Book Launch: YOU WERE NEVER JUST USING IT by Alexander Manu

Join celebrated innovation strategist and author Alexander Manu for the launch of his provocative new book, You Were Never Just Using It: How Technology Rewrote the Self, One Click at a Time.

Manu will be in conversation with Sinead Bovell — futurist, entrepreneur, and advocate for technology education and ethics, widely recognized for her work bridging the gap between emerging technologies and underrepresented communities. Dubbed “The AI Educator for Non-Nerds” by Vogue, Bovell brings a sharp and accessible lens to one of the defining questions of our time:

What if technology isn’t just changing how we live — but who we become?

In You Were Never Just Using It, Manu argues that the real impact of technology has never been the devices themselves, but the subtle behavioural shifts they create. From desktops to smartphones to generative AI, each innovation quietly reshapes our habits, identities, relationships, and even our understanding of ourselves.

Thought-provoking and deeply relevant, this conversation will explore:

• How technology rewires human behaviour
• The rise of AI and the “post-digital self”
• The hidden psychological architecture of modern life
• What it means to remain human in an increasingly automated world

Whether you work in technology, design, media, education, business, or simply feel overwhelmed by the pace of change, this event offers a rare opportunity to step back and examine how digital life has transformed us.

Following the discussion, guests are invited to stay for a reception and book signing.

Books will be available for purchase on site.

Presented by OCAD University and Sutherland House Books.

is an independent Toronto-based publisher dedicated to world-class nonfiction. Founded in 2017 by Canadian author and publishing executive Kenneth Whyte, Sutherland House's list spans history and biography, current affairs and politics, science and health, and the arts and intellectual life. From the beginning, Sutherland House has operated on a simple premise: serious nonfiction matters. In an era of shrinking book coverage and scarce attention, we publish books journalists want to cover and readers want to discuss. Our titles regularly appear on bestseller and award lists and generate significant earned media in Canada, the United States, and internationally.

, located in downtown Toronto, is Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university. It is a world-famous hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity. Students benefit from hands-on studio learning and have access to state-of-the-art shops and studios for both traditional and digital creation. Alongside a diverse and supportive team of instructors and peers, students gain employable skills. Graduates work in different sectors such as urban planning, environmental design, gaming, film, animation, publishing, illustration, graphic design, visual arts and arts administration.

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