Review of Information: A Very Short Introduction by Luciano Floridi (2010, Oxford University Press)

A short review of a short book.  Writing a concise, but quite thorough and balanced overview of a concept is no easy task.  Floridi largely succeeds.  To do so he is necessarily selective in his approach, focusing on information from a largely information theory perspective, whilst framing that within wider understandings, the development of the information society, and the era of big data.  The narrative is clear and straightforward to follow, with plenty of examples, and lots of signposting.  Chapters cover mathematical, semantic, physical, biological and economic information, as well as a brief discussion of some ethical issues.  A handy, introductory guide to one of the defining concepts of our age.