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Keeping Up: Backgrounders to All the Big Technology Trends You Can't Afford to Ignore
"Keeping Up" is a quick, fun, and accessible guide to the current state of the tech industry and the big trends that will likely define its future. We'll discuss, at a high level, the major drivers of technology innovation and investment, and how it all interfaces with everything else. If you're responsible for making technology-based business decisions, looking for inspiration for new opportunities, thinking about a new career, or just curious about the world around you, getting all this information in one place can make for more intelligent and faster decisions. Who might want to read this book? • Managers and business decision makers • Individuals plotting their career/educational trajectories • Individuals looking for ideas/inspiration for new or undefined projects • Curious people seeking to understand their world • Journalists looking for quick context
- GenresTechnologyNonfiction
102 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2020
11 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
David Clinton
11 books15 followersDavid Clinton is an AWS solutions architect and a Linux system administrator. He is the author of a dozen books and two dozen Pluralsight courses on AWS, Linux, IT security, and server virtualization.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 5, 2021
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A discussion about big technology trends and what they might mean. A bit futurist, but that comes with the territory.
A discussion about big technology trends and what they might mean. A bit futurist, but that comes with the territory.
November 3, 2020
I have been a fan of David’s writings and online courses since I first encountered them a few years ago. And thought I have not read everything he has written, what I have has been of benefit. And to be honest this one might have the widest readership yet. This is a book I am already recommending to managers, directors and CIO’s that are friends and colleagues. It is an excellent volume and great resource. The sections in the book are:
Preface
About the Author
I. THE BIG PICTURE
Understanding Digital Security
Understanding Digital Privacy
Understanding the Cloud
Understanding Digital Connectivity
Understanding the Business of Technology Research
Where Hot Trends Go to Die
II. BUZZWORD BINGO: QUICK AND DIRTY TECHNOLOGY PROFILES
Compute Platforms
Security and Privacy
Managing Data Storage
Working With Data
There are two sections multiple chapters and each chapter has several key sections. This is a book anyone in the IT field would benefit from reading. And It would also be of interest to anyone who uses technology these days. The first words in the first chapter are:
“Whatever your connection to technology, security should play a prominent role in the way you think and act.”
And further on he quotes an unnamed source:
“Select any two of privacy, security, and convenience. But you can’t have all three.”
No matter who you are it is likely you use technology in some way shape or form today. This book gives some broad strokes of what you should be considering and what you give away. I am constantly telling my kids there are no free apps, you agree to give them access to you and your data when you use them. This book highlights that and the need most of us have to use more caution.
The book is well written and engaging. It is easily accessible. It looks at the technology industry but much that is in this book is of value to even the home user. Considerations about the IOT Internet of things, connected home devices, devices listening and recording. Technology is great and has many benefits but can also be used for not so great things. This volume helps you surf the trends that are emerging and mainstream. And consider the pros and cons of each.
As stated, an excellent value for those working in the industry. But also, for someone looking to expand their base knowledge. I highly recommend this volume.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books and courses by David Clinton.
Preface
About the Author
I. THE BIG PICTURE
Understanding Digital Security
Understanding Digital Privacy
Understanding the Cloud
Understanding Digital Connectivity
Understanding the Business of Technology Research
Where Hot Trends Go to Die
II. BUZZWORD BINGO: QUICK AND DIRTY TECHNOLOGY PROFILES
Compute Platforms
Security and Privacy
Managing Data Storage
Working With Data
There are two sections multiple chapters and each chapter has several key sections. This is a book anyone in the IT field would benefit from reading. And It would also be of interest to anyone who uses technology these days. The first words in the first chapter are:
“Whatever your connection to technology, security should play a prominent role in the way you think and act.”
And further on he quotes an unnamed source:
“Select any two of privacy, security, and convenience. But you can’t have all three.”
No matter who you are it is likely you use technology in some way shape or form today. This book gives some broad strokes of what you should be considering and what you give away. I am constantly telling my kids there are no free apps, you agree to give them access to you and your data when you use them. This book highlights that and the need most of us have to use more caution.
