This book is a fascinating account of an insider with a horizontal view of digital policy. For academics, the book is a call to action and an invitation to step beyond the scope of ones usual research. Moreover, it is a great reference work: We all have things that we are sure have happened but cannot recall the source for. The book by Stengg is likely to reference them in one or two places throughout its historical account. Ultimately, it raises anticipation about what the Commission will do next, and how the rest of the world will respond. While the book does not really involve personal anecdotes, it certainly helps to understand a man who will most likely keep playing an important role in this. -- Jasper van den Boom, Shaping Competition in the Digital Age - SCiDa At the seat of power and armed with over 20 years of digital policy acumen, Werner Stengg adroitly condenses decades of strategies and decisions taken by the European Union to tame the digital wild west. He presents a cogent case for the EUs leadership on digital governance. Mr. Stenggs digestible prose helps Europeans and foreigners alike appreciate the historical context for the Unions evolving regulatory framework. For Americans used to a more quixotic legislative path, the pace at which the European institutions have embraced their intricate agenda is truly remarkable. But as the author cautions, it is an unfinished story. Technology unrelentingly accelerates its transformation of society and marketplaces, while many of the recent regulations have yet to come into force. Only with the passage of time will we know whether the European regulatory experiment has attained its goal of future-proofing the impact of technology for the benefit of society and contestable markets. -- Susan Ness, Susan Ness Strategies, US If you want to know how European digital policy gets made, ask Werner Stengg. He was there when it happened, he knows the stories and the big ideas behind the laws. In his highly readable new book, Stengg gives us a big picture overview of the tectonic changes in Internet policy that he helped make. -- Daphne Keller, Stanford University, US With his book, Werner Stengg, a pivotal architect of EU digital policymaking, has achieved a tour de force. He sheds light on the values and motivations driving Europes groundbreaking efforts to regulate digital ecosystems, with profound insights on the knowledge economy and technology's role in shaping human relations. Definitely a must-read. -- Bruno Liebhaberg, Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE), Belgium The European Union is on the front lines to regulate Silicon Valley, and Werner Stengg is the general behind much of its offensive. As a European Commission official, Stengg defends Europes new digital rules. But he remains fair and considered, making this a not-to-miss book for techies. -- Bill Echikson, Center for European Policy Analysis, US
