A couple of weeks ago I finished the book 'Hamlet's BlackBerry' and really enjoyed it. It took a problem we all face today (information overload + always being connected) and said 'Don't Blame the BlackBerry, this problem has been around a long long long time.' He discusses 7 philosophers, including Plato, Shakespeare and Ben Franklin all had issues with some form of technology and how they each got the 'space' they needed from them in order to have 'big thoughts and really focus on the tasks they had at hand, all while using the new technology to their advantage.
I enjoyed finding out that good of Ben -- quite a player in his day and age. And I certainly could relate to the findings in a study that checking your email for 5 minutes and disrupt your concentration for up to 30 minutes before you get back to the same focus.
So when I was done, I dropped an email to info@ off the author's website telling him how much I enjoyed the book, how it reminded me of 'Mobile Free Mondays' that I used to do (turning off my cell and just keeping in my bag on Mondays -- so liberating), etc. I also laughed at the irony of emailing him and following him on Twitter when the book was about cutting the 'noise' out of your life in some aspects.
A couple of weeks later, I got a great response praising the writing of my email (from an ENGR major that I am --Woo-hoo!) and that started a quick exchange that ended with 'I'll watch your schedule and see when you are in town so I can swing by and say hi.'
Two weeks later, another email saying 'in town for a private event, can you meet for breakfast' and we are dining at a new Danny Meyer restaurant and having a great conversation.
It was amazing and thrilling to meet the author not just because of how it happened, but really because we seemed to make a great connection that really clicked. I think we could have spent the entire morning chatting, but I had to run off to a Dr Appt (needed a tetanus shot after putting my hand on a staple).
In thinking about the meeting in advance, I thought about how I would start the conversation with really a stranger and that I would not be found on my BlackBerry when he walked in.
I told him the story of my Mom only recommending strongly two book for me (Tipping Point was the first), 'And the second? he asked"' -- it was his (and of course he was thrilled). From there, (and actually even before that) we were off and running.
Some of the reviews are critical of this book saying it's not enough of a solution but I think the solution is ultimately tailored to your life. He and his wife have been cutting off the Internet at their router from Friday night to Monday morning and it's worked great for them for 4+ years.
I think just the awareness that this book can bring to you and also not letting you take the easy out of 'oh, it's just technology' is where the strength lies.
I've been thinking about how I'm going to put a little space into my life (and yet still maintain what I like and need from being on line but restore the focus a little bit more). We'll see how it shakes out.
BTW: My Mom loved the whole story!
