First published 2010
William Powers faces a modern dilemma that plagues millions: digital devices that promise connection but deliver distraction. His computers and phones help him work and communicate, yet they fragment his attention and drain his energy. Powers calls this the conundrum of connectedness. He turns to history's greatest minds for answers, discovering that Plato, Shakespeare, and Thoreau all grappled with similar challenges when new technologies disrupted their worlds. Each thinker found ways to balance connection with solitude, engagement with reflection. Powers tests these ancient insights against his own experience, using his daily life as an experiment. He argues that digital tools serve us best when we pair them with deliberate disconnection. The book traces his intellectual journey from overwhelmed screen user to someone who has learned to manage technology rather than be managed by it. Powers shows readers how to reclaim focus, strengthen relationships, and find the depth that constant connectivity threatens to erode.
Genres: psychology, self-help, computers, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: intellectual-journey, personal-experiment
Period: 21st-century
267 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins