The term metaverse is suddenly everywhere, from debates over Fortnite to the pages of The New York Times to the speeches of Mark Zuckerberg, who proclaimed in June 2021 that the overarching goal of Facebook is to bring the metaverse to life.
But what, exactly, is the metaverse? As pioneering theorist and venture capitalist Matthew Ball explains, it is the successor to the mobile internet that has defined the last two decades. The metaverse is a persistent, 3D, virtual world-a network of interconnected experiences and devices, tools and infrastructure, far beyond mere virtual reality. And it is poised to revolutionise every industry and function, from finance and healthcare to payments, consumer products and even sex work. The internet will no longer be at arm's length; instead, it will surround us, with our lives, labour and leisure taking place inside the metaverse. With sweeping authority, The Metaverse predicts trillions in new value-and the radical reshaping of society.
Matthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion and the former global head of strategy for Amazon Studios. He has written for the New York Times, the Economist, and Bloomberg. His self-published essays on the Metaverse have been read millions of times and cited by leaders at Epic Games, Facebook, Tencent, and Coinbase. Ball divides his time between Toronto, New York City, and Miami.
Title: The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything
Author: Ball, Matthew
ISBN: 9781324092032
Binding:
Publisher: WW Norton & Co
Publication Date: 2022-07-19
Number of Pages: 352
Weight: 0.5902 kg
Writing in an informed and provocative style... [The Metaverse] serves as a comprehensive guide to every aspect of the metaverse, from its technical underpinnings to its societal responsibilities. -- John Thornhill - Financial Times
Ball certainly knows his stuff... For this emerging generation, the metaverse will be a perfectly natural psychological extension of everything they have ever known. For the rest of us, who will soon need to catch up, Ball's book is the best crash course we have.
-- Kit Wilson - The Times
The Metaverse is a timely, authoritative, and accessible overview of the subject, which is as well-informed as is possible to be about something which does not yet exist. -- Hilary Lamb - E&T Magazine
Where big tech waffles about the metaverse while spending billions on making it a reality, Ball has exacting standards for what the metaverse must be and what would be needed to achieve it. -- James Ball - The Spectator
Matthew Ball has been writing massively influential essays on the Metaverse for years now, and here he distills everything he knows into an authoritative guide for anyone the Metaverse will touch--which is to say, all of us. This book not only captures our moment--it will also shape our collective future. -- Taylor Lorenz, tech columnist - The Washington Post
'Metaverse' is the new buzzword, but few can define it. Matthew Ball's comprehensive treatise lays out the potential and--just as importantly--the challenges in realizing the Metaverse and how it fits into the technological evolution from personal computing to the internet to mobile computing. This book helps separate fact from fiction, hype from reality, and should be foundational reading for anyone that wants to understand the possibilities of the Metaverse. -- Reed Hastings, co-Founder and co-CEO of Netflix
Matthew Ball's essays have defined, analyzed, and inspired the Metaverse for years. His book is an approachable and essential guide to the strategic, technical, and philosophical foundations of this new medium. -- Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games
A thought-provoking look at the evolving intersection of technology, society, human nature, and creativity. Matthew Ball's enlightening guide is a must-read for every creator and company that is embarking on their journey to the new frontier that is the Metaverse. A new world shaped by individuals and driven by incredible social experiences has just begun. -- Kenichiro Yoshida, CEO of Sony
Excellent... Chapters on bringing the various iterations of the developing metaverse together, making them interact, and the hardware required, are lucid and logical. -- Chris Stokel-Walker - New Scientist
Like the information superhighway, this latest buzzword seems to point in the right direction, but may get lost along the way. For anyone who wants to understand the process and what is at stake, Mr Ball's lucid and timely book offers a portal into a new realm. -- The Economist
