Only Connect, book review (flash) by Medha Shri

As published in Hindustan Times

Wired and weird

Title: Only Connect
Authors: Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle
Price: INR 395
Publisher: Rupa

Only Connect book cover

Technology is one of the most paradoxical things we deal with. While it brings us closer to those sitting on a different continent, it takes us away from the person sitting right next to us. And that’s what this book, Only Connect, is about — the impact of technology on our lives. The stories are pacey, interesting and intriguing. Technological communication is not presented as evil, rather both the sides of the coin are put across in every story. For instance, the story, Facebooked, is about a young boy who uncovers an ‘encounter’ by police with the help of social networking, but lands into trouble because of Facebook itself. Leftovers illustrates some of the anxiety the older generation feels around new technology and the vast opportunities it offers, as Mrs Chauguli leaves her trusted blender for her son’s laptop. A collection of 20 stories, divided into five sections: Dis-Connect, MisConnect, Inter-Connect, Connectivity, Connectionitis and Meta-Connect; the book raises questions, provokes and forces one to introspect how far we have let technology invade our lives and the need to tame it.

First published in Hindustan Times on Nov 1, 2014