This book, by an author who comes from the Politecnico di Milano in Italy, looks at a much‐neglected side of the digital age and considers what the world wide web provides for our culture. He coins the word “eCulture” which seems to suggest that it differs from just “culture” because the web is used. Is the culture we are familiar with so very different in a virtual setting? The answers to this form the core of the text. Ask a question and use the answers to provide views on our cultural heritage. Fortunately, the questions asked are both hugely relevant and also informative.
Some are provided by the publishers in their early release notes:
Do virtual museums really provide added value to end‐users, or do they just contribute to the abundance of images?
Does the world wide web save endangered cultural heritage, or does it foster a society with less variety?
We could add many of our own, including one that asks does this book provide a comprehensive view on all the issues raised in discussion about eculture. Whilst the answers to the first two questions are adequately answered in the text we can deal with the last one, which is very much in the affirmative. It provides much information and discussion about e‐collections and their relationship with the culture we are familiar with. The book offers a sound introduction to the subject which is very rarely considered in the massive coverage given to all aspects of the digital age as portrayed by users of the world wide web.
