Nicholas Carr
Nicholas Carr is the author and narrator of the book and it is narrated using the third-person objective voice. He argues his points using research drawn from various disciplines ranging from philosophy, history, and neurobiology. In making his points he also makes reference to several prominent academic and historical figures, such as Plato and Alan Turing, to give further credence to his assertions. These actual historical personages the author makes reference to in his book may be treated as minor characters for their contributions to the formation of his assertions.
Dr. Eric Kandel
A psychiatrist who pioneered research on the effects of experience upon the development of human brain development and a human’s capacity for learning. His contributions to learning theory and neurological development are critical to the author’s points calling for caution in how humanity uses and engages the world through new technology. Dr. Kandel is of particular importance as the author himself has felt the effects that new technology has had on his own ability to remain focused, as was proven in his medical dissertations.
Plato
Plato is cited as arguably earliest example of technology and media criticism. He represents a shift from oral transmission of data to written recordings as the preferred means of data recording and distribution. The author mentions the initial resistance that the ancient Greek philosopher-historian encounters upon using his “new” form of technology to record and share information; a forerunner of modern media forms and a forerunner of media review.
Herbert Marshall McLuhan
The Canadian philosopher is mentioned for his future-oriented, highly critical thinking of media and as a result he was able to forecast the development of convergent technologies that would eventually give rise to the internet as early back as the late 60’s. His body of media critical essays forms part of the framework that the author would eventually use for evaluating more modern and more unconventional avenues of media.
Alan Turing
The famed British computer scientist and cryptographer is referenced by the author for his work in the development of artificial intelligence. His discoveries in machine learning is pivotal as many of his discoveries parallel certain functions of the human mind and give educators an effective, if indirect, means of applying learning theories with regard to both human development and machine-human interactions.
Joseph Weizenbaum
Like Alan Turing Joseph Weizenbaum is also a pioneer in the field of A.I. development. He shares the author’s critical stance upon emergent technologies and calls for cautious evaluation of A.I. development despite being a primary proponent of A.I. tech.
Frederick Winslow Taylor
An innovator of management systems and an engineer by profession, Frederick Winslow Taylor is mentioned by the author as an example of changing trends with regard to the perception of industrial efficiency and output. His arrival on the business landscape marks the departure from human-centric systems of work and management quality measures of the past. He is used by the author an precedent of humanity’s manifesting preoccupation with speed and efficiency of businesses and information dissemination that would later come to be emblematic of modern business models.
Larry Page
Larry Page of Google fame is referenced by the author as the natural progression of Taylor’s business efficiency models taken to extremes. He is used to build up on the author’s argument to call for restraint in the quest for speed and efficiency that many businesses fanatically chase after, as Page has been known to butt heads with his team because of putting a premium on production output over relationships with people in the business.
