Breakpoint: Why the Web will Implode, Search will be Obsolete, and Everything Else you Need to Know about Technology is in Your Brain
Stibel, brain scientist and entrepreneur, compares the Internet to the human brain as a network, and, as with all networks, the Internet is approaching a break point, along with many technologies and businesses that rely on it. Yet, as in nature, the break point will bring better things because “the fittest species are typically the smallest. . . . The unit of measure for progress isn’t size, it’s time.” We learn that post-break-point technology networks (he cites the Internet, the web, and Facebook) are just tools to further connect humans more deeply while encouraging and enhancing equality, since social media promotes democracy. The author contends that technology networks must encourage growth at all costs and avoid monetization too early, which requires patience but also requires “shifting gears” once the break point is reached. He suggests that “technology is on the verge of creating the types of things habitually reserved for humans: consciousness, intelligence, and emotion.” A fascinating book with important ideas for a wide range of library patrons. --Mary Whaley