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There has never been a shortage of pundits willing to wax hyperbolic
about the wonders of the digital age. Readers looking for a more thoughtful and
balanced perspective, however, have discovered that there is only one reliable
source. Since 1996, Forbes ASAP's annual Big Issue has offered reflections
and musings on the digital revolution from some of the world's best known writers,
thinkers, and leaders. Big Issues: The Examined Life
in the Digital Age celebrates the first five years of "Big Issues"
in a single, thought-provoking package. It features penetrating insights, offbeat
takes, and timely observations from a diverse group of contributors who examine
the impact of digital technology on our society, our culture, and ourselves. William
F. Buckley Jr. explains how he became a digital true believer, and Joe Queenan
relives the perils of writing an online novel. Tom Wolfe anticipates technological
innovations that may change our lives even more profoundly than universal connectivity,
and Chuck Yeager examines the relationship between speed and time. Big
Issues is full of many surprises, such as Muhammad Ali's discourse on convergence
and Web founder Tim Berners-Lee's warning about the immense impact of seemingly
small decisions. Screw magazine's Al Goldstein airs his misgivings about
cybersex, and Bill Gates reveals some of the things that Microsoft does not do
well. You'll also hear from some of America's finest novelists,
including John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Pat Conroy, and many more. Elmore Leonard
addresses the issue of truth in the digital age by creating a fictional character
based on a newspaper story, and playwright Arthur Miller explains the need to
endlessly re-examine things that we are absolutely certain are beyond possibility. Profound,
provocative, and often whimsical, Big Issues is the thinking person's guide
to understanding and coping with the endless challenges of our constantly morphing
digital culture. Forbes ASAP is the bimonthly technology
magazine of Forbes Inc., and a leading publication of the digital age. With a
circulation of 865,000, Forbes ASAP is best known for its annual Big
Issue, a compendium of essays by the nation's leading writers and thinkers
about the social and philosophical implications of the new digital technology. |
