Brian Chen's Always On was sparked by a cab driver (a future assistant professor in social science) who told him, "The Amish are the smartest people on the planet" because technology was "dumbing us down." This brief conversation prompted Chen, who has worked for Macworld and Wired, to explore what we have lost--and gained--as a result of having the world in the palm in our hand: "The iPhone unlocked a reality in which we can potentially have anything we want, anytime and anywhere. And as a result, everything has changed...."
Chen provides a short history of the iPhone, including vignettes about how apps have saved lives, assisted law enforcement and shaped politics. He then explores the difference between vertical (closed) business structures--Apple vs. open-source--and ends with a discussion of privacy issues.
Always On is accessible to both techies and Luddites. Chen's focus is firmly on Apple throughout--but this should be expected, given the title, and he does explore critics' accusations about Apple "imposing censorship, holding developers hostage, stifling innovation, and fostering conformity." However, Chen clearly believes the benefits outweigh the costs of this new technology.
Chen ultimately reframes the question "Is the Internet making us dumber" to "perhaps the definition of intelligence is changing." While Chen's bias is evident, this does not interfere with his ability to examine many facets of this fascinating subject. --Kristen Galles, blogger at Book Club Classics