What Will Be

Michael L. Dertouzos has spent his career both observing the Information Age and helping to build it. In this book, he looks ahead to the coming decade and beyond, asking how the next wave of technology will change the way people live.

Dertouzos traces how several developments will reshape everyday life as the Information Revolution advances. Music, films, and written works, from every era, will be available on demand in the home. A wearable device he calls a 'bodynet' will handle phone calls, email, and bill payments while its owner walks down the street. Advances in telecommunications will also change how much people rely on meeting face to face.

He also considers the darker side of this progress. Uneven infrastructure across the world may push the gap between wealthy and poor nations wider. Tiny surgical robots and remote online care could transform medicine as it is practiced today. The book is written in a detailed yet approachable style, making it suitable for readers who are deeply involved in technology as well as those who are just beginning to explore it.