Mind Over Technology: Coming Out on Top as a Wired World Starts to Run on Automatic [Paperback]

Richard W. Samson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2004

Technology is moving into every area of our jobs and lives. It can do our boring work and let us live like kings, or leave us destitute and dominated. By moving up to metamind, we can come out on top. This book helps cope with problems that are affecting people's jobs and lives: offshoring, automation, technogreed, media control, and social backlash.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard W, Samson has been described as a humanistic, information-age Buckminster Fuller with a touch of Twain. For the past 15 years he has been fermenting a revolution in the space where the mind and technology overlap. Prior to the mid-1980’s he was active in the mind-development area as author, developer of educational programs, consultant, management trainer, and publisher. Then he shifted his attention to the electronic realm, serving as a consultant in telecommunications and the Internet. In that sphere, he has been forging connections to his earlier work. He is now focusing on unrecognized dangers and opportunities in the defining trend of our time: the merging of human and electronic intelligence. The path to a positive outcome is outlined by his new book, Mind Over Technology. Samson’s published works include The Mind Builder (Dutton), Problem-Solving Improvement (mcGraw Hill), Creative Analysis (Dutton), Ask for the Moon And Get It, with Percy Ross (G. P. Putnm), and others. His “mental exercises” have appeared in popular publications including Reader’s Digest, and in training programs for schools, colleges, and corporations including IBM. Recently, for Cisco Systems, he aided the development of network-based unified communication infrastructure; and for AT&T he specified prototypes and trial services employing unified communication and “intelligent agents.” His special reports on social transformation in work and life (involving technology and the mind) have been featured in dozens of publications including COMPUTERWORLD; Training Magazine; CIO Magazine; Financial Executive Magazine; GRID Today; Washington Times; and news wire and online services including UPI, USA Today, Yahoo News, and CBS MarketWatch.

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Global Book Publisher (January 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594572348
• ISBN-13: 978-1594572340
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,540,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saving the Human Element, February 25, 2004

By 

A. Spina "Tech Critic" (Succasunna, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mind Over Technology: Coming Out on Top as a Wired World Starts to Run on Automatic (Paperback)

This book has been written on a foundation of passion, commitment, and authenticity. Mr. Samson is truly dedicated to the principles of the issues and solutions he has identified in this work.

He has accurately described the path of the present condition of technology replacing not only human labor but also the human mind and eventually the spirit. His examples of the transformation and loss of jobs is a lesson in history we have forgotten or fail to recognize. More importantly, his book is call for alarm, for history is repeating itself with a much greater consequence.

This book is a must read for those of us who feel that our technocratized society has forgotten about the human element. ItŐs not only about efficiency and productivity, but also about meaning, purpose, and quality of life. Mr. Samson enlightens us on how and why we are slowly being replaced by intelligent machines and offers alternatives which can facilitate the benefits of both technology and the human mind. I highly recommend this book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Starts well but takes a 90 degree turn liberal, April 20, 2005

By 

Anon ymouse "Opiniononeverything" (Brooklyn Park, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mind Over Technology: Coming Out on Top as a Wired World Starts to Run on Automatic (Paperback)

The start of the book was exactly why I bought it - to read about the impact of automation on jobs. I expected the whole book to be on topic but soon after the first part of the book the author takes a 90 degree turn to preach his liberal philosophy. He brings up original ideas such as how to improve our minds which I enjoyed but the book on the whole was not very close to the topic the book was sold on which was technology's impact on jobs.

He particularly is down on big business which he seemingly thinks is always bad even evil. Big business has done many good things for everyone and wouldn't exist after all unless people are buying their services.

If you want some different. well thought out ideas on how to structure society then I would recommend this book. If you want an entire book on technology's impact on jobs then I would not.
If you are a conservative, think twice before getting this book because it is irritatingly one-sided, narrow minded and naive on how the world really works.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provocative & Challenging, February 19, 2004

By 

Renton Bond (Somerset PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mind Over Technology: Coming Out on Top as a Wired World Starts to Run on Automatic (Paperback)

This is the most provocative and challenging book I have ever read about where our nation is headed with respect to one
of the essential underpinnings of our economy and society; namely, decent jobs. Right now the shortage of jobs in the U.S. has pointed the finger to the off-shoring of jobs to countries with cheap labor. This book explains why, as serious as off-shoring is, "off-peopling" of jobs to robots will very soon be an even greater and more difficult problem to solve. The author explains in a very readable style, with clearly presented reasoning, backed by easily understood statistics, why the the threat of robots is no longer science fiction. He outlines ways that leaders in government, business, labor and education should be jointly working to avert the world-wide disruption of our economy and society which is already underway. We must develop and train people to fill millions of "human edge" jobs where, because humans are alive and robots are not, humans can come out on top of machines, even those with artificial intelligence -- not struggle in their wake. Then many people, not just a relatively few techies, can hold not only decent jobs but fulfilling ones. You have to read this book to understand how this is possible...and then join the crusade to make it happen.