Finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction: “Nicholas Carr has written a Silent Spring for the literary mind.”—Michael Agger, Slate“Is Google making us stupid?” When Nicholas Carr posed that question, in a celebrated Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also crystallized one of the most important debates of our time: As we enjoy the Net’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply? Now, Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration of the Internet’s intellectual and cultural consequences yet published. As he describes how human thought has been shaped through the centuries by “tools of the mind”—from the alphabet to maps, to the printing press, the clock, and the computer—Carr interweaves a fascinating account of recent discoveries in neuroscience by such pioneers as Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel. Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. The technologies we use to find, store, and share information can literally reroute our neural pathways. Building on the insights of thinkers from Plato to McLuhan, Carr makes a convincing case that every information technology carries an intellectual ethic—a set of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and intelligence. He explains how the printed book served to focus our attention, promoting deep and creative thought. In stark contrast, the Internet encourages the rapid, distracted sampling of small bits of information from many sources. Its ethic is that of the industrialist, an ethic of speed and efficiency, of optimized production and consumption—and now the Net is remaking us in its own image. We are becoming ever more adept at scanning and skimming, but what we are losing is our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection. Part intellectual history, part popular science, and part cultural criticism, The Shallows sparkles with memorable vignettes—Friedrich Nietzsche wrestling with a typewriter, Sigmund Freud dissecting the brains of sea creatures, Nathaniel Hawthorne contemplating the thunderous approach of a steam locomotive—even as it plumbs profound questions about the state of our modern psyche. This is a book that will forever alter the way we think about media and our minds.

Great things don’t happen in a vacuum. But creating an environment for creative thinking and innovation can be a daunting challenge. How can you make it happen at your company? The answer may surprise you: gamestorming. This book includes more than 80 games to help you break down barriers, communicate better, and generate new ideas, insights, and strategies. The authors have identified tools and techniques from some of the world’s most innovative professionals, whose teams collaborate and make great things happen. This book is the result: a unique collection of games that encourage engagement and creativity while bringing more structure and clarity to the workplace. Find out why -- and how -- with Gamestorming. Overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games Improve collaboration and communication in cross-disciplinary teams with visual-thinking techniques Improve understanding by role-playing customer and user experiences Generate better ideas and more of them, faster than ever before Shorten meetings and make them more productive Simulate and explore complex systems, interactions, and dynamics Identify a problem’s root cause, and find the paths that point toward a solution

