Globe and Mail hails Revolution in the Age of Social Media as "smart" and "curious"

Linda Herrera's Revolution in the Age of Social Media: The Egyptian Popular Insurrection and the Internet, released just last week, garners high praise from the Globe and Mail's Simon Lewsen. In Lewsen's review, where he analyzes the positive but more oftentimes hotly-debated relationship between social media and activism, he calls Herrera's writing "expansive and curious" and "a smart approach" to a complicated subject.

About Herrera's book, which examines the twists and turns of social media campaign "We Are All Khaled Said" and its bringing together of activists following an act of police brutality in Egypt, Lewsen raves:

Herrera does not lead off with a sweeping thesis, thereby allowing herself plenty of room for exploration. It's a smart approach, given the complexity of the subject matter. She is alert to both the benefits and perils of social media. For instance, toward the end of her book, she shows how, after the uprising, members of competing partie—including the Muslim Brotherhood and the new military government—have jumped on the social media bandwagon, disseminating misinformation while hiding their institutional ties.

Most importantly, Herrera is careful not to dismiss the Said campaign as a mere feat of social engineering. Ghonim and Mansour used clever techniques to consolidate support (in marketing speak, they isolated their target demographic) but the frustrations they tapped into were real.

Visit the Globe and Mail to read the review in full.