1. What inspired you to write this book? A lifelong commitment to understanding the human
condition (BA in political science and co-major in anthropology, MA in
Educational Psychology and PhD in clinical psychology) along with a career as a
practicing psychologist). Confronting the ongoing changes in my own life in the
face of an evolving electronic interface (computer, internet, cell phone, video
games, Ring doorbell, Nest thermostat, Alex and Siri devices, smart watches,
ChatGPT). A relationship to my 31 year old son who is immersed in the world of
computers and machine learning (BA in Electrical Engineering, BA in Computer
Science, MA in Computer Science and a PhD in computer sciences from Georgia
Tech in the area of artificial intelligence. Now at Microsoft as a senior data
research scientist. This book formally emerged from a documentary being made
about my art (see web gallery noted above) and my creation of 3D sculptures
from computers and electronic devices, or what I term the fossil artifacts of
an arising artificial intelligence. (Please check out my web gallery to
understand me and this book.)
2. What exactly is it about and who is it
written for? We
are the first electronically linked species –– 7.5 billion people operating
with one degree of separation –– it’s time to explore the consequence of this
reality on human identity –– mine and yours. This book is written for individuals trying to make sense of a
dynamically networked world that has the goal of helping artificial
intelligence rise –– and changing who we are in the process. There is now the
“real you” and an “electronic you.” Raising the question –– which is one is the
real you and how is the electronic you, hanging out at the data center
rec-room, changing you?
3. What do you hope readers will get out of
reading your book? A handle on the
underlying psychology of the electronic-verse and how it is changing us and
giving rise to a new species of intelligence that humans have never encountered
before. This could be a great alignment or a struggle for the ages — what I
have termed the “Anthropocene Explosion” of electronic devices, much as when
biological life emerged on Earth in all its fantastic forms, so now is
electronic life.
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and
cover design? The title initially
emerged from my artwork, but as I wrote about my art, along came a
psychologist’s understanding of the world through the development of human
identity and how is it being transformed.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have
for fellow writers– other than run!? Writers write!
6. What trends in the book world do you see —
and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? As a lifelong obsessive reader since early
childhood, the publishing industry appears to be metastasizing into siloed
fiefdoms of interest and self-expression. There is too much to take in from my
perspective. I gave up on fiction at about age 40 and defaulted to movies and
television because it allowed me to better utilize my time and find and enter
more experiences more rapidly. I wanted to experience everything and still do.
But I read continuously about the ideas of our world — in all printed forms and
online.
7. Were there experiences in your personal life
or career that came in handy when writing this book? As young adult I was totally emersed in books of
every genre, war gaming, model making, music, sports and not dating (it was
more of a thing then). I knew early on the world was big and complex. But early
in my career, I was focused on child-adolescent psychology and the parent-child
relationship and how we as individuals became formed out of this process and
these many connections. Then watching it all go wrong for many adults as a
forensic psychologist. Same interests and the same energy watching all the
changes we are rapidly undergoing today and the stresses we are experiencing.
Still curious how it could all go wrong.
8. How would you describe your writing style?
Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I decide early on to forgo an academic style
(too plain, too analytical and too boring) and wanted to interject a more
personal and subjective voice into my writing. It is analytical but comes from
a deeper vision and a persona that wants to be loose in the world. I have
enjoyed—Yuval Harari’s Homo Deus, Kurt Andersen’s Fantasyland,
David Deutsch’s The Beginning of Infinity, Michael Lewis’ The Big
Short, Carol Rovelli’s The Order of Time. Mostly influenced my
writing—maybe not so much similar.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the
writing of this book? Watched
less television news in the evening and less sports on the weekend –– and, oh,
gave up on relationships for quite some time and no longer endlessly surfed the
internet — and clothes shopping was mostly online now (didn’t need much anymore
— developed a casual uniform living in the Sonoran Desert) but Covid was really
helpful in isolating me from the world and pushing me over the top.
10. If people can buy or read one book this week
or month, why should it be yours? For those who enjoy
peeking into the future and want to understand the many forces at play ––this
will be an intellectually stimulating, whimsical and cautionary read.
About The Author: Gary A. Freitas, Ph.D. has been a
practicing clinical and forensic psychologist for the past 30 years. A child of
the San Francisco Bay Area, he currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. For the
past 15 years, he has been creating 3-D sculptures from computers and
electronic components in a series titled Singularity: Arising Electronic Consciousness—The Art of Electric Dreaming. He is also
the author of three books (Relationship
Realities, War Movies, and Gone Mad in Glory and Ecstasy),
as well as professional works on involuntary commitment, workplace violence and
malingering competency to stand trial. For more info, please see: www.singularityartworks.com
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About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter
@theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and
raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and
Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer
and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a “best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with
many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a
panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA,
Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction
Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland)
Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association.
His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News
(Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The
Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult:
www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.
