The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
by James Gleick
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood by James Gleick holds a well received rating of 3.98 out of 5, based on 9.9K reader ratings. First published in 2011. The book spans 527 pages.
About The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
James Gleick, the author of the best sellers Chaos and Genius, now brings us a work just as astonishing and masterly: a revelatory chronicle and meditation that shows how information has become the modern era's defining quality—the blood, the fuel, the vital principle of our world. The story of information begins in a time profoundly unlike our own, when every thought and utterance vanishes as soon as it is born. From the invention of scripts and alphabets to the long-misunderstood talking drums of Africa, Gleick tells the story of information technologies that changed the very nature of human consciousness. He provides portraits of the key figures contributing to the inexorable development of our modern understanding of information: Charles Babbage, the idiosyncratic inventor of the first great mechanical computer; Ada Byron, the brilliant and doomed daughter of the poet, who became the first true programmer; pivotal figures like Samuel Morse and Alan Turing; and Claude Shannon, the creator of information theory itself. And then the information age arrives. Citizens of this world become experts willy-nilly: aficionados of bits and bytes. And we sometimes feel we are drowning, swept by a deluge of signs and signals, news and images, blogs and tweets. The Information is the story of how we got here and where we are heading.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | James Gleick |
| Published | 2011 |
| Pages | 527 |
| Kindle Price | $10.99 |
| Genres | Science, History, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Business |
| Average Rating | 3.98 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 9,874 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood?
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood is categorized as Science, History, Non-Fiction, Philosophy. Its primary genre classification is Biography & Memoir.
Is The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood worth reading?
Based on 9.9K reader ratings, The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood has an average score of 3.98 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received."
How many pages is The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood?
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood has 527 pages. It is a longer read suited for dedicated readers.
Who wrote The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood?
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood was written by James Gleick. It was first published in 2011.
What is the ISBN for The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood?
The ISBN-13 for The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood is 9780375423730.0.
How much does The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood cost on Kindle?
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood is available on Kindle for $10.99. Pricing may vary by region and promotional offers.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
