Too Much Magic Pulling the Plug on the Cult of Tech

TOO MUCH MAGIC defines what “being digital” actually means to the average person and cautions about a rising concentration of power that has now overtaken both the personal computing revolution and the previously open culture of the Internet.TOO MUCH MAGIC points out our inherent love/hate relationship with technology and emerging digital culture. For instance: Why will people stand in line overnight to buy the newest tech gadget while at same time every film about the future from Metropolis to Blade Runner to Avatar shows a dystopia powered by technology.The book explores a contrarian view that neither promotes nor disparages technology, but rather explores the forces at work behind the models of technology that are being offered.Our choices are being defined and marketed by a group of smart, yet self-serving interests the author has branded “The Cult of Tech.” TOO MUCH MAGIC explains how The Cult of Tech has invaded every aspect of daily life through clever marketing - and is distorting the way we live, play and communicate. The author, Jason Benlevi, is a Silicon Valley marketing communications guru who explains how we got to where we are today and how we can shift course to preserve our humanity, creativity and freedoms, all of which could vanish through deceptive acts of digital magic.There are three main sections of the book. The first section explains for any reader how and why digital culture has come into existence. The tone is conversational, approachable and at times humorous.The middle and largest section of the book looks at the seven aspects of life that have been altered by digital tech. These include entertainment culture, mobile communications, electronic gaming, digital image manipulations, privacy rights, digital democracy and lastly, the fast changing world of social media. TOO MUCH MAGIC offers specific examples that are clear and demonstrative to any reader.The closing section is prescriptive and offers advice on how we break the cycle of gadget addiction and technology anxiety by concentrating on the things that we do best as human beings.Overall the book has rich and well-researched content, yet the tone is casual and entertaining enough for all readers.