Reconnecting.calm is a book for individuals and communities concerned about the ever-growing culture of technology into which we are all increasingly immersed and enmeshed. The book outlines a path away from the present model of constantly having to double the pace of our lives every 12-18 months to keep up with advances in electronics, and instead offers a way for individuals and groups to reclaim a human and humane handle on our tools so they serve us now, instead of the other way around. It’s time “we, the people” redirect the rich portfolio of technology now at our disposal to addressing urgent human needs that are becoming more apparent, rather than frittering away so much intellectual, financial and moral capital on trivial “cool stuff,” with its heavy carbon footprint, and “smart weapons” that win neither hearts nor minds.I’ve been writing about electronic and computer technology for nearly 40 years, most of that time in Silicon Valley, and in the past 15 years have spoken at venues around the country on how to reconnect technical capability with social responsibility; tech-knowledge with self-knowledge. This book represents a quarter-century of research, reflection and my real-world experiences at ground zero of the digital revolution.Reconnecting.calm describes a program of “technology literacy” and shows how the discoveries of the new sciences, and the capabilities of new technologies, provide a roadmap for “participatory technology”: public input in imagining, developing and using our new tools for the benefit of individuals and communities, to so reintroduce composure and compassion back into private and public life. Beyond that, the book also suggests a way around the faith-science divide that has needlessly plagued the West far too long.When I started writing about computers in the early 1970s, the industry’s stated goal was to produce systems to make health care more affordable, quality education more widely available, and air travel more convenient. We have none of these now. This book encourages public engagement in addressing that imbalance.
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