麻豆传媒

Politicians, environmentalists and special interest groups all strive to sway public opinion. But what exactly is 鈥渢he public鈥�? Philosopher Alastair Hannay鈥檚 On the Public (Routledge, 拢8.99) is an interesting short guide. The internet, he points out, touted as the ultimate public space, lacks the one thing that made the ancient Greek agora political and public: the physical presence of your peers. You can pursue this idea with Thomas Hughes, who thinks about technology and how it shapes culture in Human-Built World (University of Chicago Press, 拢9.50/$13).