Book Commentary: Thank you for being late
Not long ago I had the opportunity to read a book from my long reading list.
“Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations” is a book written by famous author and journalist Thomas L. Friedman and logically as you might know, a best-seller.
Admitting I have a mild tendency to avoid best-sellers ―I’ve ran into some disappointments when reading them― I was a bit reluctant to its reading, especially because this was, according to the back cover, close to things I’m familiar with being an industry analyst and consultant in the technology market. Yeap, a typical case of “why should I read it if I know what it’s about.”
I was wrong, right from the first pages the book was engaging, entertaining and yet, quite insightful. The book guides you nicely through the recent and profound evolution of information technology in nice and fluent way.
Full of information from extensive interviews and clear narrative ―essential I think for a book that addresses technology― the book narrates nicely the events that have impacted the evolution of technology and from there, the huge effect this have had on our lives.
Moreover, it provides a structure and describes the connection between the different elements of technology that are dramatically changing the world: cloud computing, mobility, big data and of course the Internet of Things and so on.
Mr. Friedman has truly done a good job at describing and connecting the dots as how modern life has many benefits while it also contributes to our sense of unease and anxiety as we are unable to keep the pace adapting to technological advances, increasing volumes of information to digest or the worries that come by having our information moving on roads or resting in public servers potentially vulnerable to attacks and security breaches. The book also contains several descriptions from direct conversations with those making history.
Described with a good level of detail, it does not become just a gathering of facts but a nice compendium of some of their reflections and thinking, which enables us to get a glimpse of how these people transforming our lives think about the present and the future.
According to Mr. Friedman, aside from how problematic life can be in a time on continuous acceleration, the book has an optimistic approach, even when modern life can sometimes be daunting and overwhelming, much of these technologies are here to make our lives better, perhaps one of the few details I personally found to be opposite with I would have liked to find further exploration on the not so pleasant side of technology: security concerns, sociological and society issues provoked by technology, etc.to have a more balanced view of what technology means in our lives today.
Finally, despite the fact this book talks technology in a general way and opposite to some not recommending it for people in the tech field I’ll dare to do it, as it presents a fresh perspective on the evolution of technology and the reality of the world and its potential impact in our present and our future.
It is also a nice call to slow down, reflect and live thought our time at our own speed.
Mr. Friedman’s book contain good nuggets of information that for those in and out of the tech scene can be entertaining and informational.
Originally published at www.dofthings.com.
