A review by mkesten
Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better by Clive Thompson

3.0

Evgeny Morozov has wisely warned us of getting too excited about the liberating aspect of the Internet. That while it has the power to help dissidents organize against brutality, it helps the brutes as well. Clive Thompson comes at many of the same issues as Morozov from a different take: what if these tools supplement learning, remembering, creating. Just as computerized chess programs can work in tandem with humans to create a Centaur, better than a computer, so computing machines can help make us better in schooling, medicine, and science. What I liked most about Thompson's book was its emphasis on collaborative action, including cyber-action. Sharing knowledge in ever new ways has the power, like a Tsunami, to change the landscape for the better.