MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Digital Marxism? Book says we have surrendered too much of our lives to our screens

taglines · 01-08-2010, 09:20 PM

Get ready for a potentially controversial book, coming mid-2010.

Back in 2006, William Powers, a national media critic who lives on Cape Cod in eastern Massachusetts, wrote a 75-page paper titled "Hamlet's BlackBerry: Why Paper Is Eternal" that was published by a Harvard think tank, and it still available online as free pdf read. In fact, it available at the link below if you go to the extra icon.

Powers' longform essay caught the attention of publishers in New York, and with a major change in emphasis, a book will be published in July and titled "Hamlet's BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age."

Note the new subtitle. According to Powers, the book will bear no resemblance to the long journalism piece that led to the book deal, and is not even about paper. According to Powers, "The book is about managing life in our connected world, and the need for a new philosophy."

Here's the link to the publisher's web page:
http://www.harpercollinscatalogs.com/harper/527_1300_313837383333.htm

The HarperCollins pre-publication publicity says of the book: "A crisp, passionately argued polemic that challenges the sacred dogma of the digital age -- the more we connect through technology, the happier we are -- and offers a new, practical philosophy for life in a world of screens."

More from the PR department: "At a time when everyone, from big businesses to ordinary individuals, is trying to make sense of their connected lives, 'Hamlet's Blackberry' presents a bold new paradigm for understanding the devices that now demand so much of our time and attention. Written in a lively, engaging style, 'Hamlet's BlackBerry' shows how our computers and mobile devices are changing the way we think, feel, and relate to others. While these technologies are tremendously helpful, they are also becoming our greatest burden, making it harder for us to focus and think clearly, do our best work and achieve the depth and fulfillment we crave."

And this: "'Hamlet's BlackBerry' argues that we've surrendered too much of our lives to our screens, by following a philosophy the author calls Digital Maximalism. He offers an alternative approach that any individual or organization can use to manage their connectedness more wisely. Drawing on the ideas of some of the most brilliant thinkers in the history of human connectedness, from Socrates to Shakespeare and Ben Franklin to Marshall McLuhan, this new philosophy proceeds from the simple notion that connectedness serves us best when it'ss offset by its opposite, disconnectedness. There are ways to strike a healthy balance between the two, and Hamlet's BlackBerry shows how, using concrete examples from everyday life."

01-08-2010, 09:20 PM	#1
taglines Banned Posts: 96 Karma: 334 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: nook	Digital Marxism? Book says we have surrendered too much of our lives to our screens Get ready for a potentially controversial book, coming mid-2010. Back in 2006, William Powers, a national media critic who lives on Cape Cod in eastern Massachusetts, wrote a 75-page paper titled "Hamlet's BlackBerry: Why Paper Is Eternal" that was published by a Harvard think tank, and it still available online as free pdf read. In fact, it available at the link below if you go to the extra icon. Powers' longform essay caught the attention of publishers in New York, and with a major change in emphasis, a book will be published in July and titled "Hamlet's BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age." Note the new subtitle. According to Powers, the book will bear no resemblance to the long journalism piece that led to the book deal, and is not even about paper. According to Powers, "The book is about managing life in our connected world, and the need for a new philosophy." Here's the link to the publisher's web page: http://www.harpercollinscatalogs.com/harper/527_1300_313837383333.htm The HarperCollins pre-publication publicity says of the book: "A crisp, passionately argued polemic that challenges the sacred dogma of the digital age -- the more we connect through technology, the happier we are -- and offers a new, practical philosophy for life in a world of screens." More from the PR department: "At a time when everyone, from big businesses to ordinary individuals, is trying to make sense of their connected lives, 'Hamlet's Blackberry' presents a bold new paradigm for understanding the devices that now demand so much of our time and attention. Written in a lively, engaging style, 'Hamlet's BlackBerry' shows how our computers and mobile devices are changing the way we think, feel, and relate to others. While these technologies are tremendously helpful, they are also becoming our greatest burden, making it harder for us to focus and think clearly, do our best work and achieve the depth and fulfillment we crave." And this: "'Hamlet's BlackBerry' argues that we've surrendered too much of our lives to our screens, by following a philosophy the author calls Digital Maximalism. He offers an alternative approach that any individual or organization can use to manage their connectedness more wisely. Drawing on the ideas of some of the most brilliant thinkers in the history of human connectedness, from Socrates to Shakespeare and Ben Franklin to Marshall McLuhan, this new philosophy proceeds from the simple notion that connectedness serves us best when it'ss offset by its opposite, disconnectedness. There are ways to strike a healthy balance between the two, and Hamlet's BlackBerry shows how, using concrete examples from everyday life."