The book is well written and engaging. It is easily accessible. It looks at the technology industry but much that is in this book is of value to even the home user. Considerations about the IOT Internet of things, connected home devices, devices listening and recording. Technology is great and has many benefits but can also be used for not so great things. This volume helps you surf the trends that are emerging and mainstream. And consider the pros and cons of each.
As stated, an excellent value for those working in the industry. But also, for someone looking to expand their base knowledge. I highly recommend this volume.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books and courses by David Clinton.
October 16, 2020
I picked up this book because it talks about technology concepts that I want to understand better. I read about the Cloud, IoT, blockchain, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) in articles and newspaper reports but I don't really know what they mean. This book explains all these terms and other technology-related concepts lucidly.
I'll be honest: I don't understand everything fully after reading the book, but these concepts are certainly much clearer to me now!
The author has simplified the concepts to a certain extent to enable technologically-challenged people like me to understand them, but you'll still need to pay close attention to grasp what's being discussed.
I felt a sense of helplessness because the digital world seems beset by so many different types of threats. I'm just a regular computer user and I never thought it could be so dangerous to do anything online. But, the future is digital and there's no escaping these technologies. So the best way to fight off these threats is to educate yourself as much as you can.
I found Chapter 4: Understanding Digital Connectivity to be the most interesting. It talks about the Internet of Things and its applications in the military, smart homes, smart cities, etc. It also talks about the problems that IoT technology poses.
I also enjoyed reading Chapter 10 regarding big data, virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and machine learning. I occasionally read about these things on other platforms so it's nice to have some background about them. It's a brief introduction but it's good for beginners like myself.
The book is written in a friendly, straightforward tone and should appeal to just about anybody who wants to learn more about the latest trends in technology, the benefits, the threats, and the solutions. You can read the book in any order you want--I picked the chapters that caught my eye first such as chapter 4 and chapter 10.
(I received an ARC from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.)
I'll be honest: I don't understand everything fully after reading the book, but these concepts are certainly much clearer to me now!
The author has simplified the concepts to a certain extent to enable technologically-challenged people like me to understand them, but you'll still need to pay close attention to grasp what's being discussed.
I felt a sense of helplessness because the digital world seems beset by so many different types of threats. I'm just a regular computer user and I never thought it could be so dangerous to do anything online. But, the future is digital and there's no escaping these technologies. So the best way to fight off these threats is to educate yourself as much as you can.
I found Chapter 4: Understanding Digital Connectivity to be the most interesting. It talks about the Internet of Things and its applications in the military, smart homes, smart cities, etc. It also talks about the problems that IoT technology poses.
I also enjoyed reading Chapter 10 regarding big data, virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and machine learning. I occasionally read about these things on other platforms so it's nice to have some background about them. It's a brief introduction but it's good for beginners like myself.
The book is written in a friendly, straightforward tone and should appeal to just about anybody who wants to learn more about the latest trends in technology, the benefits, the threats, and the solutions. You can read the book in any order you want--I picked the chapters that caught my eye first such as chapter 4 and chapter 10.
(I received an ARC from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.)
February 23, 2021
“In the age of this fast growing technology you can’t have privacy, security and convenience all together” - David Clinton
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Keeping up is a book which talks about the technology that surrounds us in our daily lives. But we never pause to know how it actually works and how we can use it wisely.
This book covers some very vague topics to very specific ones. Such as Digital security,Digital privacy, Cloud commuting, technology research, Digital connectivity and finally it covers a very crisp description of the most talked about technology these days which is artificial intelligence.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤:
It addresses some very important topics such as digital security and gives us a basic awareness about how our data is encrypted, how potential hackers can steal it and how we can protect ourselves from these potential attacks.
In cloud computing the book has a lot to say, right from the types of clouds, why they are being preferred over normal storage and what are the risks of outsourcing the compute operations.
I really liked chapters covering digital privacy and digital connectivity where the author talks about IoTs and all the futuristic things we read in the Sci-fi novels.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
This book can give you a very basic understanding of all the topics mentioned in the introduction within those 100 odd pages.
