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'I, Avatar' is a book I took a chance on. I'll be honest, the price and the fact that it was vaguely Second Life related is what sold me - the description itself didn't leave me with a lot of hope - the mention of 'an examination of avatars through the lenses of sociology, psychology, politics, history, and art' in the blurb left me expecting something really pretentious - a sort of 'jack-of-all-trades, master of none' kind of thing. I'm glad to say that I was wrong.

'I, Avatar' is written by Mark Stephen Meadows, an artist, who on the insistence of his friend joined Second Life as a 'tourist or explorer'. Despite an initially rocky start, where he was plunged head-first into the world of Gorean slave-master relations, he became a well established builder and, it seems, socialite. His book reflects the inner-most workings of his ruminations about the virtual where he mixes theory and history to create almost 40 chapters of anecdotes, case studies, milestones and essays, beautifully illustrated with snapshots and character portraits. All this, and not one hint of pretiousness or pseudo-science. I was definitely impressed.

As a book 'I, Avatar' was clearly aimed at a broad audience - it doesn't tackle anything in-depth, and the amount of scholarly material it cites is limited - and whilst insightful, the ideas and arguments that it presents aren't all that complex. Yet it's this level of simplicity that makes 'I, Avatar' so accessible. I'm in no doubt that the author could have written a philosophical tour de force littered with the language of his craft had he wanted to, but this would have excluded so many. Instead Meadows has written something that is accessible to everyone, but not only is it accessible, it's also enjoyable - thanks in part to the human element that Meadows includes so cleverly through the incorporation of his personal anecdotes in-between his essays on SL history and theory. I often found myself holding back a gasp as I read about his friend's problem with potential real-life slave traders, or how a pair of his friends had been burgled after allowing an SL friend to stay with them in real life. Such things are the intricate beauties of Second Life - it really is these kind of stories and experiences that make Second Life such a personal and real place for so many - the kind of thing that makes it a virtual community and not just a chat room with nice graphics.

So... a good book? Yes. But is 'I, Avatar' actually any use to research? As I've already mentioned there's no indication that this was ever supposed to be the case - yet I think to dismiss its academic value too hastily would be unwise. Certainly it lacks the in-depth scientific analysis that your everyday researcher would expect, however the vast quantity of contextual information it contains makes up for this in spades. It's this human element where the book shines its brightest and it's also this same human element that your typical scientific paper lacks. Any researcher for whom the social side of Second Life has never been truly explored would do well to read this book - as a piece of work that submerges you in SL's culture, its people, and its human essence, 'I, Avatar' is an unbelievably valuable resource. Sure, you're probably not going to end up citing it in your next paper, but you'll gain a new and more complete insight into the people and the culture that make up Second Life, and that in itself makes this book a superb read.

'I, Avatar: The Culture and Consequence of Having a Second Life' was written by Mark Stephen Meadows and published by New Riders in 2008. At the time of writing it's currently available from Amazon UK and Amazon USA.

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