SUBJECT: 4/5
RESEARCH: 3/5
WRITING STLE: 2.5/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5
“We live in an opportune moment today. We have, available to us, the technological tools of the 21st century to address 19th century issues. In a fast changing world, will mankind be ruled by smart phones soon or will mankind use technology in life-changing innovations to make our societies far more equitable? Can technology be used to address the most crying needs in our societies today?”
Parthajeet Sarma’s “Smart Phones Dumb People?” is a look at how the 21st century technologies can be used to solve problems that essentially belong to the 19th century. Mr. Sarma discusses if having smart phones has made us better or has turned us stupid.
The title itself sounds very interesting and I was definitely intrigued when I received the book. What I was expecting was a look at smart phones, their pros and cons, and how they can be used to solve today’s problems. However, it is anything but. In fact, the part about the smart phones is only for the first few pages of the book and is referenced once in a while. The rest of the book is about the problems and possible solutions that can help solve the prevalent issues.
However, if you forget about the title and concentrate about the book itself, you will find that it is an interesting read regarding the various immediate problems that the country is facing. The book is divided into 5 chapters, and each chapter deals with a different aspect, finally coming towards the solution. The way the author provides various examples on how the “PAT” method can be used successfully makes you start to think on possible applications in our country.
Some of the examples are cheesy but most of the others provide a wonderful illustration of the point the author tries to make. While the solution that Mr. Sarma provides is a long, drawn out one, one cannot say for sure whether it will work or not. Only time will tell.
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