Knowledge is power isn’t it? So if you know about the things you are using on a daily basis there is a fair chance that you’ll use it wisely.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
If you are interested in knowing about technology, how it works and what are the potential threats that you may encounter or how vulnerable you are towards it. Then i would recommend this book to you.
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Keeping up is a book which talks about the technology that surrounds us in our daily lives. But we never pause to know how it actually works and how we can use it wisely.
This book covers some very vague topics to very specific ones. Such as Digital security,Digital privacy, Cloud commuting, technology research, Digital connectivity and finally it covers a very crisp description of the most talked about technology these days which is artificial intelligence.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤:
It addresses some very important topics such as digital security and gives us a basic awareness about how our data is encrypted, how potential hackers can steal it and how we can protect ourselves from these potential attacks.
In cloud computing the book has a lot to say, right from the types of clouds, why they are being preferred over normal storage and what are the risks of outsourcing the compute operations.
I really liked chapters covering digital privacy and digital connectivity where the author talks about IoTs and all the futuristic things we read in the Sci-fi novels.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
This book can give you a very basic understanding of all the topics mentioned in the introduction within those 100 odd pages.
Knowledge is power isn’t it? So if you know about the things you are using on a daily basis there is a fair chance that you’ll use it wisely.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
If you are interested in knowing about technology, how it works and what are the potential threats that you may encounter or how vulnerable you are towards it. Then i would recommend this book to you.
June 23, 2021
Big Tech Needs More Logic and Explanation
While this book doesn’t state it is for tech beginners, for a general nonfiction book that purports to explain the background of big technology currently out there and some on the horizon, the book seems a bit jargony and illogically laid out. Of course, you’d expect any book on tech to have jargon, but as this is a book for non-tech experts, the author should have started with the basics, built his way up to greater understanding, and explained all terms. The author should start where he believes the reader is at and then help increase their knowledge. That didn't happen here, unfortunately. I also thought the book wasn't organized in a way best for people who aren't terribly tech savvy. General, basic ideas (like how we connect to the internet) were in the middle of the book instead of at the beginning. The author chose to start with hacking and security, topics that are more than a little frightening for the general public. The author seems to assume his readers have more knowledge than is typically expected for a book meant for general non-tech-industry people. I think the book should have been longer and/or divided into different books, even, on the different subjects. If you already have some knowledge of the main types of tech out there and the ones coming down the pike, you might enjoy this overview. If you are only a casual home computer user, you might find this book confusing or overwhelming.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
While this book doesn’t state it is for tech beginners, for a general nonfiction book that purports to explain the background of big technology currently out there and some on the horizon, the book seems a bit jargony and illogically laid out. Of course, you’d expect any book on tech to have jargon, but as this is a book for non-tech experts, the author should have started with the basics, built his way up to greater understanding, and explained all terms. The author should start where he believes the reader is at and then help increase their knowledge. That didn't happen here, unfortunately. I also thought the book wasn't organized in a way best for people who aren't terribly tech savvy. General, basic ideas (like how we connect to the internet) were in the middle of the book instead of at the beginning. The author chose to start with hacking and security, topics that are more than a little frightening for the general public. The author seems to assume his readers have more knowledge than is typically expected for a book meant for general non-tech-industry people. I think the book should have been longer and/or divided into different books, even, on the different subjects. If you already have some knowledge of the main types of tech out there and the ones coming down the pike, you might enjoy this overview. If you are only a casual home computer user, you might find this book confusing or overwhelming.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
December 24, 2025
I just finished reading Keeping Up by David Clinton, and it’s a really helpful book if you want to understand what’s going on in the technology world today. The book explains big trends like AI, machine learning, the Internet of Things, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and even virtual and augmented reality in a way that’s easy to follow.
I liked that the author made complicated ideas simpler for beginners like me. Some things I still don’t fully get, but I definitely understand them much better now than before I read the book. I also liked how the chapters are flexible, you can read them in any order. I personally found Chapter 4 about digital connectivity and IoT super interesting because it talks about smart homes, smart cities, and even military applications. Chapter 10 was also cool because it covers big data, AI, and neural networks in a way that’s easy to grasp.
