Is Technology Our Servant or Our Master? | An Interview with Garth Stein

Broadcast on 11 October 2014 on KSCO AM 1080, KOMY AM 1340 and KSCO.com Live Stream.

‘It’s A Question Of Balance’ balances the intellectual with the creative. The show combines a debate topic with an arts interview because discussion and creativity are two of the most vital ways we engage with the world.

For more info on Ruth and the show go to www.itsaquestionofbalance.com

HOUR 1: Talk With Listeners' Views

We consider ‘Is technology our servant or our master?’ Increasingly everything in our lives is being changed by technology. The internet of things will soon ensure that our refrigerator will tell us when we need more milk, our cars will drive themselves, facial recognition software linked with social media will mean we need never be attracted to a stranger again without being able to find out nearly everything about them instantly from an app on our phone. Some of these advances beg the question “just because you CAN do something does that mean that you SHOULD?” What are the consequences of losing the need to think in so many different circumstances? Will it free us up to use our minds for even more amazing purposes? Or will we simply end up with more time to consume endless media entertainment as in Farenheit 451? How much discernment do we use when deciding to use technology? Are we controlling it or are we letting it control us? What do you think?

HOUR 2: Begins at 0:54 minutes Interview with Garth Stein

This week as my special guest from the arts I’m pleased to be interviewing, Garth Stein, New York Times best-selling author, playwright, and Academy-Award-winning film-maker. Garth is the author of four novels, including his recently released new novel A Sudden Light. His book The Art of Racing in the Rain has sold more than 4 million copies in 35 languages, and spent more than three years on the New York Times bestseller list.  It has inspired a Young Reader edition as well as a children’s picture book adaptation (2014), a stage adaptation by Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, and is currently in development with Universal Studios for a major motion picture. Garth is also the author of a full-length play Brother Jones. Before turning to writing full-time, Garth was a documentary filmmaker, directing, editing, and/or producing several award-winning films, including The Lunch Date, winner of the Academy award for live action short in 1990, and The Last Party, starring Robert Downey, Jr. Garth is co-founder of Seattle7Writers, a non-profit organization dedicated to energizing readers and writers and their communities by providing funding, programming, donations of free books to those in need, and generally inspiring enthusiasm for reading. For more info and to hear previous shows visit www.itsaquestionofbalance.com