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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
If you’re trying to quit social media, this book could be useful. But if you’re like me and haven’t used social media in years, you could give this a miss.
I picked it up thinking it would discuss decentralising your smart phones to single-purpose tech, or how to cull down whatever’s using up your digital storage and build habits to keep that number low, as well as extracting some of that content and moving it into the physical world (ex: printing off photos) to be better appreciated.
In reality, this book discusses the attention economy and the importance of craft/hobbies. Both of which I’m already familiar with, so there wasn’t much new to me in this book.
I think I’m a few steps further in my relationship with tech than this book provides. Had I read it a few years ago, it would have met me in the right place.
Would recommend for someone who’s only just come to the realisation that they need to cut down on mindless screen time and don’t know where to start.
The Digital Minimalism movement is one I have been trying to radicalize myself into for about three years now. The philosophy behind regaining control over my habitual use of technology is an empowering yet a futile attempt. Deleting the apps on my phone is a case of internal destabilization through force. Words don't seem to move my addicted brain. I want a more literary musings behind it and this book doesn't seem to fulfill that. The operative language Cal Newport uses doesn't necessarily inspire focus.
The accounts of the US Presidents I cannot give a second thought. Only the tale of Henry David Thoreau's Walden do I sense a gathering of minds – that the amount of effort I use to maintain a hectic life can be an economic tale too. The biggest cost is our attention.
I want to write again. Coding is a vortex of indecipherable variables across system designs my brain is unable to make sense. I want to relearn social intuition now that I am older. Maybe this is the beginning of the way out.
The accounts of the US Presidents I cannot give a second thought. Only the tale of Henry David Thoreau's Walden do I sense a gathering of minds – that the amount of effort I use to maintain a hectic life can be an economic tale too. The biggest cost is our attention.
I want to write again. Coding is a vortex of indecipherable variables across system designs my brain is unable to make sense. I want to relearn social intuition now that I am older. Maybe this is the beginning of the way out.
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
One of my favs.
Before picking up the book I'd probably gone though a good handful of YouTube videos about the same thing - so just felt stale trying to listen to this. Not that it's bad, just that I don't want to same the same things again in a different format
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
informative
inspiring
One of my favorite reads of the year. No, one of my favorite reads ever.
informative
inspiring
reflective
This book frustrates me. I agree with the principle of digital minimalism and actually want to try cutting back on social media and technology in general, I think the idea of being purposeful in your use of devices makes sense. I don’t like that the author makes some massive claims without proper citation you can’t just say “All of gen x is anxious because cell phones”, correlation does not equal causation and there wasn’t nearly enough references to make that claim as strongly as it’s made. Also as a developer the chapter on technology hobbies being less valuable was meh lol.
Loved the parts about nature and crafts! Also the Amish bit. So interesting.