#28 Vanishing Asia: A Masterclass on the Past, Present, and Future of Asia | Kevin Kelly, Author

“Don't try to be the best; try to be the only. If at all possible, you want to be doing something that you have trouble describing because there's not a name for it. That's a sign that you are working in the territory of the only." – Kevin Kelly

In this episode of Outliers, I’m talking with Kevin Kelly (@kevin2kelly) of WIRED magazine about his newest project on Kickstarter, Vanishing Asia. A 1,000-page collection of photographs, the set of three over-sized books document his 49 years of travel across the continent.

Kevin Kelly was the Founding Executive Editor of WIRED magazine and the Editor of Whole Earth Review. He’s also the author of several best-selling books, including Out of Control and What Technology Wants. His perspective on science and technology has been featured in writings for The New York Times, The Economist, and Time magazine, and he served as a futurist advisor for Steven Spielberg’s film, Minority Report. Kevin continues to produce content for his newsletter, Recomendo, his YouTube channel, and his weekly podcast, Cool Tools.

Show notes with links, quotes, and a transcript of the episode: https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/kevin-kelly2-outliers-show-notes 

Chapters in this interview:

• 00:01:44 – The full-time job of managing a Kickstarter campaign
• 00:08:29 – The “1,000 true fans” concept
• 00:22:39 – Art by the pound and writing out loud
• 00:26:14 – The process of creating, compiling and culling photographs for Vanishing Asia
• 00:38:27 – The photos in Vanishing Asia that resonate the most with Kevin
• 00:44:45 – Kevin’s travel in Asia, and how he viewed its changes over time
• 00:51:59 – Kevin’s thoughts on how to embrace the future while retaining cultural values and beauty
• 00:58:49 – How Kevin's travel in Asia has affected his life
• 01:06:41 – Understanding the nuances of Asia and the power it will hold in the future

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