Digital Cosmopolitans

Starred review from April 8, 2013
In this fascinating and powerful reflection on what it means to be a citizen of the world in the Internet age, media scholar Zuckerman declares that, far from aspiring to full engagement with others around the world, we seek to connect with people who share our values, nationality, gender, and race. We are “increasingly dependent on goods and services from other parts of the world,” he points out, “and less informed about the people and cultures who produce them.” He argues that we all possess the capacity to build networks that “rewire” our world with a better sense of interdependence. Zuckerman suggests several ways we can utilize the Internet toward that end: cultivate “xenophiles”—individuals whose love of other cultures enables broad conversations across boarders—and seek serendipity by taking risks and exploring new forms of media that encourage discovery of eclectic ideas. Zuckerman’s imaginative and inventive reflections offer a resourceful guide to living a connected life with intention and insight. Agent: David Miller, Garamond.