Washoe County Library System

Explores the challenges to humanity posed by the digital future, presenting a detailed examination of the unprecedented form of power called "surveillance capitalism," and the quest by powerful corporations to predict and control human behavior.

"While everyone is talking about "big data," the truth is that understanding the "little data" (stock reports, newspaper headlines, weather forecasts, etc.) is what will help you make smarter decisions at work, at home, and in every aspect of your life. The average person consumes approximately 30 gigabytes of data every single day, but has no idea how to interpret it correctly. Everydata explains, through the eyes of an expert economist and statistician,...

Nudge meets Hooked in a practical approach to designing products and services that change behavior, from what we buy to how we work.Deciding what to create at modern companies often looks like an episode of Mad Men: people throw ideas around until one sounds sexy enough to execute and then they scale it to everyone. The result? Companies overspend on marketing to drive engagement with products and services that people don't want and won't help them...

Why do some products capture widespread attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain products out of sheer habit? Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us? Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) by explaining the Hook Model—a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior. Through consecutive “hook cycles,” these products reach their ultimate...

Presents a theory of consumerism which purports that the human brain's decision-making instincts, which date back to primitive times, coupled with an unconscious need for social esteem ultimately drive spending habits.

The former "Vice" journalist and producer of the Netflix documentary, "Fyre," presents a revelatory examination of the con-artists, grifters, and scammers of the digital age that outlines recommendations for protecting consumers.

"From one of our most innovative and celebrated authors, the definitive take on the wildest story of the year— the David-vs.-Goliath GameStop short squeeze, a tale of fortunes won and lost overnight that may end up changing Wall Street forever. Bestselling author Ben Mezrich offers a gripping, beat-by-beat account of how a loosely affiliate group of private investors and internet trolls on a subreddit called WallStreetBets took down one of the biggest...

"Fandom isn't just for actors, athletes, musicians, and authors anymore. It can be rocket fuel for any business or nonprofit that chooses to focus on inspiring and nurturing true fans. The most powerful marketing force in the world isn't social media, email blasts, search ads, or even those 15 second commercials before a YouTube video. It's fandom. David Meerman Scott and his daughter Reiko are very different - one is a baby boomer business strategist,...

"As we become a more digital society, the gains that have been made for the environment by moving toward a paperless world with more and more efficient devices will soon be or already have been offset by the number of devices in our lives that are always using energy. But many don't think about the impact on the environment of the "Internet of things." Whether it's a microwave connected to the internet, use of Netflix, or online shopping, these technological...