Summary:
Sloane Jacobsen is one of the world’s most powerful trend forecasters (she was the foreseer of “the swipe”), and global fashion, lifestyle, and tech companies pay to hear her opinions about the future. Her recent forecasts on the family are unwavering: the world is over-populated, and with unemployment, college costs, and food prices all on the rise, having children is an extravagant indulgence.
So it’s no surprise when the tech giant Mammoth hires Sloane to lead their groundbreaking annual conference, celebrating the voluntarily childless. But not far into her contract, Sloane begins to sense the undeniable signs of a movement against electronics that will see people embracing compassion, empathy, and “in-personism” again. She’s struggling with the fact that her predictions are hopelessly out of sync with her employer’s mission and that her closest personal relationship is with her self-driving car when her partner, the French “neo-sensualist” Roman Bellard, reveals that he is about to publish an op-ed on the death of penetrative sex—a post-sexual treatise that instantly goes viral. Despite the risks to her professional reputation, Sloane is nevertheless convinced that her instincts are the right ones, and goes on a quest to defend real life human interaction, while finally allowing in the love and connectedness she’s long been denying herself.
“Visually and audibly, the world of today was designed to distract. Before you could give a name to your own feelings, there was something telling you what to think and want.”
My Review:
Thought provoking is an understatement for this one! I really loved this book! It’s not a book I would’ve typically chosen to read. I have never read this author before and the synopsis didn’t quite appeal to me, but it was a book club pick, and the cover is gorgeous, so I read it. This book does an excellent job of showing the downfall and importance of technology. Technology plays a vital role currently, and will into the future, but it cannot replace the human touch. With respect to technology and how it has changed the way we interact with people day-to-day, I could most definitely relate to what was written in this book. It is so easy to isolate yourself from the world with technology – I think this showed me we need balance. Hopefully people who read this will be inspired to reach out to their family and friends for interaction and not just depend on their devices for happiness. I highly recommend this book to EVERYONE! Go out and get a copy now!
“The almost biological certainty that the more often you checked your cell phone, the more likely you were to find that one wondrous message or notification that would improve your entire life.”
I rated this LOVELY book 5 / 5 stars!
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