Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption by Clay Johnson

Excellent, clever book.  Quick read with a simple, important concept:  We need to apply the same logic and consciousness (if not more) to the information we come contact with as we do with the food we eat.  He's a proponent of Info Veganism: as little processed information as possible.  Go for pure information and do the interpretation yourself.  He likens MSNBC and FOX News and the thought affirmation they provide to sugar: it tastes so good, but is really bad for us.  "Without constant attention to perspective diversity, we assure ourselves of mutual intellectual sycophanticide" (113).  It's easy to stick to perspectives we agree, but we need thought ruffage in the same manner as we need lettuce and spinach.  Chapter 9 is "A Healthy Sense of Humor."  I'm telling you: it's good.

The book is written in a conversational voice with excellent anecdotes and relevant data.  I came away convicted and liking the author.  The preface lays out the book.  The first part describes the problem and its implications.  The second part prescribes a solution-- hence the information diet.

If you're interested, you can look it up on YouTube for a one minute and a one hour discussion.