Where Will Man Take Us
Are you a tech nerd?
Are you a tech savvy person?
Do you love to keep yourself updated about all the latest happenings in the techno world?
Do you have working knowledge about all the technical jargons?
Then this book is definitely for you.
It has plethora and a plethora of information and updates, insights and foresight, analysis and backstories of all the recent new developments in the technical world like Artificial Intelligence, nanotechnology, Quantum Computing and genetics.
Also influence of technology on our current scenario, both good and bad. Though bad was brushed aside several times. And possible future effects which the author Atul Jalan thinks are inevitable.
The author is banking heavily on AI. According to him it is a match winner technology and if used properly would produce breakthroughs in various fields and provide potential solutions to the current problems in the arena like matchmaking, on jobs and our personal life, emotion and values. It will enthrall you as the techno enthusiastic.
There were chapters which might ring bells of alarm like filter bubble, data privacy and our increasingly losing right over our own personal data.
Major Constrain
A person like me from a non technical background full of awe and fear for every new gadgets and machines, I honestly felt completely lost reading this book. I was not able to grasp most of the things. I would have loved this book, had the author wrote it keeping in mind non technical layman like me.
A little understanding about these technologies, chemistry, physics, arts, maths, sci- fi etc. is a must in order to fully enjoy reading the book and appreciative towards the efforts of the author. If you have that, then, this book will further enhance your knowledge two fold in various fields of technology.
But wait.
I am not writing off the book. I did enjoy the book in bits and pieces. There are chapters in the book in line of my interest like on Astrology, Extraterrestrial life and Religion; Some of them caught my attention like The Magic of Math. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the chapters in this section. But sadly was not able to grasp many things properly and I don't know how much I have absorbed and processed.
Many a time the author sounded too optimistic and excited about technology clearly bypassing the evil effects of it. I think a whole book can be written on this issue. According to him, technology has and will have all solution to all the problems in life. His chapter on Happiness Pill was just too much for me to digest. Technology can never be the cause of real happiness in one's life. It can only bring material comforts, but at a cost.
Further, I sincerely believe technology can have an effect only when it becomes affordable for the masses. Take the example of smartphones. All these social media sites, e-commerce sites and this app and that app became famous only because the affordability of smartphones and internet by common people. Until and unless these benefits of these technology seeps into the life of common people, what the author has written seems to be far fetched dream.
All in all I must say that the author Atul Jalan is a well read fellow, very knowledgeable with a pair of keen observing eye and an analytical mind keeping a tap on every happening in the technological world and around. But then conveying all those in the most simple, understandable manner for quick grasping is also a gifted art which not everyone possesses.
The Verdict
So yes the book Where Man Will Go has been written after a lot of intensive and extensive research. But it is not an easy read for everyone. A semi knowledge base is essential for absorbing and deciphering.
