How to think clearly in a world dominated by way too much paper

There are more than 55 million computer printers in the United States alone, spewing out billions of reams of paper a year. Where is the paperless office? Consider that in the Sorbonne library in Paris in 1302, you could spend eight or ten years studying the 900 to 1,000 volumes that represented the vast accumulation of knowledge in the Western world. Afterwards, you could leave and be among the top 100 most learned people on the planet. Today, however, just to keep up with new legislation, breakthroughs, what competitors are doing, shifts in the marketplace, or new technology would be a full job in itself. Never mind undertaking the job for which you were hired, managing your staff, or meeting quota -- just to keep up with everything that had impact in your industry or profession, it would take all your waking hours and then some.