★ 10/03/2022
The Covid-19 pandemic revealed that there are limits to what an online world can and should provide, according to this provocative account from journalist Sax (The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter ). Sax posits that virtual substitutes for work, school, and religious activities missed much of the point: Zoom learning, for instance, drastically limited the ability of teachers to interact with their students, and he cites studies that suggest remote work led to burnout. The online shift, Sax writes, came “at a tremendous cost to our humanity,” but a digital world doesn’t have to be the norm. Instead, Sax imagines an “analog future” that’s less a Luddite’s utopia than one that “incorporates all the hard lessons we learned from those difficult years when we lived through a screen” and consists of more outdoor dining, better libraries, accessible outdoor space, and no virtual school, which he calls one of “history’s terrible ideas.” With moving anecdotes (as when his daughter cried because online school offered “ ‘just the work, but none of the fun’ of regular school”), Sax presents a solid case that technology should keep the “real world front and center.” This up-close look at the costs of digital convenience delivers. Agent: Jim Levine, Levine Greenberg Rostan. (Nov.)
[A]pproachable, witty… [a] deft, colorful discussion."—Kirkus Publishers Weekly, starred review Cal Newport, New York Times–bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work A.J. Jacobs, bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically and The Puzzler Neil Pasricha, #1 bestselling author of author of The Happiness Equation and The Book of Awesome The Future Is Analog is a must-read book if you want to return to what really matters in life: authentic connections, conversations, and depth of character. My only wish is I could have submitted this quote in pencil.”—Ari Wallach, author of Longpath The Future Is Analog is the perfect guide to help us stay focused on what matters in the blinding light of a technology-filled world.”—Tiffany Shlain, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, founder the Webby Awards, and author of national bestseller 24/6 The Future is Analog , David Sax paints a sage and intimate portrait of our digital present, unpacks the promises of what comes next, and reminds us of the physical, un-virtual beauty of living in the analog world. It’s the book for right now. —Nathan Englander, author of What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank and Kaddish.com The Future is Analog , David Sax prescribes ongoing treatments designed to physically reunite humans within the wider family of nature. —Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods and The Nature Principle The Future Is Analog is an insightful snapshot of society’s current state. Even more important, it’s a call for readers to examine what makes us human and to strive to build more of it into our daily lives.”—Brand Outlaw The Bulwark
2022-06-22
Toronto-based reporter and writer Sax follows up his well-received The Revenge of Analog by testing its thesis against the upheavals caused by Covid-19: “Digital technology will continue its advance [but]…the analog world remains the one that matters most.” The author considers how unpleasant months of enforced isolation upended his life, tartly noting, “The digital future was finally here! And it fucking sucked.” In response, Sax envisions a future “where digital technology actually elevates the most valuable parts of the analog world rather than replacing them,” and he organizes the text into seven sections, reflecting the priorities we encounter in a typical week: work, schooling, commerce, and so forth. In each chapter, he first outlines the unexpected pitfalls of digital life and then suggests more humane, contemplative approaches that acknowledge progressive solutions from pre-pandemic society, which he terms “rear-looking innovations.” For instance, he argues in favor of “the physical space of the office and the human relationships that occur there,” noting how remote work proved frustrating in many fields. As a parent, Sax grimly views virtual schooling in terms of its “soul crushing disappointment,” recalling how, “as weeks turned to months, everyone except the heroic teachers stopped caring.” He discusses how this misadventure revealed rampant economic inequality in student preparedness while highlighting the emotional aspects of learning relative to the physicality of schools. Likewise, Sax examines how digital commerce proved both helpful and destructive. The shortcomings of gentrification in cities became clearer, and issues of personal faith, communication, and political discourse were likewise strained. The author relies on (virtual) interviews throughout, synthesizing the views of academics, other authors, and his suburban peers. This creates a pop-psych feel to the text, rendered in an approachable, witty style punctuated with personal asides poking fun at his own relative privilege during the pandemic.
Deft, colorful discussion focused more on social prescriptions than on specific, tangible analog things.
David Sax narrates his extended plea for a return to real-life experiences in a world awash in technology. His earnestness is evident in his performance. Sax provides deep introspection on the nature of life during the Covid pandemic, a moment that technology companies promised we'd cope with through Zoom meetups, virtual school, and ever-present mobile devices. The problem, according to Sax? This new virtual world is devoid of spontaneity. In fact, it flat-out "sucks." Living through our screens is emotionally and physically exhausting, and every moment becomes planned, even the well-intentioned after-work video conference gatherings. Listeners will appreciate Sax's affable voice, especially as he conveys truly relatable moments in a never-ending struggle with digital work-life balance. S.P.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
David Sax narrates his extended plea for a return to real-life experiences in a world awash in technology. His earnestness is evident in his performance. Sax provides deep introspection on the nature of life during the Covid pandemic, a moment that technology companies promised we'd cope with through Zoom meetups, virtual school, and ever-present mobile devices. The problem, according to Sax? This new virtual world is devoid of spontaneity. In fact, it flat-out "sucks." Living through our screens is emotionally and physically exhausting, and every moment becomes planned, even the well-intentioned after-work video conference gatherings. Listeners will appreciate Sax's affable voice, especially as he conveys truly relatable moments in a never-ending struggle with digital work-life balance. S.P.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
