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Chargement... The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection (2015)par Michael Harris
Top Five Books of 2016 (189) Chargement...
Inscrivez-vous à LibraryThing pour découvrir si vous aimerez ce livre Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre. I could only make it through about 50 pages of this book. I agree with the basic thesis--we don't have enough unstructured time in our lives--but we also don't have enough editors!!!! This author had the unfortunate habit of restating the same relatively straightforward thought about 3 times on each page. The author takes a look at Internet culture, and asks what we have lost in return for constant connectivity. He researches his topic well, and is able to back up many of his claims with research. He writes very well, but I will admit that it is disconcerting at times to hear someone born in 1980 wonder what happened to the years of his young adulthood before the Internet. I have to say, he is about the age of my son, and he had no adulthood without the Internet. I expect he is thinking more about the constant barrage now, mainly with smart phones, of never leaving any part of your world behind because you are carrying it all with you, but it is still able to induce a skeptical snort from an old timer like myself who really does remember the world before the Internet...in fact, I can still remember rotary phones, I am that old. There are also some places where his youth leads him down some questionable alleys, such as assuming when his friends hand their toddler in a high chair a tablet to keep him quiet at a restaurant - what choice do they have? Uh, the same choices we had when you were young...pick the damn kid up and pay attention to him for five minutes. So, other than some moments of silliness, and the assumption that the world will continue going this way for ever (hello? have you heard of the environmental catastrophe we are headed for?), he does a good job with his subject, and does in the end advocate for at least some time of silence, of loneliness, of just being in the world, rather than detaching from it, or accessing it only virtually. He does not suggest he has the answers, but he is willing to ask the questions. aucune critique | ajouter une critique
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"Only one generation in history (ours) will experience life both with and without the Internet. For everyone who follows us, online life will simply be the air they breathe. Today, we revel in ubiquitous information and constant connection, rarely stopping to consider the implications for our logged-on lives. Michael Harris chronicles this massive shift, exploring what we've gained--and lost--in the bargain. In this eloquent and thought-provoking book, Harris argues that our greatest loss has been that of absence itself--of silence, wonder, and solitude. It's a surprisingly precious commodity, and one we have less of every year. Drawing on a vast trove of research and scores of interviews with global experts, Harris explores this "loss of lack" in chapters devoted to every corner of our lives, from sex and commerce to memory and attention span. The book's message is urgent: once we've lost the gift of absence, we may never remember its value"-- Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)302.23Social sciences Social Sciences; Sociology and anthropology Social Interaction Communication Media (Means of communication)Classification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne:
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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. ( )