This is barely what it purports to be- "an in-depth (collection of) case studies of the "state" of e-government today". At best, it's a lazy summary of the fits and starts that some agencies have experienced in demonstrating their good intentions in practicing e-government- even as they bungle this unique opportunity.
Unfortunately, the editors failed to capitalize on a prime value-added of e-government- ubiquitous Democracy .One would have thought that election 2000 would have spurred some reference to e-voting and perhaps the potential for e-mediated direct Democracy. Instead, readers are treated to a litany of inconsequential and lukewarm anecdotes that do little to support a picture of e-government revolutionizing our lives. One would have to wonder just how serious these two people are as journalists and thought-leaders.
Considering that US Governments at various levels spent between $45 billion and $70 billion per annum on IT from 1998 to 2001, I'd hoped for a truly in-depth study of exactly where all this money has been going and some indication as to how the next $45-$70 Billion will be spent on "E-Government 2002".

An example of what happens when someone decides to be a translator without learning the language. There are mistranslations here on every page, of which some are hilarious for those who (unlike Messrs. Jagasich and Ogrady) understand both languages. Be warned--it's awful.

This profusely-illustrated book consists of approximately 120 mini-essays on a slew of topics that relate in some way to urban planning and urban geography, although there's quite a bit on rural geography as well. For some idea of the content, here are the first five of his essay headings, if they had been in alphabetical order: Abandoned farm/town, active zone (i.e., crime zone), air rights zone, airspace, annexation area, all the way to 'wreck site' at the end of the alphabet.

The essays are of uneven quality, and often seem a bit shallow. It's not entertaining enough to succeed as a popular book, and not analytical enough to succeed as a serious treatise. There's a niche for a book that would address topics of small-scale geography in the not-quite-rural but not-city-center places in which most of us spend our lives. Such a book might explain the different ingredients of suburban sprawl -- types of shopping centers, commercial strips, and housing developments, how they develop, how they affect the surrounding area, and how they age. Sadly, this book seemed pointed in that direction but fell short.