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The Great Indian Phone Book by Assa Doron and Robin Jeffery is
motivated by an understanding of the drastic change from the 1960s, the
era of rare telephone sets and complete governmental control of the
services, to the emergence of Public call office (PCOs) in the 1990s,
and to the induction of the mobile phone in first decade of the
twenty-first century in India. In the process the authors discover the
special impact such a revolution has on a large country with a huge
population that is also so diverse. The authors provide a perspective
about what goes on behind the scenes to produce mobile phones and
services.
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No doubt mobile phones are the most revolutionary technological
innovation of recent times that have affected people, their culture,
relations, business, governments, social mobility and politics. Although
we are affected by the presence of mobile phones in subtle ways, we
have not been able to understand this revolution in a holistic manner. The Great Indian Phone Book aims to fill this gap.
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The arrival of mobile phones, the different ways they have affected
people's lives and how small industry developed around this small
instrument are superbly dealt with by the authors of this book. The book
focuses on India, though it gives comparative effects of the arrival of
the mobile phone in other countries as well. In particular the authors
provide an interesting insight to communication taking control of the
state and/or social. At the same time, the book does not overlook the
flip side of its use, that is, using technology for crimes such as
terrorist activities, pornography etc.
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The eight chapters of the book are placed in three sections:
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Controlling—there are two chapters that deal with a historical
perspective of how the politically powerful have had a monopolising
control on information; as well as outlining the technicality involved
in the move to the radio frequency spectrum and the involvement of big
business and politicians.
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Connecting—this section deals with the power of connectivity with the
mobile phone in a very interesting way. It deals with how just within a
decade mobile phones and supporting technology reached the length and
breadth of the country with a population so varied in means, social
status and capacity.
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Consuming—this is the most interesting and largest section of the book.
The section describes the diversity of consumers using the mobile phone
and to what end. It also discusses how a side industry of cheap phones
has developed. This part, on the one hand, shows the revolution the use
of mobile phone brought, not only for individuals, but in the very way
of public communication and, on the other, how cameras in the mobile
phone have been also used to commit crimes. The mobile phone has become
such a necessity that one in every two Indians started losing mobile
phones. Criminals have become smarter in stealing and sending
sex-related MMS and the law could hardly match these moves and has been
slow in catching up with them.
Each chapter is a theme in itself. The authors rightly claim that each chapter can be developed into a book.
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The book is well researched and keeps clear of passing value judgments
or confronting Hindu sensibilities. The authors give sufficient
importance to the technology, business and politics involved. The book's
lucid writing style is packed with information from different aspects
of the mobile phone induction in India, making The Great Indian Phone Book
a very engaging read. The book has 38 revealing illustrations to
substantiate the claims. In addition, the authors' long association with
India provides them with the requisite insights in to Indian history
and culture. Yet being foreigners to India, they are able to point out
the obvious.
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The book gives a detailed description of 'process' and 'activity' that
mobile phones generate—power of information, technicality involved,
making of cheap mobile phones, the revolution in ways of communicating,
new crimes etc. The book deals with the complexity and vastness of India
and the ever-growing cheaper networks and phones that have led to a
dynamic chapter in Indian history. The authors discuss the impact of
mobile phones on health: improved accessibility to health services;
mobile waste: the extraction of rare earth elements, as well as India
and the less privileged countries becoming the dumping grounds of
e-waste. The book examines social networks of a country with 11
different scripts and 28 officially recognised languages and hierarchies
of many sorts which move 'idiosyncratically' in using this autonomy
offered by mobiles. Music and games on mobile phones has opened
unimagined possibilities. With regard to language and media, the mobile
communication has an edge over linguistic rules and formal ways of
expression, with providers having to recognise the potential of new ways
of communication over print media. A focus on politics and governance
highlights how communication between the powerful and the common person
was unthinkable until the arrival of the mobile phone. The book has
something for everyone. A well informed reader will gain a holistic
picture of the mobile phone revolution in India.
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The book is a journalistic account of an important chapter of Indian
history. Those who are looking for deeper analysis of any of the impacts
of the induction of the mobile phone in India would get some direction
for further research. The book successfully gives a meta-picture of the
revolution.
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