In Making a Metaverse That Matters: From Snow Crash & Second Life to a Virtual World Worth Fighting For, author Wagner James Au, delivers a fascinating discussion of how growing Metaverse platforms have captured the imaginations of millions of people around the world. The book features powerful stories and dozens of insightful interviews with tech insiders--including the man who coined the phrase Metaverse, Neal Stephenson--and explores the author's unique, grassroots-level perspective as the first reporter embedded directly in a Metaverse platform. You'll learn how to understand and define the Metaverse, cutting through the myths, hype, and misconceptions to uncover the truth about this group of powerful new technologies. You'll also discover a behind-the-scenes account of the launching of Second Life, the world's first Metaverse platform to achieve mainstream success, and what its controversies, successes, and failures can teach us as we move forward with new experiments. Making a Metaverse That Matters examines the current state of contemporary Metaverse platforms, including Meta(TM), Roblox(R), Fortnite(R), VRChat(R), and Lamina1(TM), and where they each fit into the overall technological ecosystem. It anticipates and addresses the dangers inherent in this fusion of software, hardware, culture, and technology, proposing solutions that can be implemented before the tech becomes a central part of the Internet. An essential book for XR industry members and indie creatives, Making a Metaverse That Matters will also fascinate tech professionals, virtual world community members, and anyone interested in the future of culture and commerce.