The Information Diet : A Case for Conscious Consumption

According to Google's Chairman Eric Schmidt, we create more information every two days than we did throughout human history up to 2003. How can you cope with information overload? This insightful book makes a compelling case that information overload doesn't actually exist - the real problem is information overconsumption. Just as junk food can lead to obesity, junk information can lead to a new form of ignorance. The Information Diet provides a framework for consuming information in a healthy way, by showing you what to look for, what to avoid, and how to be selective. In the process, author Clay Johnson explains the role information has played throughout history, and why following his prescribed diet is essential in today's information age. With this book, you'll learn: * The relationship between power, authority, and information since the dawn of the first major information-technology boom * How people react to information consumption, according to cognitive science and neuroscience findings * How the new, information-abundant society is suffering consequences * What constitutes a healthy information diet and how you can get started

Clay Johnson is best known as the founder of Blue State Digital, the firm that built and managed Barack Obama's online campaign for the presidency in 2008. After leaving Blue State, Johnson was the director of Sunlight Labs at the Sunlight Foundation, where he built an army of 2000 developers and designers to build open source tools to give people greater access to government data. He was awarded the Google/O'Reilly Open Source Organizer of the year in 2009, was one of Federal Computing Week's Fed 100 in 2010. Media Appearances include: * CNN TV -- Expert on Open Government Data * NPR Weekend All Things Considered * NPR All Things Considered * Regular on the Leslie Marshall Radio Show (nationally syndicated) * Kojo Naamdi Show (WAMU, Nationally Syndicated) * Appeared in Fast Company, Wired, The Economist, the New York Times, USA Today and other major newspapers. Johnson's combination of experience as a developer, working in politics, entrepreneurism, and non-profit work gives him a unique perspective on media and culture. His life is dedicated to giving people greater access to the truth about what's going on in their communities, their cities and their governments.