Not being able to put down Asimov’s book, I finished Foundation and Empire. It was a good read, but not as good as Foundation. It just didn’t have enough meat on the bone. I didn’t find the characters as interesting as the first book, but they did grow on me after awhile. And the ending really blew me away. I liked how it built up.

Now there’s just the Second Foundation, which I’m almost half way through, and I’ll be sad when it’s over. The Trilogy was made for me, and I don’t know that there is anything that can compare. But at least there are two prequels and another two more that come after. Seven books in total. So I might be able to get my fill of Asimov after all.

- D

Currently Playing: D&D Online

The Digital Divide is a collection of essays and excerpts edited by Mark Bauerlein. It doesn’t take sides in the debate over our new digital culture, and clearly shows that’s there’s a difference between Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. The Digital Natives embrace this technology, but it looks like they’re loosing something in the process. With all this connectedness, with kids sending 300 instant messages a day, the first thing they’ll loose is solitude. Time for reflection, time for deep-thinking. They say we’re reading more in this digital age, but are we? We’ve learned to skim the surface, pick out facts and move on. We’ve bought into the idea of personal happiness, that no one should be alone, that we’re all connected. It’s only that way if you buy in.

Another interesting fact that I ran across is our brains are designed for an interrupt-driven world, which is a survival technique. We needed to see the panther in the trees before he jumped us. And because of this, we think we’re good at multi-tasking. But we’re not. Study’s find that interruptions take time to get back on task, especially for complex ones. It’s estimated that 2.1 hours a day is wasted by interruptions, at the cost of $588 billion a year.

The book also shows the other side as well, some of the benefits of the digital technology. But I guess I would be called a Luddite. I see it stripping away our culture and dumbing down our kids. But make a choice for yourself. It’s a good read.

- D

Currently Playing: The Secret World: Closed Beta