We are in the throes of a revolution, yet most of us are so disorientated by the rapid pace of technological and cultural change that we find it difficult to understand what’s going on. 50 Digital Ideas You Really Need to Know provides a clear path through the confusion and misinformation surrounding those technologies that, for better or for worse, are transforming the world we live in and even the sort of people we are.

Leading technology writer Tom Chatfield is a sure-footed guide to the seminal digital phenomena of our time, from the basic browsers that we use to surf the web and update our status on social networking sites, through to the implications for privacy of our permanently distracted world, to the culture jamming that is increasingly being used by protest movements in their clashes with traditional authority.

Whether exploring the deep web that represents well over 99 per cent of the Internet and remains inaccessible to most search engines, or the augmented reality that will soon change the very way we interact with the world, this is an indispensable road map for the inevitable journey towards a digital future. From malware to mashups; from spam to the semantic web; and from email to avatars, this book is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the profound social and behavioural changes wrought by the emerging digital age.