Super Short Summary

The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage documents the development of the 19th-century telegraph system, comparing its cultural impact to that of the modern Internet. It covers the technology's inception, competition among inventors like William Cooke and Samuel Morse, its transformative effects on communication, business, and war, and the societal fascination with rapid information exchange. The book delves into the challenges of implementing a global network, skepticism about electricity, the birth of shorthand communication, stock market fraud, and the eventual transition to voice communication technologies. The narrative emphasizes the parallel between the historical and contemporary reactions to these technologies.