The history of computer-based multimedia is examined in detail, with insights from Vannevar Bush, Norbert Wiener, John Cage, William Gibson, and others. 15,000 first printing. Readers interested in the history of multimedia should be enthralled by this collection of hard-to-find essays. "Outline of the Artwork of the Future," for instance, was first published in 1849, and its author was the great German composer Richard Wagner, who envisioned a new kind of stage drama that united music, visual effects, poetry, and dance. Skip forward seven decades, and here's 1924's "Theater, Circus, Variety," by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, one of the foremost practitioners of the Bauhaus school of art. His elaboration of Wagner's ideas incorporated the revolutionary idea of removing the so-called fourth wall and involving the audience in the play. Similarly, these essays trace the evolution of electronic media, film, and books (William Burroughs' 1964 piece, "The Future of the Novel," is itself worth the price of admission). A remarkable blending of past and present, these essays remind us that today's wondrous inventions didn't just spring into existence out of nothingness. David Pitt Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Not 'just another reader' but a key source book in the field of art, science and technology history... excellent in all respects. -- Leonardo , Annick Bureaud The best guide yet on a subject of central importance to anyone interested in the future of media.... historically significant. -- Jon Katz, SlashDot This book may be the Primary Source for years to come. -- Douglas Rushkoff, author of Coercion : Why We Listen to What 'They' Say [O]f great value to novices to the field and to serious theorists and educators....testimony to the human imagination. -- Sara Diamond, artistic director, media and visual arts, The Banff Centre Randall Packer is a leading authority on the history of multimedia and serves on the faculty of the Department of Digital Arts at the Maryland Institute, College of Art in Baltimore. He currently resides in Washington, DC. Ken Jordan has pioneered innovative Web sites such as SonicNet, Word, and Media Channel, where he is now site director.