Book Review: Smart phones dumb people by Parthajeet Sarma

Title:Smart phones dumb people
Author: Parthajeet Sarma
Publisher: Good times books
Pages: 168
Price: Rs 158
ISBN: 9789380619569
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: PR
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Summary(from the back cover)
Parts of India and the world live in the 21st century whereas parts live in the 19th century. Whilst many of us live in times ruled by smartphones and the internet, millions go without easy access to basics like water and electricity.
We live in an opportune moment today. We have, available to us, the technological tools of the 21st century to address 19th century issues. In a fast changing world, will mankind be ruled by smartphones soon or will mankind use technology in life-changing innovations to make our societies far more equitable? Can technology be used to address the most crying needs in our societies today?
The big picture is built by stories about the modern fruits of technology and how these are being used by leadership groups to combine business with social causes. This is an easy read for anyone interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, social issues and the current challenges like excessive corruption that face us today.

Review
Without any prologue of my long absence from my blog, let me get back to my work.
The book carries a tittle about which everyone might have pondered on at some point of their day..Now  think about it don't we all agree that technology is taking over our lives leaving us dumb at times, rather than enriching us!!..The age of smart phones that has application for everything we can think of according to the author is hampering a man's thinking quotient to a larger extend, and I can't help but second Sarma on this...After the first chapter you really need to forget the title of the book to enjoy the other chapters or you won't go ahead because of  the mental block as the other chapter branches away to other topics.. The book covers  Technology, Entrepreneurship, Priorities and corruption in the next chapters..

Sarma highlights upon how technology has taken over our everyday lives both personally and professionally. Our day begins with our phone's alarm waking us up when our biological clock has stopped to wake up for a long time.Even at work when there is a major power breakdown many of us are clueless on what to be done resulting in gang smoking in isolated area or gossiping away the time...Though the professionals working database are helpless about the situation , this is the same thing is most of departments..This all because of not having an organised plan at work, many wait for a direction from their superiors..Now come on, we all know about it, as many of us live it so what's new that Sarma points out in his book?? well sadly nothing new....It would have been more interesting if there were suggestions to improve upon the situation but then this book is clearly not a self-help book so the author precisely doesn't go over aboard  in doing so...

Good entrepreneurship with high leadership qualities is something which is lacking in our enterprises though there are examples for good ones too.. The problem is when the zeal of good Entrepreneurship is missing in the person heading the ship. Sarma himself being an entrepreneur does all justice dealing with this topic..He explains the situation of a new bud in the field who has no family history of it..With the advent of the very internet boom,  business has undergone a total face-lift with many online enterprises flourishing well with good  service history but the dearth of creative ideas is the major concern..Country doesn't have good innovation tree cropping in spite of having produced good graduates..I really missed solid examples in this chapter, though Sarma has given certain instances where he had chances to meet some really good innovators who are striving to make a difference, I would have enjoyed and appreciated if there were names to be added..

Someone rightly quoted life is all about priorities, its true as it decides upon the things we end up doing and the life that we lead.Sarma addresses the nation's priorities that has to be knuckled down in terms of education, healthcare, infrastructure, water ..He has comprehensively touched on area that need to be worked on for a better nation building...Corruption is the major factor hampering the country's growth..Corruption in every department makes everyday of a common man through government offices a living hell..Though Sarma has given a analytically coherent approach to the subject,  I still found it to be rather vague and rushed through..The solution that Sarma has put forth is carries a vision though someone has to come forth to work on it..

To sum up this book is an easy breezy read for a non-fiction , it has many food for thoughts mixed up with  not so good ones, I expect more from this debutante in his next works..The idea and the inspiration behind the book is brilliant and in touch with the current scenario, yet I can't help myself from feeling that Sarma has more potential than what we get to read in this book..