A new edition, packed with even more clever tricks and methods that make everyday life easierLifehackers redefine personal productivity with creative and clever methods for making life easier and more enjoyable. This new edition of a perennial bestseller boasts new and exciting tips, tricks, and methods that strike a perfect balance between current technology and common sense solutions for getting things done. Exploring the many ways technology has changed since the previous edition, this new edition has been updated to reflect the latest and greatest in technological and personal productivity.The new "hacks" run the gamut of working with the latest Windows and Mac operating systems for both Windows and Apple, getting more done with smartphones and their operating systems, and dealing with the evolution of the web. Even the most tried-and-true hacks have been updated to reflect the contemporary tech world and the tools it provides us.Hacks include:Hack 1: Empty Your Inbox (and Keep It Empty). Hack 2: Decrease Your Response Time. Hack 3: Craft Effective Messages. Hack 4: Highlight Messages Sent Directly to You. Hack 5: Use Disposable Email Addresses. Hack 6: Master Message Search. Hack 7: Future-Proof Your Email Address. Hack 8: Consolidate Multiple Email Addresses with Gmail. Hack 9: Script and Automate Repetitive Replies. Hack 10: Filter Low-Priority Messages. Hack 11: Organize Your Documents Folder. Hack 12: Instantly Retrieve Files Stored on Your Computer. Hack 13: Overhaul Your Filing Cabinet. Hack 14: Instantly Recall Any Number of Different Passwords. Hack 15: Securely Track Your Passwords. Hack 16: Tag Your Bookmarks. Hack 17: Organize Your Digital Photos. Hack 18: Corral Media Across Folders and Drives. Hack 19: Create Saved Search Folders. Hack 20: Create a Password-Protected Disk on Your PC. Hack 21: Create a Password-Protected Disk on Your Mac. Hack 22: Encrypt Your Entire Windows Operating System. Hack 23: Set Up 2-Step Verification for Your Google Account. Hack 24: Design Your Own Planner. Hack 25: Make Your To-Do List Doable. Hack 26: Set Up a Morning Dash. Hack 27: Map Your Time. Hack 28: Quick-Log Your Workday. Hack 29: Dash Through Tasks with a Timer. Hack 30: Form New Habits with Jerry Seinfeld's Chain. Hack 31: Control Your Workday. Hack 32: Turn Tasks into Game Play. Hack 33: Send Reminders to Your Future Self. Hack 34: Take Great Notes. Hack 35: Organize Your Life with Remember the Milk. Hack 36: Organize Your Life in Text Files. Hack 37: Set Up a Ubiquitous Note-Taking Inbox Across Devices. Hack 38: Off-Load Your Online Reading to a Distraction-Free Environment. Hack 39: Limit Visits to Time-Wasting Websites. Hack 40: Permanently Block Time-Wasting Websites. Hack 41: Reduce Email Interruptions. Hack 42: Split Your Work Among Multiple Desktops. Hack 43: Build a No-Fly Zone. Hack 44: Set Up Communication Quiet Hours. Hack 45: Clear Your Desktop. Hack 46: Make Your House a Usable Home. Hack 47: Sentence Stuff to Death Row. Hack 48: Drown Out Distracting Sounds with Pink Noise. Hack 49: Search the Web in Three Keystrokes. Hack 50: Command Your Windows PC from the Keyboard. Hack 51: Command Your Mac from the Keyboard. Hack 52: Reduce Repetitive Typing with Texter for Windows. Hack 53: Reduce Repetitive Typing with TextExpander for Mac. Hack 54: Automatically Fill in Repetitive Web Forms. Hack 55: Batch-Resize Photos. Hack 56: Bypass Free Site Registration with BugMeNot. Hack 57: Speed Up Web Pages on a Slow Internet Connection. Hack 58: Securely Save Website Passwords. Hack 59: Become a Scheduling Black Belt with Google Calendar. Hack 60: Set Up an Automated, Bulletproof File Back Up Solution. Hack 61: Automatically Back Up Your Files to an External Hard Drive (Mac). Hack 62: Automatically Clean Up Your PC. Hack 63: Automatically Clean Up Your Mac. Hack 64: Automatically Reboot and Launch Applications. Hack 65: Make Google Search Results Automatically Come to You. Hack 66: Automatically Download Music, Movies, and More. Hack 67: Access Your Most Important Files Anywhere with Dropbox. Hack 68: Manage Your Documents in a Web-Based Office Suite. Hack 69: Carry Your Life on a Flash Drive. Hack 70: Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with Hamachi. Hack 71: Run a Home Web Server. Hack 72: Run Full-Fledged Webapps from Your Home Computer. Hack 73: Build Your Personal Wikipedia. Hack 74: Remotely Control Your Home Computer. Hack 75: Give Your Home Computer a Web Address. Hack 76: Optimize Your Laptop. Hack 77: Speed Up Your Touchscreen Typing. Hack 78: Break Down the Barrier Between Your Computer and Mobile Phone. Hack 79: Remote Control Your Computer with Your Phone. Hack 80: Automate Android Functions with Tasker. Hack 81: Set Up One Phone Number to Rule Them All. Hack 82: Augment Reality with Your Phone. Hack 83: Remember Where You’ve Been Using Location Awareness. Hack 84: Command Your Phone with Your Voice. Hack 85: Use Your Camera Phone as a Scanner. Hack 86: Make Your "Dumbphone" Smarter via Text Message. Hack 87: Connect Your Computer to the Internet via Mobile Phone by "Tethering". Hack 88: Develop Your (Digital) Photographic Memory. Hack 89: Send and Receive Money on Your Mobile Phone with PayPal. Hack 90: Google Like a Pro. Hack 91: Subscribe to Websites with RSS. Hack 92: Quickly Search Within Specific Websites from the Address Bar. Hack 93: Extend Your Web Browser. Hack 94: Supercharge Your Firefox Downloads with DownThemAll! Hack 95: Get 10 Useful Bookmarklets. Hack 96: Find Reusable Media Online. Hack 97: Get Your Data on a Map. Hack 98: Set Multiple Sites as Your Home Page. Hack 99: Access Unavailable Websites via Google. Hack 100: Have a Say in What Google Says About You. Hack 101: Clear Your Web Browsing Tracks. Hack 102: Rescue Your PC from Malware. Hack 103: Protect Your PC from Malware. Hack 104: Clean Up Your Startup. Hack 105: Undo System Configuration Changes. Hack 106: Truly Delete Data from Your Hard Drive. Hack 107: Compare and Merge Files and Folders with WinMerge. Hack 108: Firewall Your Windows PC. Hack 109: Firewall Your Mac. Hack 110: Speed Up Windows with a Thumb Drive. Hack 111: Free Up Hard-Drive Space. Hack 112: Resurrect Deleted Files. Hack 113: Hot Image Your PC for Instant Restoration. Hack 114: Hot Image Your Mac for Instant Restoration. Hack 115: Recover Files from an Unbootable PC. Hack 116: Share Windows Files. Hack 117: Share Mac Files. Hack 118: Keep Your Web Browser in Sync Across Computers. Hack 119: Share a Single Printer Between Computers. Hack 120: Optimize Your Dual Monitors. Hack 121: Control Multiple Computers with a Single Keyboard and Mouse.Technology is supposed to make our lives easier by helping us work more efficiently. Lifehacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better, Third Edition is your guide to making that happen!

