Essayist Siegel is known for passionately arguing contrarian points of view, which is why he's the perfect person to write a critical book about the Web that has almost nothing to do with technology and everything to do with what it's doing to the people who use it. Siegel forces readers to radically rethink a familiar medium, arguing that the Web and complementary developments--from reality television to the emergence of business prophets like Malcolm Gladwell--are giving rise to a new and malevolent mass culture, an "electronic mob, " that threatens to overwhelm long-held concepts of humanity, democracy, and the individual. In making this argument, Siegel offers up startling insights about all aspects of culture--from American Idol to futurism, film techniques to Internet dating--that reveal hidden connections and dilemmas, providing a fresh and provocative vision of how our world is changing.--From publisher description.