For week 6 of my yearlong reading project, I sped through The New Digital Age by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen.  If you are anything like me (and intimidated by the sheer volume and language of such a book), stop right there.  Just reading the introduction hooked me in to want to know more about what Silicon Valley’s great leaders, Schmidt and Cohen, had to say.
Can you imagine a world where everyone is connected?  We are already familiar with being connected in our current society, but Schmidt and Cohen paint a picture of an entirely connected world: “The next moments in our technological evolution promise to turn a host of popular science-fiction concepts into science facts: driverless cars, thought-controlled robotic motion, artificial intelligence (AI) and fully integrated augmented reality, which promises a visual overlay of digital information onto our physical environment.” 
This is exciting because who wouldn’t want to live the technologically advanced life of Tom Cruise in Minority Report?
But among the excitement, there are also some concerns regarding the reprocussions of global connectivity.  Schmidt and Cohen offer solutions as they observe the challenges that arise within our future’s connectivity.  And while much of the book’s content is technology, the book is geared towards humans: “This is not a book about gadgets, smart-phone apps or artificial intelligence, though each of these subjects will be discussed.  This is a book about technology, but even more it’s a book about humans, and how humans interact with, implement, adapt to and exploit technologies in their environment, now and in the future, throughout the world.” 
Should you read this book?  Yup.  Two thumbs up.
What else have I read during my yearlong reading project?
–> Week 1  –> Week 2  –> Week 3  –> Week 4  –> Week 5