Book Review

Forbes ASAP Big Issues: The Examined Life in the Digital Age

No matter which we you look at it, technology has a deep and resounding impact on our lives every day. From cellular phone calls to countless e-mail messages; from global positioning satellites to transponders that allow us to pass through tollgates without digging for spare change; from high-definition television and DVDs to Internet radio, it is now more then ever difficult to escape the reaches of technology on today's society. Nor is it easy to escape those who have an opinion on the impact that technology has on us, both now and in the future.

Forbes ASAP Big Issues: The Examined Life in the Digital Age presents a compilation of over sixty articles and essays that have appeared in the Forbes ASAP magazine over the past five years. These articles are written by some of today's leading thinkers, critics, and business luminaries, as well as, some surprise individuals that you would not expect to comment on the role that technology plays into today's lifestyle. The book is divided neatly into five sections with topics such as, The Implications of the Digital Revolution, At Work in the Digital Age, Time in the Digital Age, Convergence in the Digital Age, and What is True in the Digital Age. Listed below are some of the highlights from each section.

In the opening section, The Implications of the Digital Resolution, commentaries are offered by The Wall Street Journal's contributing editor Mark Helprin comparing and contrasting how technology of the day impacted the lifestyle of those living in early 20th century Europe and how it may impact us in the not so distant mid 21st century. Helprin suggests that even though we uncover new discoveries on an almost daily basis, we may not be better off then we were over a hundred years ago. The reason for this is that in this age of rapid discovery, we have lost the ability to reflect and to connect one-on-one with individuals. Helprin encourages us to be prudent in our advancements and to continue to question these movements in order to fit them with the "limitations of man."

Also offered in this section is a piece by contemporary author Tom Wolfe who submitted his essay "Sorry, but Your Soul Just Died" for publication in the Forbes ASAP series upon request form the series' editors. This work is one of the few pieces that Wolfe authored between his books Bonfire of the Vanities and A Man in Full. "Sorry" offers Wolfe's views on his awaking to the digital ages as it relates to the medical and neuroscience field. He also adds some poignant opinions on how these new scientific discoveries are leading to the decay of man's soul in the new search for new scientific discovery.

In the second section, At Work in the Digital Age, commentaries of how technology impacts us in the workplace and the new economy are offered by the likes of computer industry leader and former chairman of Intel, Andy Grove, to Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang, to the creator of everyone's favorite cubicle dweller, Dilbert, Scott Adams. Also included in this section is a brief (112 words) essay from a groundskeeper at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, WA who offers his view on how Bill Gates' personality allowed him to complete the duties of his job.

The third part offers perspectives on how time is effected in the digital age. Contributing authors to this topic included the likes of former President Bush's chief speechwriter, Peggy Noonan and the first individual to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager. Yeager offers a particularly interesting view on how time and speed affects us. From a man who has been defined by speed, his observation is that we need to take advantage of the time that we are given and not worry about how fast we get from point A to point B.

The fourth part of the book looks at how technology has converged into other areas of our lives. Authors in this section include former heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic torch barrier, Muhammad Ali, best-selling business author Tom Peters, and a return appearance by author Tom Wolfe. All offer unique perspectives on how various facets of life and society have all come together in order to influence how we interact with each other and the environment around us.

The final section of this book asks us to examine what is true. At the time of its original publication, the editors of this issue of Forbes ASAP knew that the technological frenzy that was occurring was real, but it did not seem realistic. With daily records being set on the stock market and new advancements being made every day, it became increasingly difficult to sift through the layers to determine what the real impact of all this was. Authors asked to grapple with these issues included authors Pat Conroy (The Prince of Tides) and Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty), as well as, playwright Arthur Miller and historian Stephen Ambrose. Each offer their own perspectives on how we should examine issues in the face of our technological advanced society and how we should question ourselves and each other as we face the possibilities of the future.

This collection of essays is a unique piece of work that let's us examine how technology and the digital revolution impacts us in ways that many of us probably have not thought much about. It is also unique because it brings together a sort of who's who among cultural society to offer their opinions on these issues in a forum that is out of their typical element. I would recommend this collection to those who are looking a different take on these types of issues and for those who are looking for commentary from a wide spectrum of thinkers and leaders.

Forbes ASAP (2001). Forbes ASAP Big Issues: The examined life in the digital age. John Wiley and Sons.