The Empire of Information
Summary
The Empire of Information surveys 11,000 years of data regimes, arguing that information has always structured, controlled, and sometimes dominated human societies, from clay tablets to biometric databases. The review admires Risam's vivid historical stitching but questions some broad claims, noting how data can empower as well as surveil, and ends with a cautiously hopeful vision of a future where governance, ethics, and collective action shape data use.