The Game (2018) by Alessandro Baricco - Nonfiction

A deep look into the history of all things personal computer, internet, and social media related and how it's changing us.

Alessandro Barrico is a true Renaissance Man. He’s a filmmaker, writer, educator, and musician (and not to mention Italian). In The Game his breadth of eclectic knowledge permeates this nonfiction gem about technology’s influence on the world and our minds. In 317 pages he covers a lot of ground–moving chronologically from the late 1970s though 2018. He finely combs through the history of personal computers, the internet, social media, and forgotten relics like Napster. He’s even a cartographer as he incorporates originally made maps that show the foundations, connections, and progressions of these technologies. They are visual additions that exemplify his creative mind. After each historical exploration he follows up with a Commentary section where he presents his philosophical insights. And he includes many Mappa Mundi portions where he summarizes his key ideas. In fact, he frequently summarizes which is helpful since some of his ideas are quite complex. To elucidate this complexity further he also includes a handful of short personal narratives that bring to life some of the purely theoretical content.

I annotated almost every page of The Game. It’s packed with a plethora of ideas ranging from the whimsically intriguing to existentialionally disturbing. There are too many to discuss all of them here, but one thing is certain: Barrico has done his homework and argues persuasively. His hypothesis is clear: “there has been a technological revolution dictated by the advent of digital technology. Over a brief period of time, it has generated an evident mutation in human behavior and in the way minds work. Nobody knows how it will end. Voilà.” (p. 27). Note his cheeky tone–it’s something he utilizes frequently to lighten the mood. His primary goals are to present a historical review of digital technology and caution us on its possible social and psychology risks. However, his message is not totally doomsday since he also explains how we're utilizing technology for our benefit.

Barrico highlights “mental revolutions” such as Humanism and the Enlightenment, but nowadays we’re rapidly changing the way we think because of the “tools” we use. These tools are the human-machine cyborg extensions we called smartphones. He explores these devices in-depth from their foundations in early video games, to the first iPhone presentation, to his theories about The Other World and Augmented Humanity–fascinating ideas that had me pondering the implications of tools meant to make our lives better.

Barrico also explores how the technological revolution has “no theoretical underpinnings, and no aesthetic. Since it was created mainly by technical or scientific minds, it was more like a collection of practical solutions'' (p. 308). Unlike other revolutions there’s no guiding compass for this one, no road maps, constitutions, or charters. We’re walking blindly into this new world and he shares numerous ways this can be both exciting and frightening. One frightening aspect are the political implications. Barrico is uncannily prophetic and brazen in his politically-related insight describing far Right movements in Italy eerily similar to those in the U.S.

Another common thread throughout the book is his theory of the human-keyboard-screen posture. What began in the 1970s with foosball, to pinball, to video games, has evolved to the smartphone. It’s a physical and mental posture that has become so ingrained in our everyday existence that its psychological influence is inevitable. This influence has shifted our perspective of what it means to experience the world, or as Barrico’s puts it, what it means to have an “Authentic Meaning of Things” (p. 148). The web has opened the floodgates to previously unknown places, peoples, cultures, etc. Essentially, everyone has access to these things and millions (billions?) of homemade cat videos. And with smartphones we have access in a fun, simple kind of manner. “Simple” was in fact the key word Steve Jobs kept using when he first introduced the iPhone back in 2007.

But, when this human-keyboard-screen posture has finally imbued itself into our psyches, which includes an inoculation of simple and immediate answers, we’ll eventually be led to question, “why were things so different at school?...Why should I try to understand politics when it is so complex? Or read a newspaper? Or find the truth? Or, perhaps, find someone to love?” (p. 151). For most self-reflective people we’ve probably already considered these chilling propositions. And as a school teacher of young minds I can confirm that some of Barrico’s existential quandaries no longer exist solely in the theoretical realm–they’ve trickled down in very real and unsettling ways.

Barrico’s writing is full figurative language. Because he’s writing about contemporary topics that are constantly evolving, sometimes metaphors are a better way to communicate his ideas. Most mature high school readers could comprehend The Game, and in fact, they might have some insight older generations wouldn’t yet grasp. But keep in mind that Barrico’s style is fervently metaphorical and analogical even as he grapples with issues with deep roots in technological advancements. Take his explanation of how in the early days of the web everything was rapidly becoming digitized (a process he deems Dematerialization):

“It was as if the instinct of those early organisms was to reduce to the greatest extent possible their contact with physical reality in order to make their relationship with the world and with others more fluid, purer...Or again, as if they had decided to harvest wholesale quantities of reality and store them in granaries where they reduced their weight, made them easier to consume, and preserved their nutritional value for the winter or in case of a siege” (p. 81)

The benefit of this kind of writing is that gives you a new perspective or angle to view the topic at hand. The flip side for some people is that they might find it a little cumbersome. I found his writing refreshing and fun.

Despite some negative propositions about technology’s impact on our psyches and society Barrico keeps an open mind to this new tech-infused world. He recalls his childhood in a small northern Italian town where there was only one television station and one newspaper, both of which were run by the government. He’d rather tolerate our times when companies like Google and Youtube use mega algorithms to advertise the perfect shaving cream and organic mushroom coffee substitute. The frightening part comes when those algorithms track your appetite for certain news programming and keeps feeding you only what you want to hear. What’s worse: Only getting information from one source because it’s the only source? Or, only getting information from one source because it suits your habits? Both are unnerving possibilities, and Barrico doesn’t give any easy answers to this or any other quandary, and he sparingly presents his personal views. But, peppered throughout The Game, Barrico contends that technology’s influence is an inevitable wave that we should learn to surf instead of fighting against.

I’ve only made a small dent in covering Barrico’s ideas. That’s why The Game would be a perfect addition to a book club for people interested in anything from technology to anthropology. It’s bustling with vivid language, comedic tidbits, and provoking ideas. It’s quickly paced with plenty of generous summaries. Barrico’s tone is both passionate and cheeky, but always focused. And he’s openly self-critical and willing to see the other perspective. The book shines in its creative craftsmanship just as much in its organization which makes some heady content very accessible. The Game is for anyone interested in learning more about technology’s ever-increasing influence on our lives.

Highest Score - 5 Trophies

Writing: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Readability: 🏆🏆🏆🏆

Argument: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Overall: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

February 23, 2021