Paperbacks: Second Lives, by Tim Guest

As an escapee from a controversial religious commune (described in his first book, My Life in Orange), Guest is a balanced guide to the virtual worlds explored here. Some people, including a group of physically disabled people in Boston, find release and freedom online. Others find a new prison: one in 10 players spends over 80 hours a week on Second Life. "When we try to create heaven, we... also create hell," Guest notes.

ARROW BOOKS £7.99 (362PP)