The Age of Earthquakes: A Guide to the Extreme Present

The Age of Earthquakes examines how digital technology and the internet have transformed human consciousness and behavior in the 21st century. This short, experimental book combines text fragments, images, and aphorisms in a style that mirrors internet communication. The three authors - an artist, a curator, and a writer - blend their perspectives to create a guidebook for navigating contemporary digital culture. The work incorporates memes, screenshots, and visual elements alongside observations about time perception, identity, and information overload. The format eschews traditional chapters and narrative structure in favor of bite-sized content and rapid shifts between topics. Photos, artwork, and typography play key roles in conveying the book's ideas about technology's impact on attention spans and meaning-making. This collaborative project raises questions about human adaptation to accelerating technological change and explores how digital mediums have become inseparable from modern existence. The work functions as both commentary on and demonstration of how communication evolves in a hyperconnected world.

Readers describe this book as a fragmented, experimental collection of thoughts about modern digital life. Many compare it to McLuhan's "The Medium is the Massage" in its visual style and format. Positive reviews highlight: - Creative visual presentation and typography - Thought-provoking observations about technology - Works well as a quick, casual read - Captures the feeling of internet culture Common criticisms: - Too shallow and obvious in its insights - Tries too hard to be clever - Lacks cohesion and substance - Text often difficult to read due to design choices Ratings: Goodreads: 3.3/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon: 3.5/5 (50+ ratings) One reader noted: "Like scrolling through Tumblr in book form - sometimes interesting but mostly superficial." Another wrote: "Perfectly captures our fractured attention spans but doesn't offer much depth." Several reviewers mentioned the book feels dated despite attempting to be cutting-edge about digital culture.

Present Shock by Douglas Rushkoff A cultural analysis of how digital technology reshapes human perception of time and narrative in contemporary society.

New Dark Age by James Bridle An examination of how technology systems and artificial intelligence create new forms of unknowing and incomprehension in the modern world.

10:04 by Ben Lerner A meditation on time, art, and digital consciousness through the lens of a writer navigating life in New York City during the early 21st century.

Program or Be Programmed by Douglas Rushkoff An exploration of how digital technology shapes human behavior and social interaction through ten built-in biases of digital media.

Feed by M. T. Anderson A science fiction narrative that depicts a world where the internet feeds directly into the human brain, exploring themes of digital consciousness and technological dependence.

🌎 Though styled as a reimagining of Marshall McLuhan's "The Medium is the Massage," this book was created entirely using an iPhone, reflecting its message about modern technology 📱 The book contains no traditional page numbers, instead using a progress bar similar to those found on video streaming services 💭 Many pages feature deliberately pixelated or glitch-style images, mirroring the concept of "digital decay" discussed in the text 🕰️ The authors coined the term "smupid" (smart + stupid) to describe the paradox of feeling simultaneously more intelligent and more foolish due to instant access to information 📚 Despite being published in 2015, the book was intentionally designed to appear dated, suggesting that digital culture ages more rapidly than traditional media