Shallows by Carr, Nicholas [Hardcover]

The book explores the direct effect that the computerization of tasks is having on our brain. The first part of the book focuses on the role that different technologies (the clock, the map, the book) have had on our brain. The author use these technologies to make his main point. The brain itself is shaped by technology. This is not a metaphor; it changes physically.With the arrival of the technology of the book, the brain adapted to reward passive and attentive learning as opposed to scattered attention. Humans discovered silent reading as a superb from to foster intellectual endeavors. Based on a thorough reading of neuroscience, the author argues that as our brains continue to grow over our lifetime, the habit of reading books has an effect on the brain that is in jeopardy with the arrival of the internet, which rewards immediacy rather than depth. In that sense, the brain itself adapts like any other organ, and if one stop using its capacities the brain itself reshapes to adapt to the new tools.A notable example on the effect of technology on our brain is the difference between reading in electronic formats in comparison to reading from books. It is argued that hyperlinking a text to additional content is a great benefit of the electronic format. This brings multimedia at the core of content delivery. If one is reading a novel, the argument goes, it would be ideal to have a hyperlink that takes the reader to images of the landscapes described in the novel, or the expressions and attire of the characters, or supplemental information of the author. The possibilities are endless. However, that’s precisely the reason why books in electronic formats are no longer books. The act of skimming through references and links destroys the reader’s principal action toward reading a book, which is reading linearly, page after page, while delving patiently into the depth of a narrative. This act develops the capacity to focus for sustained periods of time, and it is precisely this skill the one we are risking with the overwhelming use of internet.Perhaps the most alarming chapter is “Google Church”, where the author shows how our outsourcing of thinking to artificial intelligence and alike can in fact destroy our capacity to think, as we rely on google and other forms of artificial intelligence to solve basic problems. Whereas the benefits of outsourcing mindless tasks is evident, the deployment of this new spare time toward in critical thinking is not immediate. In fact, the opposite seems to be prevailing, as the internet use in leisure activities is nowadays is embedded in perhaps the fastest growing industry for consumption.This is not a Luddite manifesto. The great benefits of technology on our civilization are undeniable. However, this is an important warning that we all should consider, especially if we have suffered a detriment in our capacity to focus and devote hours to read books. I bought this book after reading a highly praised recommendation in Mario Vargas Llosa’s “La civilización del espectáculo”. This essay is now is part of my arsenal to defend the importance of reading books. Actual books.

This book by Nicholas Carr gave me a context to understand what I have experienced regarding how my brain works and the influence of the internet. In many ways it is a disturbing read to realize just how much our brain functions have changed and our ability to think, reason, process and make independent decisions has been influenced by the readily available search functions of the internet. I helps to see the world from a much different perspective than my previous worldview.