Renaissance man or Luddite?

Bookworm doctor skips being linked to gadgets
MARC HANSEN • April 16, 2009

Des Moines anesthesiologist Jon Quinn has no cell phone and no home computer. Renaissance man or Luddite?

Let’s go with Renaissance man. It isn’t that Quinn, 44, is afraid of technology. He does have cable TV – mostly for news.

But here’s a person who doesn’t depend on the latest communications technology for his happiness. Quinn has other interests and passions.

He once played chess with the Russian master Anatoly Karpov and has been in contact with fellow legend Garry Kasparov about a possible charity event in Des Moines.

A few years ago, Quinn took a vacation in Reykjavik, Iceland, because that was the site of the famous Boris Spassky-Bobby Fischer world championship match.

Quinn says he isn’t missing a thing without the gadgets. If he’s desperate, he can use the computer at work.

And if someone wants to find him, his office and home numbers are in the book. If he isn’t there, he’ll call back as soon as possible.

And in case of emergency, he’ll do what he did before the advent of the mobile phone, whatever that was.

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