Business Books: Zen and the art of emailing

By Vivianne Rodrigues

NEW YORK, April 23 (Reuters) - Millions of Americans at this very moment are on online, scrolling, reading and typing at their computers.

Many more are receiving and sending emails or text messages via cell phones and BlackBerries.

But despite all this activity, most of these people are getting very little done, says stress-reduction expert Soren Gordhamer in his book "Wisdom 2.0 - Ancient Secrets for the Creative & Constantly Connected" (HarperOne, $14.99).

While people constantly update their Facebook pages and co-workers sitting just feet apart communicate on Twitter, Gordhamer contends that this widespread of use of technology is actually making the United States less connected and creative than ever.

One of the key messages in the book is that there is something missing in the lives of millions of anxious techno-users across the country.

"The something that is missing is not more tools or technologies, but the state of our consciousness," Gordhamer writes. "It is the lack of connection to the place inside us of ease and focus -- the creative mind."

But while some people turn to technology to fill a void, Gordhamer says it has also has become one of the biggest sources of stress for the average American, with the Internet providing a particular challenge.

In one of the studies noted in the book, figures by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service show a growing number of workers reporting more on-the-job stress. In another privately funded international study, two out of three respondents associated information overload with loss of job satisfaction.