The Shallows

What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

By: Nicholas Carr

Narrated by: Richard Powers

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

The best-selling author of The Big Switch returns with an explosive look at technology’s effect on the mind.

“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.

©2010 Nicholas Carr (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Neuroscience and technology buffs, librarians, and Internet users will find this truly compelling.” ( Library Journal)

“Cogent, urgent, and well worth reading.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Exceptional thinking.

Will we pay attention or be led to the imprisonment of our minds with tools of our own making?

Disjointed and Padded - Ruins Interesting Premise

This book held a lot of promise and I am interested in the topic, but it is one of those books that feels like it was a few blog posts expanded into a book with a lot of padding to get the required length. There are sections and chapters that don’t advance the ideas or argument, and many that could, but the dots are never connected.

Add to it that many of these sections are fraught with trouble. For instance the section on the development of our brain through history seems to ignore the previous chapter on plasticity and instead takes a privileged view of the modern brain and interprets ancient people’s thoughts and knowledge through a modern lens—completely unaware of the previous chapter on the brain changing to adapt, and future chapters showing that there are major issues with how our modern brains have adapted that inhibit our ability to understand.

There are good nuggets in the book, but the problems make it quite frustrating to mine those nuggets.

Worth Reading

A very worth while listen, and deserving an actual read. There are many provocative yet trite "science for the masses" books. This is not one of them. Carr does a wonderful job of addressing a complicated and far reaching concern and educating the reader to many topics while surveying a great deal prior work.

Additionally, the narration is quite pleasant, though the irony of listening to this book is inescapable.

After listening I intend to buy a print copy for further review and to track down its sources.

Listen with an open mind.

The premise of this book is using the internet seems to be changing our brain makeup, not necessarily for the better or worst.

Some parts were a bit drawn out, but overall I quite enjoyed listening to this book. First, the author goes through great pains to setup and create a comprehensive environment to explain his theory, and then goes on with supportive arguments, research, and citations. Of course some references seem to be cherry picked to support the author's point of view, but the fact these papers exist at all in creditable research should give pause to reflect on.

The biggest opponent I found to this book is the preconceived notions from the readers themselves before they start reading. It seems people either agree, or disagree, quite strongly with what is presented here with little basis on facts to support their subjective opinions.

I found the narration to be excellent, and recommend this book for those interrested.

Chilling!

I got this because it was referenced in another book I was reading. I am so glad I got it. This was a very excellent read... EVERYONE should read it and pass it on to family and friends.

A necessary read for all!!!

This book explains how we are destroying our own humanity in our efforts to be connected and in the advancement of our technology. Our very minds are being weakened into a dependence on the internet for our information, and by a concurrent shallowness in our thinking. As we use computers to aid our thinking, our thinking becomes more mechanical and less sophisticated, and we become addicted to the tools meant to help us.

Incredible Book

This book is incredible, both scientifically, and philosophically. The author’s style is very good as well. My only wish is that I read it in paperback instead of listening to the audiobook! Very good performance from the narrator also.

Informative

Love every moment of it!!!
Would buy the physical book.
The narrator was great.
Would recommend.

Interesting premise, fair execution

The author alternates between discussing the history & current understanding of neuroscience, and the impact our online existence is having on our brains. He cites growing evidence of people's attenuated attention spans. So it's ironic that his writing style is so pedantic. Still, it is a thought-provoking work.
As for the production, they could have chosen a better narrator. Mr. Garcia's voice and style are better suited for dramatic works than exposition. I laughed each time he'd use a different voice when reading quotes from academic sources. Seriously?

Mind Altering

Very useful book for our times. The internet is the biggest invention in communication since the printing press. With this change, comes a change in the wiring of our minds!