“Is Google making us stupid?” When Nicholas Carr posed that question in an Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also crystallized one of the most important debates of our time: as we enjoy the Internet’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply?
Now, Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration yet published of the Internet’s intellectual and cultural consequences. Weaving insights from philosophy, neuroscience, and history into a rich narrative, The Shallows explains how the Internet is rerouting our neural pathways, replacing the subtle mind of the book reader with the distracted mind of the screen watcher. A gripping story of human transformation played out against a backdrop of technological upheaval, The Shallows will forever alter the way we think about media and our minds.
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"A scary look at the actual physical changes that are taking place in our brain. In the author's words: "The simulations of the Net can be invigorating and inspriring. We wouldn't want to give them up. But they are, as well, exhausting and distracting...One of the greatest dangers we face as we autmoate th work of our minds is...a slow erosion of our humanness and our humnaity."
— Carolyn (4 out of 5 stars)
“A must-read for any desk jockey concerned about the Web’s deleterious effects on the mind.”
— Newsweek“Even as Carr bemoans his vanishing attention span, he’s careful to note the usefulness of the Internet, which provides us with access to a near infinitude of information. We might be consigned to the intellectual shallows, but these shallows are as wide as a vast ocean.”
— New York Times Book Review“This is a lovely story well told―an ode to a quieter, less frenetic time when reading was more than skimming and thought was more than mere recitation.”
— San Francisco Chronicle“Neuroscience and technology buffs, librarians, and Internet users will find this truly compelling.”
— Library Journal (starred review)“Cogent, urgent, and well worth reading.”
— Kirkus Reviews“[Carr] is an astute critic of the information technology revolution…Carr’s fresh, lucid, and engaging assessment of our infatuation with the Web is provocative and revelatory.”
— Booklist" Very interesting analysis of how the physical brain is affected by our distracted lifestyle. "
— Roger, 2/6/2014" Great, great book. It's made a huge impact on my time spent on the computer, my conversations at parties, and my general view of where technology is headed. "
— Sperks, 2/1/2014" I read Carr's original article in the Atlantic Monthly two years ago. I was eager to read more about neuroscience and the internet. I hope there will be more research and dialog on this critical subject. However, this book dragged at times. I felt like the author was struggling to meet a publisher's page requirement. I also felt the author could have done a better job in explaining the scientific research. For example, Rebecca Skloot in "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" did an excellent job of presenting complex scientific material in a way that English majors could understand. Carr is not quite to Skloot's level yet. "
— Readnponder, 1/27/2014" Interesante, pero de hueva. "
— San, 1/18/2014" A fantastic exploration of the effects of digital technology on the cognitive functioning of the mind. "
— Nathan, 1/15/2014" Awesome book on how the Internet and google are causing havac to our brain and destroying our ability to deep think and concentrate. "
— Anson, 1/11/2014" Supremely perceptive, and with an argument like a newer and more general version of Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death's. "
— Shayne, 1/8/2014" Review forthcoming. Is the internet changing the way you think? "
— William, 12/29/2013" Great read with some solid science thrown in to back up his thesis. "
— Noelclifden, 11/11/2013" You can skip first four chapters.. "
— ✓ali, 11/8/2013" a really interesting look at what is happening to our brains thanks to the internet and also puts media use in a fascinating historical context. Non fiction lovers and geeks, especially into history, brain science and philosophy, will love this. "
— Al, 9/29/2013Nicholas Carr is the author of The Shallows, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and four other acclaimed books. A former executive editor of the Harvard Business Review, he writes for The Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.
Richard Powers has published thirteen novels. He is a MacArthur Fellow and received the National Book Award. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Overstory, and Bewilderment was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.