In this hilarious and highly practical book, author and professional speaker Scott Berkun reveals the techniques behind what great communicators do, and shows how anyone can learn to use them well. For managers and teachers -- and anyone else who talks and expects someone to listen -- Confessions of a Public Speaker provides an insider's perspective on how to effectively present ideas to anyone. It's a unique, entertaining, and instructional romp through the embarrassments and triumphs Scott has experienced over 15 years of speaking to crowds of all sizes.With lively lessons and surprising confessions, you'll get new insights into the art of persuasion -- as well as teaching, learning, and performance -- directly from a master of the trade.Highlights include:Berkun's hard-won and simple philosophy, culled from years of lectures, teaching courses, and hours of appearances on NPR, MSNBC, and CNBC Practical advice, including how to work a tough room, the science of not boring people, how to survive the attack of the butterflies, and what to do when things go wrong The inside scoop on who earns $30,000 for a one-hour lecture and why The worst -- and funniest -- disaster stories you've ever heard (plus countermoves you can use) Filled with humorous and illuminating stories of thrilling performances and real-life disasters, Confessions of a Public Speaker is inspirational, devastatingly honest, and a blast to read.

Early user interface (UI) practitioners were trained in cognitive psychology, from which UI design rules were based. But as the field evolves, designers enter the field from many disciplines. Practitioners today have enough experience in UI design that they have been exposed to design rules, but it is essential that they understand the psychology behind the rules in order to effectively apply them. In Designing with the Mind in Mind, Jeff Johnson, author of the best selling GUI Bloopers, provides designers with just enough background in perceptual and cognitive psychology that UI design guidelines make intuitive sense rather than being just a list of rules to follow. * The first practical, all-in-one source for practitioners on user interface design rules and why, when and how to apply them.* Provides just enough background into the reasoning behind interface design rules that practitioners can make informed decisions in every project.* Gives practitioners the insight they need to make educated design decisions when confronted with tradeoffs, including competing design rules, time constrictions, or limited resources.

Each year, the AI community convenes to administer the famous (and famously controversial) Turing test, pitting sophisticated software programs against humans to determine if a computer can “think.” The machine that most often fools the judges wins the Most Human Computer Award. But there is also a prize, strange and intriguing, for the “Most Human Human.” Brian Christian—a young poet with degrees in computer science and philosophy—was chosen to participate in a recent competition. This playful, profound book is not only a testament to his efforts to be deemed more human than a computer, but also a rollicking exploration of what it means to be human in the first place.

