In his book The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood, James Gleick writes of information sharing through the ages, from African talking drum languages to telegraphs, telephones and the internet. Google search guru Scott Huffman also joins to talk about how Google refines the search for information on the internet.
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/17/137250835/james-gleick-on-the-history-of-information