Wikipedia has emerged as the reference source that most of us turn to most of the time. But how much do we know about it? And is it good enough? As mass collaboration gathers pace, this timely book examines what our dependence on one online encylopedia means now and in the future.

Starting with a brief history of encyclopedias up to 2001 and covering the astonishing expansion of Wikipedia from then on, The World and Wikipedia looks at why we hate Wikipedia but still use it, and why we love it. It examines the people who wiki, cybercreation and wikivoyeurism, and draws its own conclusions on why you should trust Wikipedia... and why you shouldn't.—Jacket