The smart way to build applications with Microsoft® SharePoint® Designer 2010 -- one step at a time! Experience learning made easy -- and quickly teach yourself how to create SharePoint 2010 applications and workflows with Microsoft® SharePoint® Designer 2010. With Step by Step, you set the pace -- building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Design solutions to meet your business scenario -- without code Customize lists, libraries, and SharePoint site pages Use Web Parts to display, edit, and modify list item data Access data from a variety of external sources Create workflows to automate business processes Use master pages and CSS to control how sites work Your Step by Step digital content includes: All the books practice files -- ready to download and put to work. Fully searchable online edition of this book -- with unlimited access on the Web. The print version of this book includes free digital content online. To download, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to booktech@oreilly.com. Tips from Microsoft® SharePoint® Designer 2010 Step by Step Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010 has seen major improvements over its previous version, Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007. It is now the preferred tool for site owners and what Gartner termed as ‘citizen developers’. Using the browser and other what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) tools such as, SharePoint Designer 2010, InfoPath 2010 and Visio Premium 2010, citizen developers, that is, those users operating outside the scope of IT can create new business applications for consumptions by others. These non-code solutions are successful because citizen developers know what they want to achieve, they understand their business needs and with a bit of SharePoint knowledge they can wire together the business processes or sets of tasks for their organization. Using the book, SharePoint Designer 2010 Step by Step – site owners and citizen developers can build up their SharePoint 2010 knowledge so that they can build citizen developed solutions, and then reuse those solutions as a basis for future SharePoint sites. The book is a step by step tutorial; explaining what you are doing and why, and gives you a good understanding of why. It contains images of commands in the margin so you can easily find them on the ribbon and contains many screenshots so you can confirm that you are following the steps correctly. You can also use the book as a reference as it has an extensive index and glossary. Don’t be put off by its name; this book is not aimed at just web designers - with SharePoint Designer, you can carry out similar tasks to the browser; however, you can now complete more tasks natively, without the need to jump back and forth between SharePoint Designer and the browser. For example, when you first open a site with SharePoint Designer you are presented within the SharePoint Designer workspace with a site’s summary page. This page provides you with the basic information about the site and allows you to change many site settings, manage permissions and create new subsites. You will also notice from the screenshot below, that SharePoint Designer has a redesigned user interface (UI) that uses Microsoft Office Fluent UI. Tip: Once you open a SharePoint 2010 site in SharePoint Designer, you can open individual files, that are not stored within the site. Another reason why you it is easier to complete similar tasks with SharePoint Designer than using the web browser to is the Navigation pane. This replaces the Folder List task pane in SharePoint Designer 2007 and focuses on SharePoint objects and not where the objects are stored. You can then pin each of these object types to show their contents in a mini-gallery, whilst you complete another task in the workspace. Although SharePoint Designer is a wonderful tool, it is not a tool that everyone should use, for example, if you only have contributor rights on a site you will not be able to use SharePoint Designer. In addition to SharePoint Designer’s in-built usage restrictions, IT and site collection owners can limit its usage at either the Web application or site collection level. Therefore you may see different SharePoint objects in the Navigation pane as compared to another user or depending on the site collection where the site is located. Tip: Using the Log In As icon in the SharePoint Designer status bar, you can log in as another user without closing and restarting the program. When you create the top level site in a site collection based on the team site template, then by default - users who are members of the Site Owners and Designers site groups can use SharePoint Designer. However they cannot customize site definition pages, nor can they see the hidden URL structure of a SharePoint site – the hierarchical tree view displayed when you click All File in the Navigation pane, that shows where files are physical or virtually located in a site. When you create a site collection using the Publishing Portal site template, then site owners and designers have no such limitations. This does make sense. On publishing site collections, you will probably want to delegate the control of content to individuals on a site by site basis. These individuals may need to create their own page layouts and change the branding of their sites. On team sites, you may wish to keep the same look and feel throughout the site collection and prevent all but site collection owners from customizing site definition pages. Tip: Whenever you create a new site collection, check that the SharePoint Designer settings meet your business needs. Microsoft has also addressed the issue that when you saved a site definition page with SharePoint Designer 2007, it would always store a copy of the page in the content database – known as customizing or un-ghosting the page, even when this was not necessary. Now with SharePoint Designer 2010, Microsoft has implemented a "safe by default" approach. When you edit a page you will only be able to amend the code within Web Part zones or within the Wiki page content area. If IT or the site collection owner has allowed you, you can edit the page outside those areas by placing the page in advance edit mode. This will result in customizing or un-ghosting the page – so customizing a page has not gone away, but you don’t always have to do it when editing a page with SharePoint Designer. SharePoint Designer 2010 Step by Step provides you with tips and guidance on how to use SharePoint Designer 2010. It helps you understand the consequences of performing tasks and gives you the skills and understanding for how to best build and modify your solutions to meet your business requirements.

"Future Shock for the Web-apps era.... Compulsively readable—for nontechies, too."—Fast CompanyBuilding on the success of his industry-shaking Does IT Matter? Nicholas Carr returns with The Big Switch, a sweeping look at how a new computer revolution is reshaping business, society, and culture. Just as companies stopped generating their own power and plugged into the newly built electric grid some hundred years ago, today it's computing that's turning into a utility. The effects of this transition will ultimately change society as profoundly as cheap electricity did. The Big Switch provides a panoramic view of the new world being conjured from the circuits of the "World Wide Computer." New for the paperback edition, the book now includes an A–Z guide to the companies leading this transformation.

Imagine, at a terrifyingly aggressive rate, everything you regularly use is being equipped with computer technology. Think about your phone, cameras, cars-everything-being automated and programmed by people who in their rush to accept the many benefits of the silicon chip, have abdicated their responsibility to make these products easy to use. The Inmates Are Running the Asylum argues that the business executives who make the decisions to develop these products are not the ones in control of the technology used to create them. Insightful and entertaining, The Inmates Are Running the Asylum uses the author's experiences in corporate America to illustrate how talented people continuously design bad software-based products and why we need technology to work the way average people think. Somewhere out there is a happy medium that makes these types of products both user and bottom-line friendly; this book discusses why we need to quickly find that medium.