PAUL CARR - The Upgrade

Bored, broke and struggling to survive in one of the most expensive cities on earth, Paul Carr comes to the surprising realization that it would actually be cheaper to live in a luxury hotel in Manhattan than in his tiny one-bedroom London apartment. Inspired by that possibility, he sells his possessions, abandons his old life and starts living entirely without commitments, as a modern-day nomad.

Thanks to Paul's ability to talk his way into increasingly ridiculous situations, what begins as a one-year experiment soon becomes a permanent lifestyle—a life lived in luxury hotels and mountain-top villas. A life of fast cars, Hollywood actresses and Icelandic rock stars. And, most bizarrely of all, a life that still costs less than his surviving on cold pizza in his old apartment. Yet, as word of Paul's exploits starts to spread—first online, then through a national newspaper column and eventually a book deal—he finds himself forced constantly to up the stakes in order to keep things interesting. With his behavior spiraling to dangerous—and sometimes criminal—levels, he is forced to ask the question: is there such a thing as too much freedom?

Paul Carr is a writer and journalist, specializing in media and popular culture. A former Guardian media columnist, he also edited various publications and founded numerous businesses. As the co-founder of two Internet companies he knows the world of Internet moguls both inside and out. He blogged for TechCrunch and Huffington Post until infamously resigning in 2011. He has just launched Not Safe For Work Corporation, an electronic magazine publishing company, and continues to write for various newspapers.

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