Boston Book Festival

October 17-19, 2013

2010 Event Descriptions

Internet or Not?

2:30pm Trinity Church Forum 206 Clarendon Street

We love the easy access to information afforded by the internet, but have a sneaky suspicion that there is a downside. Nicholas Carr, in The Shallows, argues that the internet reduces our collective attention span. Eric Haseltine, in Long Fuse, Big Bang, explains how the brain is wired to crave instant gratification and what we can do about it. William Powers, in Hamlet’s Blackberry, worries that our addiction to the internet interferes with our ability to truly connect with those around us. Moderated by unabashed internet enthusiast Andrew McAfee.