Michael Harris (26) (1980–)

I really enjoyed Harris' extensive pondering on what it means to be the last generation who will ever know what life was like pre-Internet. I appreciated the fact that he wasn't being prescriptive. There were no hard-and-fast rules, no advice, no massive a-ha moments saying "THIS is the right way to live your life in a world that's as hyperconnected as ours."

The truth is, we do live in a world of constant connection. Our phones are always available methods of distraction. But those phones are also tools. They're brought incredibly positive elements to our lives, and yes, there can be downsides to their use as well. I particularly appreciated Harris' willingness to be non-judgemental about the people who choose to live their lives in constant connection.

I think the audience for this book is limited, as not everyone born in our generation cares about, or wishes to return to, a time pre-Internet and pre-connectivity. Harris brings up some interesting points and offers plenty of food for thought, but I admit at times my eyes started to glaze over. The book reads as a meditation on the world in which we live, with strong storytelling and solid research.… (plus d'informations)

The books begins with the story of Dr. Bone. She spent seven years in prison in isolation and loved it. Was she demented? I mean who likes to be alone? We punish our kids with time outs.

The is a thoughtful book. I love the part of discussing reading vs social reading. The book takes a jab at us losing something valuable by using Google maps. And how the ubiquitous emoji has flattened our rich vocabulary.

I could have just rated the book as 4 stars and been done with it. But hey, I don't have to boil my thoughts for this book into a single star rating to fit into someone else's algorithm. This is my book review, written by Wellington's personal algorithm.… (plus d'informations)