Let me begin by saying this will be a disappointing book review. Not because the book is disappointing, but because, you, as a savvy reader, will be disappointed by the time and lack of depth I spend reviewing this book. Enough, let the letdown begin.
Debates in Digital Humanities, edited by Matthew K. Gold, is a good introduction for those wanting to learn more about the field; however, it feels like there is a lack of cohesion in the volume. I used this book in my introduction to digital humanities course and we read the following essays:
- What Is Digital Humanities and What’s It Doing in English Departments?
- The Humanities, Done Digitally
- Big Data
- Digital Humanities or Digital Humanism
- The Digital Humanities and Its Users (Link isn’t working on the site.)
- Where Is Cultural Criticism in the Digital Humanities?
I do recommend reading this online versus in print, because of the way passages can be flagged. In an essay that may be dull, the flags provide a visible sign to the reader that this part may be interesting. Or, at least, other people found it interesting. And though the book feels disjointed at times, the best way to approach it is through a hopscotch-like pattern, jump to the section that are useful and leave the others behind.
