Infoglut - of a Critical Look at Modern Sense-Making

In this review of Infoglut the reviewer examines who will benefit from Mark Andrejevic's exploration of information overload and why it matters now. Infoglut is for readers who want a thoughtful, historical and theoretical account of how data mining, neuromarketing and other new sense-making practices reshape public understanding. The single biggest reason to read it is that it ties contemporary tools and promises to broader social patterns, offering a clear perspective on why the flood of mediated information challenges expertise and comprehension.

Key Features

• Scope: Covers the proliferation of mediated information and how broader access both empowers and complicates public debate.
• Analysis of new practices: Examines how data miners, sentiment analysts and decision markets claim to let data speak for itself and the implications of that claim.
• Critical perspective: Explores how neuromarketing and body language experts promise insight behind words, raising questions about privacy and interpretation.
• Historical framing: Connects contemporary information practices to longstanding shifts in how societies process and value information.
• Argument on expertise: Discusses the potential displacement of traditional expertise and comprehension by new forms of information processing.

Who It's For

Infoglut will appeal to students, policy makers, librarians and curious readers interested in media studies, information history and the social consequences of data-driven decision making. Those who appreciate a measured, critical discussion rather than a how-to guide on tools or techniques will find the book most valuable.

Readers seeking practical tutorials, technical specifications of analytics tools, or step-by-step marketing tactics should look elsewhere; the book focuses on ideas and implications rather than hands-on instruction.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Thoughtful critique of contemporary sense-making practices grounded in wider historical and social context.
• Clear articulation of how data mining and sentiment analysis alter public discourse and decision-making.
• Raises important ethical and epistemological questions about the promises of neuromarketing and data-driven authority.

Cons

• The work is conceptual and requires reader patience; it does not provide technical solutions or practical tool guidance.

Specifications

Title	Infoglut
Author	Mark Andrejevic
Subject focus	Information overload and sense-making practices
Topics covered	Data mining, sentiment analysis, decision markets, neuromarketing
Approach	Critical, historical and theoretical analysis

Our Verdict

Infoglut is a valuable, idea-driven book for anyone grappling with how modern information practices reshape expertise and public understanding. It delivers strong critical framing and is good value for readers who want to understand the social stakes of data-driven interpretation rather than obtain technical instruction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Infoglut explain how data tools work?
Answer. It discusses the social role and promises of tools like data mining and sentiment analysis but does not offer technical tutorials.

Who is the author?
Answer. The book is by Mark Andrejevic, who approaches the topic from media and social analysis perspectives.

Is this book practical for marketers?
Answer. It is more useful as critical context for marketers than as a practical guide to marketing techniques.