William Powers, "New Slow City" | Talks At Google

Author William Powers visited Google's Cambridge, MA office to discuss "New Slow City: living simply in the world's fastest city".
Burned out after years of doing development work globally, William Powers spent a season in a 12’ x 12’ cabin off the grid in North Carolina, as recounted in his award-winning memoir, "Twelve by Twelve". Could he live a similarly minimalist life in the heart of NYC? To find out, Powers and his wife jettisoned 80% of their stuff, left their 2000 sq. ft. Queens townhouse, and moved into a 350 sq. ft. "micro-apartment" in the Village. Downshifting to a two-day workweek, Powers explores the viability of Slow Food and Slow Money, technology fasts and urban sanctuaries. Discovering a colorful cast of New Yorkers attempting to resist the culture of Total Work, Powers offers an inspiring exploration for anyone trying to make urban life more people- and planet-friendly.
William Powers has worked for over a decade in development aid and conservation in Latin America, Africa, Native North America, and Washington, DC. He is a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute and is on the adjunct faculty of New York University. He has also spent two decades exploring the American culture-of-speed and its alternatives in ~50 countries around the world. He has covered the subject in his four books and written about it in the Washington Post and the Atlantic. An expert on sustainable development, he is a freelance writer and speaker. www.williampowersbooks.com.