A Must-Read For Campus Bookstore Staff

Book Review

Title: Grown up Digital

Author: Don Tapscott

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Published: October 2008

If you run or work in a campus bookstore, then you simply cannot waste another moment not reading this book.

Following up on his book Growing up Digital from well over a decade ago, Tapscott returns to study the new generation, dubbed the Net Generation by the author. Based upon a multi-million dollar four year private research study, Tapscott provides an in-depth look into the routines, habits and challenges of this young generation.

This is a fascinating, eye-opening look at the Net Generation, and serves to contradict many blatant assumptions being made about today's youth. Tapscott deftly handles the claims that today's young people are a bunch of spoiled brats with limited attention spans who have had everything handed to them and have no scrupples by analysing facts and statistics and applying information from surveys with over 11,000 youth.

Including detailed statistics and charts as well as quotes and examples from real youth all over the world, Tapscott demonstrates a generation that is not only remarkably bright and skilled at thinking, interacting and socializing in entirely new ways, but that they are active participants in a complex and challenging world, that they are fine analysts and are concerned about basic integrity.

This timely and well informed book is a must-read for anyone involved in campus retailing. I would stronger urge all managers, buyers and staff who aren't already part of the Net Generation to pick it up and give it a read.

Despite the hard data, charts and graphs, it is an approachable and fascinating book.

And because I cannot state this enough, I would highly recommend Grown up Digital for the insightful suggestions on how to properly connect with and understand the Net Generation without being imposing and causing them more frustration. I would particularly suggest that those who have a negative view of the younger generation and their "technology endowed habits" pick it up and start looking at these details in a whole new light.