Shallows

Extremely interesting, very well readable book on how the digital media and tools we consume and use, affect our brains. I was shocked to find out how radically memory, attention span and even empathy are influenced by these tools. I already was sceptical of these technologies and the prominent role they have in our everyday lives, but this book truly convinced me of the importance of de-digitalizing some parts of life.
Highly recommend!

Many books I've ready about the Internet and society seem outdated and naive very shortly after they're published. A large part of this book is not about the Internet at all, but rather takes a historical perspective of advancements that have come before it - writing, mass literacy, the printing press and typewriters - and the hopes and fears that people had for them when they emerged. Creating and consuming information in ways which have deep effects on the ways our minds work is nothing new, but the level of distraction that the Internet now presents us with is perhaps unprecedented. Don't be put off by the fact that this book was published in 2011 when smart phones were in their infancy and before presidents governed via Twitter, if you have a mobile, read a news website or use social media, read this.