Unplugged: Evolve from Technology to Upgrade Your Fitness, Performance & Consciousness Hardcover – July 11, 2017

I enjoyed every read of this book! Wish it was out when I was doing my thesis... outdoor physical activity, connectedness with nature, enjoyment between settings etc. Was certainly a limited topic relative to nutrition, strength and conditioning, performance blah blah. One of the more prominent juxtapositions I coach average Joe's seeking a health and wellness, chronic disease self management and prevention is finding a balance among behaviors. Wearables are turning into a new fad like diet sort of practice....all or nothing. Another distraction from inward reflection and acceptance. For some. Not for all. Thank you for bringing this topic to light with passion, evidence and a call to action.

I was out at a concert one night and a buddy of mine lost his FitBit. He went absolutely bonkers (extreme understatement) and we spent the next couple hours checking under every rock and crevice for his gadget. We eventually found it, but we missed the whole concert. A month later, he didn't even wear it anymore. But that fateful night, my friend had a side to him that I had never seen: an addict that needed his fix.This review isn't to bash on technology, but to open up our eyes that we have a world around us. We fall victim to the "phone slump" without realizing that we are becoming too dependent on, let's be honest, creative marketing schemes that we just don't need in our lives. But in our society today, it's almost impossible to not be plugged in. So instead of allowing technology to deindividualize ourselves, we need to find a way to use technology that will optimize, and be optimal for, our health and knowledge.Unplugged does a good job covering the issues, but does an even better job coming up with pragmatic solutions that we can all strive for.

"Ditch that wearable, you just need a lifetime relationship with a team of coaches, nutritionists, etc." "You don't need fancy gadgets, because the data gleaned from world-class testing/training facilities will give you far more relevant information" "You can't get attacked by sharks if you're calm." Not directly quoting, but you get the idea... the podcasts were good and I bought the book, but the message wasn't what I was hoping. Alot of it read like marketing material for various testing facilities, coaches, and oddly enough, gear. I was hoping for a mix of philosophical and practical advice on minimizing gadgetry, but that's not the message so much here. Although they do say over and over that if I learn to surf that my life would be better. Even the chapter that specifically states it's about our diminished awareness because outsourcing all our cues (hunger/thirst/overworked) to apps makes the recommendation to buy "an inexpensive glucose meter from the drugstore", and elsewhere talks about other inexpensive testing equipment. If I followed all the recommendations in the book, I'd have a laboratory worth of gear, but just no smart watch. It doesn't make sense.

Yes, we are way to attached to our gadgets. How many times do I have to avoid people walking down the street staring at their phone. That is true for sport too.

This is a great book for the athlete or fitness enthusiast who has reached high performance and then gone, "what now?" You can't track every calorie and every watt forever, nor should you. There comes a point when you take a step back, look at the long view, and realize that you don't need three quarters of the tools, and apps, and gadgets you use for your training. I'm a data geek and while there is a time and a place for quantifying, there are also times and places where unplugging is the right move. I liked the book a lot and would recommend it to the athlete who is ready to hone their system of what they do and don't track or quantify, and disconnect from the rest.

I appreciate any piece of work that helps expand my thinking. This book took a 30,000 ft view into how technology is impacting our physiology. Sometimes we're so immersed in the moment, that we forget how far we've come over the last several decades. There's always two sides to the coin though.We've worked so hard as a society to eliminate stress. Now we're having to introduce artificial stress to stay sharp and maintain our sense liveliness. One form of that is physical exercise. But it goes much deeper than that. Unplugged explores the idea of how technology has dulled our awareness in a way that is impacting our physiology. And we can't cheat our physiology. So if that sounds interesting to you, definitely give this a read. You won't be disappointed.

As a current college student, I have grown up completely surrounded by technology and had been grasped by all the promises of “making life easier”. This book serves as an eye opener for anyone hooked on their various devices, bringing to light the perils of a society that is growingly dependant on our gadgets for happiness and pleasure. Unplugged has helped me shift some things within my own life and will surely rub off on those close to me. Absolute must read!

Half of this book was spot on the title and description. Really good stuff that makes you think about how and why you use tech in your physical activities. But, woven throughout the book were sections that didn’t really align with the description. They may enhance the book for some, but for me those section distracted from the content I felt did align with the description and that was quite interesting.