Being bored is bad, right? We'll certainly do anything to avoid it and with smartphones we need never be bored again, as we reply to our emails 24 hours a day, tweet as we watch TV, watch TV as we commute, check Facebook as we walk and Instagram while we eat. Stimulation is good. But what if it's not? What if what happens when our mind "wanders" is an important part of human cognition and an essential element of creative thinking. When award-winning journalist Manoush Zomorodi posed these question to her listeners on her popular New York public radio podcast, the answer, from neuroscientists, psychologists and others, was a resounding yes. So over the course of a week, she led thousands of her listeners through experiments designed to help them reassess their technology habits, unplug for part of each week, and jump-start their creativity. Now in Bored and Brilliant, she will take you through a series of challenges that will help you rethink your relationship to your devices without completely leaving the digital world. This book is both a fascinating account of the history and science of boredom and a practical guide to inviting a little bit more boredom into our lives and reawakening our creativity.

Author Biography

Manoush Zomorodi is the host and managing editor of "Note to Self," "the tech show about being human," from WNYC Studios. Every week on her podcast, Manoush searches for answers to life's digital quandaries through experiments and conversations with listeners and experts. She has won numerous awards for her work including four from the New York Press Club. In 2014, the Alliance for Women in Media named her Outstanding Host. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.