In this introductory chapter, the author begins by looking at the Internet from an historical and communication perspective in an effort to understand its significance in the contemporary world. Then he gives an overview of the most searched topics on the Internet and identifies prospects that have opened up and perils that lurk in the information highways of our Internet age. He concludes with a brief overview of the chapters in this volume of studies. [For the complete volume, "The Internet and the Google Age: Prospects and Perils," see ED576666.]