Present Shock

When Everything Happens Now

De: Douglas Rushkoff

Narrado por: Kevin T. Collins

"If the end of the twentieth century can be characterized by futurism, the twenty-first can be defined by presentism."

This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, explains award-winning media theorist Douglas Rushkoff, but we don’t seem to have any time in which to live it. Instead we remain poised and frozen, overwhelmed by an always-on, live-streamed reality that our human bodies and minds can never truly inhabit. And our failure to do so has had wide-ranging effects on every aspect of our lives.

People spent the twentieth century obsessed with the future. We created technologies that would help connect us faster, gather news, map the planet, compile knowledge, and connect with anyone, at any time. We strove for an instantaneous network where time and space could be compressed. Well, the future’s arrived. We live in a continuous now enabled by Twitter, email, and a so-called real-time technological shift.

Yet this “now” is an elusive goal that we can never quite reach. And the dissonance between our digital selves and our analog bodies has thrown us into a new state of anxiety: present shock. 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 fiction 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Party and Occupy Wall Street form two sides of the same post-narrative coin; how corporate investing in the future has been replaced by futile efforts to game the stock market in real time; why social networks make people anxious and email can feel like an assault. He examines how the tragedy of 9/11 disconnected an entire generation from a sense of history, and delves into why conspiracy theories actually comfort us.

As both individuals and communities, we have a choice. We can struggle through the onslaught of information and play an eternal game of catch-up. Or we can choose to live in the present: favor eye contact over texting; quality over speed; and human quirks over digital perfection. Rushkoff offers hope for anyone seeking to transcend the false now.

Absorbing and thought-provoking, Present Shock is a wide-ranging, deep thought meditation on what it means to be human in real time.

©2013 Douglas Rushkoff (P)2013 Audible Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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)

“If you read one book next year to help you make sense of the present moment, let it be Present Shock.” (Forbes.com)

“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)

Read it.

Excellent book. I very much appreciated everything here until the last few minutes. Read it either way but expect an slap in the face at the end. I would love to know the author just to respond to the last few lines.

Rushkoff is as close to a modern day seer as it gets

I was surprised to learn this was published years ago as its content is even more relevant and important to understand today, as we approach 2023. I’ve enjoyed all of his books for the clarity of words describing complicated topics and his breadth of research to help the reader grasp the concept.

An epic book, makes your mund spin

I think I need to listen to this again! An challenging, smart and engaging book.

Not Rushkoff's Best

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Like Rushkoff's other books, there are a lot of thought-provoking ideas. Unfortunately, a lot are re-hashed from other books.

Would you be willing to try another book from Douglas Rushkoff? Why or why not?

Yes. I enjoy his insight.

What didn’t you like about Kevin T. Collins’s performance?

It seemed like he was imitating Rushkoff's voice- it didn't seem like he was paying attention to what he was reading.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

sure

Any additional comments?

The buzzword "iterate" was used so much it made me want to slam my head into a wall.

this should be required reading for all humans

Amazing insights and reflections. Stilll one of my favorites. Ruskoff is a great guide to the world as we know and perceive it