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The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks
A fascinating, accessible and expertly written introduction to the most important invention in human history .
The internet is everywhere. But how did it start? How has it changed? And what will it look like in the future?
No development in human history has changed the world as radically, or as quickly, as the advent of the internet. There’s almost no aspect of 21st-century life that it hasn’t shaped or fundamentally altered, for better or for worse. But the history of the internet is longer than you might think. Its foundations stretch as far back as the 1960s, decades before it would become an accessible and inescapable part of everyday life.
In this new entry in the bestselling Bite-Sized Chunks series, author and journalist Chris Stokel-Walker traces the internet from its (relatively) humble beginnings to the ubiquitous force that exists today, from email and dial-up to social media and the metaverse.
Breaking down complex concepts around how the world wide web works, how it has changed over time, and the effects it has had on the world as we know it, as well as explaining key terminology and spotlighting important figures, The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks explains everything you need to know about this era-defining technology in short, easy-to-digest chapters.
The internet is everywhere. But how did it start? How has it changed? And what will it look like in the future?
No development in human history has changed the world as radically, or as quickly, as the advent of the internet. There’s almost no aspect of 21st-century life that it hasn’t shaped or fundamentally altered, for better or for worse. But the history of the internet is longer than you might think. Its foundations stretch as far back as the 1960s, decades before it would become an accessible and inescapable part of everyday life.
In this new entry in the bestselling Bite-Sized Chunks series, author and journalist Chris Stokel-Walker traces the internet from its (relatively) humble beginnings to the ubiquitous force that exists today, from email and dial-up to social media and the metaverse.
Breaking down complex concepts around how the world wide web works, how it has changed over time, and the effects it has had on the world as we know it, as well as explaining key terminology and spotlighting important figures, The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks explains everything you need to know about this era-defining technology in short, easy-to-digest chapters.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published May 7, 2024
6 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 6, 2025
The History of the Internet in Byte-Sized Chunks, by Chris Stokel-Walker, is an interesting look at the development of the internet at a high level. The book starts with early attempts by the US military and academic institutions in that country to create a system of communications that could withstand a nuclear event. The creation of ARPANET, and its military spin-off, followed. Originally a way for academic institutions to communicate over distance, it quickly branched out over the years to other countries, and eventually, out of the academic sphere. The book looks at a number of concepts that have developed over the last few decades, as the internet went from a fringe technology, to quite a mainstream one. Internet communications (emails, message boards, blogs, vlogs) are explored as they developed, as are concepts like spam, viruses, DDoS and banner ads. Social media, now one of the dominant forces in communication, albeit relatively new, is also examined. The growth of MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Youtube and TikTiok are examined, noting that each one was somewhat a disruptor of those that came before. Other large companies and ideas, like online shopping (Amazon) and payment systems (PayPal), are examined. The segmenting of the internet in recent years, as countries move to develop their own control over the space, as opposed to relying on US control of the infrastructure, is also discussed.
This book was interesting. It was light on critique of the existing internet giants (the book was edited by a cofounder of Amazon) and that lack of critique is noticeable, giving the book an uncritical bias toward these large companies. The author does discuss the way media platforms, like Twitter, have influenced politics, and does have some small takes on gig work (Amazon focused) and the mercenary administration of codes of conduct/content moderation by large media companies, but these are small tidbits, possibly by necessity due to the concise nature of the book. Past this critique, the book itself is quite good for a high level overview of the internet. Although I am not a technical expert on internet infrastructure, the overview of how the internet packages data, use of DNS, and how modems/routers work, for example, as well as a brief look at internet cables and the global infrastructure, was quite interesting. This book was largely a good read, and I would easily recommend it for those looking to read more on the internet.
This book was interesting. It was light on critique of the existing internet giants (the book was edited by a cofounder of Amazon) and that lack of critique is noticeable, giving the book an uncritical bias toward these large companies. The author does discuss the way media platforms, like Twitter, have influenced politics, and does have some small takes on gig work (Amazon focused) and the mercenary administration of codes of conduct/content moderation by large media companies, but these are small tidbits, possibly by necessity due to the concise nature of the book. Past this critique, the book itself is quite good for a high level overview of the internet. Although I am not a technical expert on internet infrastructure, the overview of how the internet packages data, use of DNS, and how modems/routers work, for example, as well as a brief look at internet cables and the global infrastructure, was quite interesting. This book was largely a good read, and I would easily recommend it for those looking to read more on the internet.
June 12, 2024
Bought this because it briefly mentions a web community I’m researching for uni. Overall super enjoyable introduction to the internet’s history! Also made me aware of lots of areas I’d like to look further into e.g. experiences of the web outside of the UK. Also this guy loves to describe things as ‘a boon’
August 9, 2025
I was hoping for more of a technical deep dive than a record of mostly social changes, I guess I should have been tipped off by the Ethernet cable on the cover having only 5 conductors.
While the content not entirely a waste of time, the writing is often really annoying. “We’ll meet this character in chapter 5.” “More on that in chapter 5.” “We’ll learn this in chapter 5.” Maybe just move chapter 5.
Percentages are a very useful tool when trying to describe proportions. Directly comparing “6 in 10 people “ to “4 in 5 people” is asinine.
While the content not entirely a waste of time, the writing is often really annoying. “We’ll meet this character in chapter 5.” “More on that in chapter 5.” “We’ll learn this in chapter 5.” Maybe just move chapter 5.
Percentages are a very useful tool when trying to describe proportions. Directly comparing “6 in 10 people “ to “4 in 5 people” is asinine.
November 7, 2024
Takes the reader from the early net through the world wide web through its uses in shopping, romance, snooping and junk. Lots of big names familiar to tech wizards, and the author is one of the best at explaining things to the lay reader. 55,000 words too, with box-outs and images (including ye olde Dancing Baby GIF).
October 25, 2024
The contents of the book do live up to its title. Interesting read!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews