“Keep Calm and Log On” Book Review

The other day, I picked up the book Keep Calm and Log On: Our Handbook for Surviving the Digital Revolution by Gillian “Gus” Andrews from the library. And it’s amazing!  Most technology books that I pick up, I don’t recommend to my audience, because they are too complex, too focused on one exact device, or just unnecessary.  But this one says all the things that I tell my clients.  

The book is focused on getting a handle on the various accounts that everyone has.  It starts off by telling people that this stuff is complicated and difficult and that they aren’t stupid for having trouble navigating it.  And that everyone is having these issues, no one is alone in the problem of managing their digital universe.  

The author has several chapters dedicated to getting a handle on accounts and how to protect them.  One of the ideas is that all accounts are not created equal. Some accounts are more important than others and a person will protect them more than nonimportant accounts. If you have taken my accounts or passwords classes, then you have heard this before.  In fact, I probably touch on it in a lot of my other classes, because it is such an important concept. The other idea is that this stuff (accounts/passwords) must be actively managed, just like your finances.  

It also talks a lot about relationships, social media, and the news. As well as other nebulous digital concepts like ads, trust, and reliability of the information. All the stuff that isn’t digital, but is digitally related and super important. 

I typically don’t recommend buying books, because I am a librarian, but this is one you should buy.