UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A Penn State alumnus has authored a new book involving a mix of history and travel titled, “The Guidebook Experiment: Discovering Exploration in a Hyper-Connected World.” The travelogue, penned by David Bockino, a 2002 advertising/public relations graduate, and published by Travelers’ Tales, focuses on how technology and multimedia have changed our lives, specifically in the realm of travel.
With the help of smartphones, maps and online reviews, the way we travel has changed, and Bockino tracks the history and evolution of guidebooks dating back to pilgrim manuals. In the book, Bockino goes to a little-known destination to travel and explore without a guidebook, trying to figure out how the guidebook and modern-day technology has changed the nature of travel.
“I’ve used guidebooks to plan trips my whole life, often obsessively so,” Bockino said. “I wanted to find out what happens when the guidebook is taken away.”
The book encourages people to disconnect from modern technology and take adventures to unfamiliar places.
Bockino is an assistant professor in the School of Communications at Elon University. A former ESPN employee, he also teaches in the Sport & Event Management Department. Bockino received his master of business administration in sports management from Seton Hall University and a doctorate in journalism and mass communications from the University of North Carolina.
“The Guidebook Experiment: Discovering Exploration in a Hyper-Connected World" is available in both print and digital formats.