While many wonder what the pervasive use of technology is doing to our overloaded mental circuits, the new TED Book Brain Power: From Neurons to Networks ponders that question in another way: can cutting-edge neurological research into child brain development teach us anything about how we shape the global “brain” of the Internet? As author Tiffany Shlain explains today in an essay on the Huffington Post, “The Internet, like the developing brain of a child, is in a rapid phase of growth and change. This means that just as we must be mindful in how we nurture our children’s minds, we must also pay careful attention to how we develop our global brain.”

This ebook was created in conjunction with a 10-minute film by Shlain, below, which uses an innovative, participatory filmmaking process called “Cloud Filmmaking.” The TED Book expands on the ideas in the film by sharing deeper research, videos, graphics and links that explore the increasingly intertwined worlds of advanced neuroscience research and cutting-edge technology. This release marks the first time a film and TED Book have been released together.

Brain Power is available for the Kindle and Nook, as well as through the iBookstore. Or download the TED Books app for your iPad or iPhone.