NowYou See It: How Technology and Brain Science Will Transform Schools and Business for the 21 st Century. By Cathy N. Davidson. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 2011. 342 pages. ISBN 978-0-14-312126-8. $16.00. “You can’t take on twenty-first-century tasks with twentieth-century tools and hope to get the job done,” Cathy N. Davidson argues early in Now You See It (7). In her work, she challenges both the research and the conventional wisdom telling us that multitasking is hurting our brains, our work, our productivity. Davidson’s conten- tion, rather, is that multitasking is a needed skill in a new era – so new we struggle to adapt in part because we do not yet know the rules and tools by which this new world is governed. “This book,” she tells us, “is designed as a field guide and a survival manual for the digital age” (10). One helpful metaphor Davidson offers is that of the salad fork: it is a tool our rules of etiquette tell us to use, and its presence prevents us from having to make a decision whenever a salad is placed before us. “Some of our moment’s agony over multitasking,” she observes, “[I]s that we haven’t yet figured out which digital fork to use at which times. The Internet is still in its adolescence. We will work out those rules. But until we do, we can expect to feel taxed” (282). Reminding readers again and again how quickly our world has changed technologically, David- son suggests (as have many others) that we are in the midst of a shift as tectonic as the invention of moveable type: “we have seen dramatic rearrangements, in a little over a decade, in the most basic aspects of how we communicate, interact, gather knowledge of the world, develop and recognize our social networks and our communities, do business and exchange goods, understand what is true, and know what counts and is worthy of attention” (11). That shift requires new ways of working, but our institutions (schools and businesses are her primary examples) have not kept up. Davidson challenges institutions to reorganize “to maximize the opportunities of our digital era” (12). She argues that today’s world is relentlessly intercon- nected and collaborative, but our ways of working reinforce separation: “separate subjects, separate cultures, separate grades, separate functions, separate spaces for personal life, work, private life, [and] public life” (13). Drawing on research about neural plasticity, Davidson argues that we lose out by giving preference to separation (and by justifying it on the pre- sumption that the brain prefers to work in sequential, compartmentalized ways). Davidson queries provocatively, “What if kids’ tests scores are declining because the tests they take were devised for an indus- trial world and are irrelevant to the forms of learning and knowing more vital to their own world?” (17). This book is written by an academic, but targeted at a much broader audience: the language is simple (sometimes unnec- essarily repetitive), the examples everyday. But using metaphors outside the academic world (for example, we are measuring running using metrics for a treadmill, when twenty-first-century running more closely resembles parkour) does not mean those in higher education are exempt from the challenge Davidson presents. Our world, too, is changing: how will we respond? Laura K. Simmons George Fox Seminary REVIEW © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Teaching Theology and Religion, Volume 16, Issue S1, July 2013 e97

Now You See It: How Technology and Brain Science Will Transform Schools and Business for the 21 st Century. By Cathy N. Davidson. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 2011. 342 pages. ISBN

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Page 1: Now You See It: How Technology and Brain Science Will Transform Schools and Business for the 21 st Century. By Cathy N. Davidson. New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, 2011. 342 pages. ISBN

“You can’t take on twenty-first-centurytasks with twentieth-century tools and hopeto get the job done,” Cathy N. Davidsonargues early in Now You See It (7). In herwork, she challenges both the research andthe conventional wisdom telling us thatmultitasking is hurting our brains, ourwork, our productivity. Davidson’s conten-tion, rather, is that multitasking is a neededskill in a new era – so new we struggle toadapt in part because we do not yet knowthe rules and tools by which this new worldis governed. “This book,” she tells us, “isdesigned as a field guide and a survivalmanual for the digital age” (10).

One helpful metaphor Davidson offersis that of the salad fork: it is a tool ourrules of etiquette tell us to use, and itspresence prevents us from having to makea decision whenever a salad is placedbefore us. “Some of our moment’s agonyover multitasking,” she observes, “[I]s thatwe haven’t yet figured out which digitalfork to use at which times. The Internet isstill in its adolescence. We will work outthose rules. But until we do, we canexpect to feel taxed” (282). Remindingreaders again and again how quickly ourworld has changed technologically, David-son suggests (as have many others) thatwe are in the midst of a shift as tectonicas the invention of moveable type: “wehave seen dramatic rearrangements, in alittle over a decade, in the most basicaspects of how we communicate, interact,gather knowledge of the world, developand recognize our social networks and our

communities, do business and exchangegoods, understand what is true, and knowwhat counts and is worthy of attention”(11). That shift requires new ways ofworking, but our institutions (schools andbusinesses are her primary examples) havenot kept up.

Davidson challenges institutions toreorganize “to maximize the opportunitiesof our digital era” (12). She argues thattoday’s world is relentlessly intercon-nected and collaborative, but our ways ofworking reinforce separation: “separatesubjects, separate cultures, separategrades, separate functions, separate spacesfor personal life, work, private life, [and]public life” (13). Drawing on researchabout neural plasticity, Davidson arguesthat we lose out by giving preference toseparation (and by justifying it on the pre-sumption that the brain prefers to work insequential, compartmentalized ways).Davidson queries provocatively, “What ifkids’ tests scores are declining because thetests they take were devised for an indus-trial world and are irrelevant to the formsof learning and knowing more vital totheir own world?” (17).

This book is written by an academic,but targeted at a much broader audience:the language is simple (sometimes unnec-essarily repetitive), the examples everyday.But using metaphors outside the academicworld (for example, we are measuringrunning using metrics for a treadmill,when twenty-first-century running moreclosely resembles parkour) does not meanthose in higher education are exempt fromthe challenge Davidson presents. Ourworld, too, is changing: how will werespond?

Laura K. SimmonsGeorge Fox Seminary

REVIEW