Digitopia
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REVIEW BY BRETT PERUZZI
Richard DeGrandpre has seen our digital future, and he doesn't like the view. A psychologist with an interest in how science affects the masses, DeGrandpre received critical acclaim for his first book, Ritalin Nation. Now, in Digitopia, he has compiled 25 original essays questioning the implications of a fully-wired world filled with DVDs, MP3s and, yes, even e-books. Digitopia first explains the nature of digitization and why it will change the world. Next, DeGrandpre provides a look at its historical origins, and then gives a close-up look at 10 facets of "the new digital you" -- which he doesn't necessarily see as an improvement. Finally, the geography of digitopia (a term which he uses with great irony) is mapped out, and he takes a parting glance at what lies ahead. DeGrandpre skillfully uses quotes from industry figures like Microsoft's Bill Gates and Sun Microsystems' Bill Joy to expound his themes. In many cases, DeGrandpre uses the very words of these technology wizards to demonstrate the dark side of their magic. Where they generally see technology as an enabler of human progress, DeGrandpre more often sees technology as a force eroding humanity. In DeGrandpre's view, digitization is creating an alternate reality that is chipping away at what it means to be human. As this alternate reality grows in scope and usage, DeGrandpre theorizes that the real world will have less attraction and meaning to society at large. Digitopia makes liberal use of the ideas of older visionaries like Marshall McLuhan, who in many ways seems all the more prescient today. The book is also rich in examples from other periods in world history (such as the early industrial age) that the author uses to draw parallels to his theories about our digital culture. Technological progress is often portrayed in the media as solely a positive force in society -- a creator of jobs and wealth, something that makes our lives easier and allows people to communicate faster and work more efficiently. If you've ever questioned whether your increasingly wired life is all it's cracked up to be, this book is likely to increase your skepticism dramatically. While DeGrandpre does not dismiss all of technology's benefits, he provocatively shows in Digitopia that the looming clouds of the digital age may not all have silver linings. Brett Peruzzi writes from his home in Massachusetts.
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