Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now

Description

Rushkoff weaves together seemingly disparate events and trends into a rich, nuanced portrait of how life in the eternal present has affected our biology, behavior, politics, and culture. He explains how the rise of zombie apocalypse ficdtion signals our intense desire for an ending; how the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street form two sides of the same post-narrative coin; how corporate investing in the future has been replaced by futile efforts to game the stock market in real time; why social networks make people anxious and email can feel like an assault.

Reviews

"This is a wondrously thought-provoking book. Unlike other social theorists who either mindlessly decry or celebrate the digital age, Rushkof f explores how it has caused a focus on the immediate moment that can be both disorienting and energizing."--Walter Isaacson, author of "Steve Jobs " "Rushkoff gives readers a healthy dose of perspective, insight, and critical analysis that's sure to get minds spinning and tongues wagging." --"Publishers Weekly "(starred review) "In this refreshing antidote to promises of digital Utopia, Rushkoff articulates his own well-informed second thoughts. We should pay close attention--while we still can."--George Dyson, author of "Turing's Cathedral "and "Darwin Among the Machines " "If you read one book next year to help you make sense of the present moment, let it be "Present Shock.""--Anthony Wing Kosner, Forbes.com" "Present Shock" holds up new lenses and offers new narratives about what might be happening to us and why, compelling readers to look at the larger repercussions of today's technologically mediated social practices, from texting to checking in with a location-based service, jet-lag to "The Simpsons," in new ways."--Howard Rheingold, author of "Net Smart " "A wide-ranging social and cultural critique, "Present Shock "artfully weaves through many different materials as it makes its point: we are exhilarated, drugged, and consumed by the now. But we need to attend to the future before us and embrace the present in a more constructive way."--Sherry Turkle, author of "Alone Together " "With brilliant insight Rushkoff once again gets there early, making us confront the new world of 'presentism'--the shif t in our focus from the future to the present, from the horizon-gazing to the experience of here and now. He points to signs of presentism all around us--in how we conduct politics, interact with media, and negotiate relationships."--Marina G

Author description

Douglas Rushkoff is a world-renowned media theorist whose twelve books, including "Life, Inc.", have won prestigious awards and have been translated into thirty languages. He is a commentator on CNN and a contributor to "Time," "Discover," and NPR. He also made the PBS documentaries "Merchants of Cool," "The Persuaders," and "Digital Nation."