The Shallows

This month for book club we read The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains, by Nicholas Carr.
From a pure readability factor it was pretty good. Not too heavy, thorough enough, but not too technical. And it was a quick read.
From my personal perspective in terms of content I went back and forth with being a little bored (because I already knew the stuff) to fairly interested. I wasn't so into his whole history of the Internet, or books for that matter, and I thought he repeated himself a bit too much (and stated obvious things that anyone reading this book would already know like what Facebook is...duh.)
But some of the brain imaging experiments, special studies, anecdotes from other writers, and his personal reflections on his experiences were intriguing to me. For example studies show "...that in the long run a medium's content matters less than the medium itself in influencing how we think and act." That goes for the Web as well as T.V, radio, and cell phones as well. You could even throw in GPS units, since it appears that spatial awareness is on a decline.
A few other highlights include:
It was interesting when the author (quoting another author) said "Calm, focused, undistracted, the linear mind is being pushed aside by a new kind of mind that wants and needs to take in and dole out information in short, disjointed, often overlapping bursts- the faster the better." It really hit home for me, because that is exactly what I've been feeling lately. My mind is always running at full speed, looking for something to do.
I thought his commentary on the relationship between authors and readers was really interesting too. He says that back in the olden days when people read books there was an unspoken agreement between writers and those that read their work, namely that the author could write in a manner of full expression and be able to count on the patience and attentiveness of the reader. But now in the "faster is better" world of technology the readers attention is waning, writer must approach writing from an entirely new standpoint. They have to be quick, and exciting. It's less about what the writer wants to say (in terms of Internet reading) and more about what the readers are willing to read.
I found his discussion on the physical reshaping of the brain due to our modern technology, and the prolonged consequences to be really insightful. Reading on the web, with all it's distractions, makes it hard to focus. So our brains are becoming more able to multi-task. What we loose in the process is deep focused understanding. The author likens the modern memory to a Rolodex (for those of you who don't know what this is...go look it up!). We don't actually retain much information, but we are really good and remembering ways to find things out. And we are able to do it faster and faster all the time.
He also referenced another book I just happen to be reading at this very moment, that and that was cool.

This topic is really interesting to me on a personal level because I have lately noticed a shift in my mind, particularly a "loudness", (a scattered feeling like my attention is being pulled in many directions at once, all the time)  that I believe is the result of too much time surfing the net, and playing around with my phone etc. I'm not saying I don't love email and shopping on Amazon, but I think it would do me a bit of good to cut back. I find that I am often sacrificing the physical present for some distraction in cyberspace, and it bothers me. It's like when you get together with friends to go to dinner and then you all sit at the restaurant texting and "checking in" on Facebook....only I'm doing that to myself. For example I'll be trying to read a book, and then it suddenly occurs to me that I might want to marinade a tri-tip for dinner tomorrow, and so off I go clicking around on the Web looking for a marinade recipe. Then I decided to check the weather, then I get an email, then a couple texts, then I get a notice from Facebook so I sign in, and post a few comments of my own...You get it. Next thing you know I read for 15 minutes and was online for 45. The only time I really feel focused is when I am running or at kickboxing.
And as a side note the fact that information and technology is so portable is also changing us. I don't necessarily like that I am accessible to everyone all the time through several different mediums no matter where I am. On the rare occasions when I am focused and my mind is quiet, it is often disturbed by the ding on my phone that I have received a new email, or a text alert, and I get sucked in. Again, I am glad I have my cell phone for emergencies, but I just don't like the distraction of getting emails and texts when I am on the road.
I don't mean to sound antisocial, and I certainly do appreciate it when folks think about me, I'm just saying that it alters my focus and sometimes makes it hard to really be somewhere, doing something. Maybe the proactive thing to do is stop whining about it and just limit my internet use, and turn off my cell phone when I don't want to be disturbed.
Some people really thrive on technology and all of the amazing things it allows us to do. I am amazed by all my friends that manage it so well. But I don't. I appreciate it, but I don't "love" it.
I prefer a little more quiet.

Overall this was a good book, but I'd probably go with 3.5 starts out of 5.