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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
As the leading expert in always being alone (whether or not I want it), I was expecting more out of this. I was expecting a more psychological study of people who are chronically alone, even in large cities.
However, this book offered no study nor tips on how to keep going other than just the standard "white knuckling through life" that we must do. Interestingly, there were a lot of discussions on moreso *connections* with others through technology. But again, didn't offer much in terms of the psychological effects and rather, a rote cut-and-dry explanation of said technologies.
Sadly didn't yield the results I was looking for. Will continue to bowl alone.
However, this book offered no study nor tips on how to keep going other than just the standard "white knuckling through life" that we must do. Interestingly, there were a lot of discussions on moreso *connections* with others through technology. But again, didn't offer much in terms of the psychological effects and rather, a rote cut-and-dry explanation of said technologies.
Sadly didn't yield the results I was looking for. Will continue to bowl alone.
We live in a hyper-connected world. If you have a smart phone then you can probably only go a few minutes without having to look at it. There is a constant stream of notifications from emails and social media app that clamour for your attention every time you pop it back in your pocket. The flip side of this is that there are more people today who are incredibly lonely, ironic given that we have a whole world at our fingertips.
Solitary confinement is often used as an extreme form of imprisonment, and the book begins with the story of Dr Edith Bone’s who was locked away for seven years and 59 days. She managed to stay sane by mentally walking through cities she had visited and survived. Our modern life means that the distractions can end up taking over far too often. (Twitter, I am looking at you). However, what Harris wants to concentrate on in this book is the positive effects of solitude. That by taking time away from life means that we can fully concentrate on the matter in hand and possibly even recapture some of our own sanity.
I also realised I was getting angry. Angry because part of my life had been stolen from me. So I set myself looking for those lost pieces of solitude in every corner of the world.
Solitude is something that companies want to erode as profits lie in getting you to consume time and their product or service. However, you can turn it around if you choose to do so. Solitude is the process of removing external distractions and concentrating on the matter that is important to you at that moment. Having time alone to allow your mind to wander will bring forth fresh ideas and direction before you re-engage with the world again. My favourite part was when he spent a week at the family cabin on an island off the coast of British Columbia and lived out the premise of the book. It takes him a few days and then he starts to notice things, that while they have always been there, he has never noticed before. I think he writes well, the book is well researched too, he handles the subject matter well, keeping it interesting and the narrative flowing. Lot of things to think about after reading this and that is a good thing. 3.5 stars
Solitary confinement is often used as an extreme form of imprisonment, and the book begins with the story of Dr Edith Bone’s who was locked away for seven years and 59 days. She managed to stay sane by mentally walking through cities she had visited and survived. Our modern life means that the distractions can end up taking over far too often. (Twitter, I am looking at you). However, what Harris wants to concentrate on in this book is the positive effects of solitude. That by taking time away from life means that we can fully concentrate on the matter in hand and possibly even recapture some of our own sanity.
I also realised I was getting angry. Angry because part of my life had been stolen from me. So I set myself looking for those lost pieces of solitude in every corner of the world.
Solitude is something that companies want to erode as profits lie in getting you to consume time and their product or service. However, you can turn it around if you choose to do so. Solitude is the process of removing external distractions and concentrating on the matter that is important to you at that moment. Having time alone to allow your mind to wander will bring forth fresh ideas and direction before you re-engage with the world again. My favourite part was when he spent a week at the family cabin on an island off the coast of British Columbia and lived out the premise of the book. It takes him a few days and then he starts to notice things, that while they have always been there, he has never noticed before. I think he writes well, the book is well researched too, he handles the subject matter well, keeping it interesting and the narrative flowing. Lot of things to think about after reading this and that is a good thing. 3.5 stars
A better title would have been "The Extinction of Solitude." This book is less an exploration of the experience and benefits of solitude (which is what I was expecting and wanting) than it is a treatise on technology's encroachment and annihilation of solitude -- something I quickly tired of as I often grow weary when people demonize the current technology of the day as destroying some inherent human way of being when, in fact, it usually is just amplifying a different human characteristic. Humans have ALWAYS been remarkably good at avoiding themselves on a serious contemplative level and instead invest great focus and energy on plugging in to the pack and attending to the demands of the pack. When we do focus on self, it is often in a not-so-healthy way and has some tangential if not direct connection to the pack. The Internet and smartphones did not cause this "alarming" behavior but because we are in the midst of a significant technological shift that has a generational component to it, we are acutely aware of it. So, if THAT issue intrigues you and you want to dwell on the dark side of technology, go ahead and read this. If you want to contemplate solitude, though, read something else
There are some incredible concepts in this book. Unfortunately I didn’t identify with 80% of the book, discussing our modern issues with social media and public perception. I’m not on social media, so these things didn’t apply.
The author also seemed to over utilize the thesaurus and I grew tired of looking up new words.
However, long story short, I learned some things about solitude and loneliness, and how they aren’t synonyms.
The author also seemed to over utilize the thesaurus and I grew tired of looking up new words.
However, long story short, I learned some things about solitude and loneliness, and how they aren’t synonyms.
What the heck was this. Poorly written, unorganized and often felt like he took pages from Sapiens. I do not recommend this and it does not even follow the topic he claims to discuss.
An enjoyable read. The author writes well and the book is interesting enough to keep reading. It lacks a little cohesiveness in the structure and sometimes there are a bit too many quotes from other sources.
Este libro cayó en mis manos en pleno confinamiento. Sus dos primeros capítulos me parecieron buenísimos. Augura un libro prometedor.
Mi sorpresa fue el bajón que pegó a partir del tercero, donde parece que el autor perdió el rumbo y avanzó improvisando. En muchos pasajes no se sabe muy bien qué quiere decir o peca de una subjetividad y un juicio sobre el tema a tratar que me parecen innecesarios.
Más que un libro sobre los beneficios de estar solo y los descubrimientos de investigadores y psicólogos, es un diario. Acompañas al autor en su experiencia a la hora de indagar en este tema desde cero.
Si buscas una experiencia personal o un diario de viajes, entonces te gustará.
Mi sorpresa fue el bajón que pegó a partir del tercero, donde parece que el autor perdió el rumbo y avanzó improvisando. En muchos pasajes no se sabe muy bien qué quiere decir o peca de una subjetividad y un juicio sobre el tema a tratar que me parecen innecesarios.
Más que un libro sobre los beneficios de estar solo y los descubrimientos de investigadores y psicólogos, es un diario. Acompañas al autor en su experiencia a la hora de indagar en este tema desde cero.
Si buscas una experiencia personal o un diario de viajes, entonces te gustará.
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced