"David Shenk looks at the new face of our world with a curiosity andconnection-making responsiveness that make him exhilarating to read. These are bits, takes, provisional sweeps at issues still coming into focus, but taken together theygive us a startling glimpse of where we are. Shenk is so close to the present thatmost readers will mistake it for the future."
-- SVEN BIRKERTS, author, THE GUTENBERG ELEGIES

"If the world ofconstant, instantaenous communication makes you a little nervous from time to time, David Shenk can explain why. This book is a very useful antidote to the endlesspraise lavished on the new electronic mediums. Read it slowly "
-- BILLMcKIBBEN, author, THE AGE OF MISSINGINFORMATION

In thisprovocative new collection of essays, David Shenk expands his enlightened skepticismto include thoughts on the dangers of online journalism, the ethical implications ofdigital photography, and the misguided hopes for computers in the classroom.Shock-jocks, computerized toys, Microsoft-bashing, and genetic testing are allsubject to his incisive and discerning criticism.

Is Shenk justanother neo-Luddite determined to bash all things digital? Hardly. Thisself-described technology enthusiast -- and avid fan of the Internet -- is simplyinterested in clear-eyed analysis of how machines we use actually affect our lives.As one of the founders of the Technorealism movement, he insists that newtechnologies must be appraised for their ability to achieve traditional human ends, rather than embraced merely for novelty's sake. The End of Patience includesvignettes from Shenk's conversations with some of the most provocative technologythinkers of our time, including Mitch Kapor, Steven Johnson, Esther Dyson, DouglasRushkoff and Steve Silberman.

• January 2012 Indie Next List
• December 2011 Indie Next List
• November 2011 Indie Next List