformation, and more.

Our distance from the time of the telegraph makes it particularly instructive, and one that economists and technologists alike would be wise to reflect on when pontificating on the unique nature or general applications of a particular new innovation. Highly recommend