• Front Page
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
  • Search
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
Menu

ICT & Computing in Education

Articles on education technology and related topics
  • Front Page
  • Newsletters
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
  • Search
  • Info
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
Cover of Tubes

Click the here to see this book on Amazon (affiliate link)

Quick look: Tubes: Behind the scenes at the internet

August 14, 2026

We are all so accustomed to using the internet, searching the world wide web — "going online" — that most of us most of the time probably do not stop to consider the question: yes, but where exactly is it?

Andrew Blum DID ask that question, and it led him on a quest to find out exactly how the internet works on a tangible, physical level.

The result is a well-informed and highly readable account. While there have no doubt been developments in the twelve years since the book was published, I think it is still worth reading, specially in terms of the kind of wiring used and the hardware — at the outset the author is using a modem. Well-written and informative.

book pile 2.jpg
books, by Terry Freedman.jpg
books in library.jpg
In Backlist, Back Catalogue, Bookshelf, Computing, Quick Looks, Reviews, Using and Teaching Computing & ICT Tags Tubes, Blum, quick looks, reviews, internet
← Quick look: Better Living through scienceUpdated: Reflections on assessing computing →
Recent book reviews
Turner and Constable (1).jpg
Two reviews in one: Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals -- art and history

One for your colleagues, perhaps: art, art history, ploitics with a small ‘p’.

Read more →
satire (1).jpg
Two reviews in one: State of Ridicule: A History of Satire in English Literature -- politics, history, English

One for your colleagues, perhaps. Sperrin has provided a wealth of information that can be used to provide a rich experience for students of politics, history and English literature.

Read more →
a little history of maths.jpg
Two reviews in one: A Little History of Mathematics

I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote! In substantive terms there is little difference between the two, but you may find it interesting to see what the editor altered.

Read more →
The Learning Rainforest Great Teaching in Real Classrooms Great Teaching in Real Classrooms.jpg
Review: The Learning Rainforest: Great Teaching in Real Classrooms

This is a great book for dipping into in order to read about different teaching and assessment strategies, backed up by research.

Read more →
Outstanding Formative Assessment Culture and Practice.jpg
Review: Outstanding Formative Assessment: Culture and Practice

This book contains numerous assessment for learning techniques.

Read more →
New Media in the Classroom Rethinking Primary Literacy.jpg
Review: New Media in the Classroom: Rethinking Primary Literacy

This provides a great deal of information about the different aspects of "literacy” and how digital tools can be brought into the service of literacy in the primary school.

Read more →
Designing the internet of things.jpg
Review: Designing the internet of things

This book takes you through the process of designing connected devices from prototyping to launching.

Read more →
Uneducated.jpg
Quick look: (Un)educated: My Life as a Teacher, and Why You Should Never Become One

“Some of it is laugh-out loud funny, but some of it, about his reference being spiked, made me angry …”

Read more →
Hot TYpe.jpg
A Heads-up: Hot Type: The Magnificent Machine that Gave Birth to Mass Media and Drove Mark Twain Mad

This is about the invention of linotype, and its consequences.

Read more →
The new dark ages.jpg
Are we in, or entering, a post-literate society?

I know that there are people who think that Tik-Tok videos and other (very) short-form content is a kind of literacy that’s on a par with reading, but I have my doubts.

Read more →
Dig+Ed+Banner.jpg

Contact us

Privacy

Cookies

Terms and conditions

This website is powered by Squarespace

(c) Terry Freedman All Rights Reserved