The book is written in a friendly and straightforward way. It also made me realize how important it is to learn about technology because the digital world can be full of threats, and knowing more can help you stay safe and make smarter decisions.
If you want a quick and easy guide to understand the latest technology trends and how they affect the world around you, this is a great book to read. It’s short, fun, and gives you the background you need to feel more confident about all the tech stuff people talk about today.
I liked that the author made complicated ideas simpler for beginners like me. Some things I still don’t fully get, but I definitely understand them much better now than before I read the book. I also liked how the chapters are flexible, you can read them in any order. I personally found Chapter 4 about digital connectivity and IoT super interesting because it talks about smart homes, smart cities, and even military applications. Chapter 10 was also cool because it covers big data, AI, and neural networks in a way that’s easy to grasp.
The book is written in a friendly and straightforward way. It also made me realize how important it is to learn about technology because the digital world can be full of threats, and knowing more can help you stay safe and make smarter decisions.
If you want a quick and easy guide to understand the latest technology trends and how they affect the world around you, this is a great book to read. It’s short, fun, and gives you the background you need to feel more confident about all the tech stuff people talk about today.
June 12, 2021
Top level overview of some tech trends for 2021
Keeping Up: Backgrounders to all the big technology trends you can't afford to ignore is the first book I have read by David Clinton. I am a techie, or at least I know more than enough to be really dangerous when I want to be, so the subject of tech trends always interests me. This book hits on ten different things from security and privacy, cloud computing to blockchains and managing data. Most of the sections are more top level overview with a bit of information but nothing that is really in-depth. This book is a quick read and good for managers and people who are not immersed in IT already or may not be familiar with a couple areas that are included in this book. Overall it was interesting.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Keeping Up: Backgrounders to all the big technology trends you can't afford to ignore is the first book I have read by David Clinton. I am a techie, or at least I know more than enough to be really dangerous when I want to be, so the subject of tech trends always interests me. This book hits on ten different things from security and privacy, cloud computing to blockchains and managing data. Most of the sections are more top level overview with a bit of information but nothing that is really in-depth. This book is a quick read and good for managers and people who are not immersed in IT already or may not be familiar with a couple areas that are included in this book. Overall it was interesting.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
June 6, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It provided a very good, yet concise, review of the major trends in technology. But it isn’t a good introductory text as it doesn’t go into enough depth. I found some parts too technical but I think that’s more a function of my prior knowledge than a fault with the book. Author David Clinton does provide a fair amount of lightness and humor, which made the book more fun than it would have been otherwise. These instances are distributed sporadically through the text, in just the right amount so that they were appreciated but not so frequent that they diminished the seriousness of the subject material. Overall, the book is a worthwhile read. Thank you to Netgalley and Bootstrap IT for the complimentary copy of the book.
June 17, 2021
This was a GoodReads giveaway of a Kindle ebook.
It is a primer written by an AWS professional. He did an excellent job of boiling down the tech for those getting into it. Most was very basic. I felt it was really geared towards those starting a business.
Personally, I am not sure what I will do with the information, but it does get me up to speed on some of the new innovations.
Have a GoodReads.
It is a primer written by an AWS professional. He did an excellent job of boiling down the tech for those getting into it. Most was very basic. I felt it was really geared towards those starting a business.
Personally, I am not sure what I will do with the information, but it does get me up to speed on some of the new innovations.
Have a GoodReads.
Read
May 14, 2022The book can give you a brief overview of technology trends in 2022.
January 14, 2022
Book title is misleading
This book may be interesting to IT professionals. It is certainly NOT a treatise on big technology trends! The author spends more time on security, hacking etc. than technology. The author lost me when he wrote that he could not see any reason why someone would wear a smart watch! Change the title to accurately reflect the content of this book!
This book may be interesting to IT professionals. It is certainly NOT a treatise on big technology trends! The author spends more time on security, hacking etc. than technology. The author lost me when he wrote that he could not see any reason why someone would wear a smart watch! Change the title to accurately reflect the content of this book!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews