The stories of the individuals who laid the foundation for the Internet are presented by Banks (The Modern Reference), who tracks the surprising origins of the World Wide Web back through several decades. Mixing history and trivia (such as the origins of the "@" sign), the author reveals such gems as how the first wireless Internet system was actually built in 1978, and how several unlikely characters became wealthy by being in the right place at the right time. Written for anyone who has ever "logged on," this book also discusses what happened to such early attempts at the "information superhighway" as Prodigy, DELPHI, CompuServe and Playnet. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)