Don’t live your entire life ruled by the Internet!
Against the Machine is by writer Paul Kingsnorth, now as interested in his newfound Christian faith as the natural world, this is kind of a blasting of both philosophies together, an almost terrifying account of where we could end up, if people don’t retain their personal boundaries.
Of course (like electricity), the Internet can be used for good. But we’re talking here about ‘big Internet’ – youngsters who can’t be apart from their smartphones for more than a few minutes, bots controlling what we see and how we learn, what we buy and how we vote.
Internet billionaires controlling what we watch and know, big media, AI-gone-wrong, techno-capitalism, and a refusal to see the link between our survival and both spirituality. And a respect that Nature is more important.
There is no real ‘connection’ online, like there is with two men mumbling conversations in an old-fashioned pub over a pint of beer.
Don’t hand over your mind, money or beliefs to techno billionaires who want to track your every move, so they can sell something to you, or tell you how to live, eat, vote or pray. And don’t be a passive spectator of other people’s lives, while not remembering to live your own.
The Internet and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race. This is an extreme statement, but I’m in an extreme mood. Paul Kingsnorth
This is the most powerful and important book I have read in years. It is simply brilliant. This book should be required reading not only for politicians, technocrats, teachers and all who help shared our world. But for every still-living soul in this terrifying age of the Machine. Iain McGilchrist
Kingsnorth has done something extraordinary. He has captured the spiritual crisis of our time in language so compelling, I could not put the book down. Mary Harrington
Who wrote this book?
Paul Kingsnorth is an English writer (nominated for the Booker Prize) who lives in the west of Ireland, where he writes on how faith and nature collide.
He has been described in various terms (his favourite is ‘environmental activist turned apocalyptic mystic’). But two things he has been called (to inspire you to read the book!) are ‘furiously gifted’ (The Washington Post) and ‘England’s greatest living writer (Aris Roussinos). High praise indeed!
Find Paul’s writings on Substack.
How to free yourself from your phone and laptop!
The Power In Your Hands is a book asking readers to liberate themselves from the attachment to technology. Having a laptop or phone is fine, but could you live without them?
The average smartphone user spends around 60 to 80 whole days a year on it. They are now the ‘fifth limb’ for nearly everyone, some people not capable of standing at a bus stop, having a coffee or even moving to the bathroom without checking for news or messages.
People who suffer from anxiety, are even more likely to develop a compulsive relationship with their smartphone. Yet say if you are in a pub with another person, that person wants to talk to you, not see you scrolling through your phone while they wait to have conversation (far better for mental health).
Phones are for information. They are not for soothing, that’s what a walk in nature does! The good news is that you can course-correct if you so choose.
You’ll have to make that decision yourself, as smartphones won’t! A digital detox is not enough. It means a real effort to recover from the tsunami of digital distractions in the world we now face.
The author invites people to reconnect to their natural need for walks and conversation, and only use smartphones when needed. And rewire your brain to reclaim some creativity.
Who wrote this book?
Shannon Algaeo is an American/Irish writer based in California. Also a poet, he is co-founder of We Human and leads ‘digital liberation’ retreats.
The Scottish Art of Slow Living
The Scottish Art of Living Slowly is a book to gently inspire us to move away from ‘hustle culture’ and leave devices behind to reconnect with nature each month.
Inspired by a year in the Scottish Highlands, this book is by wildlife conservationist turned content creator Molly Ella, who encourages curiosity oto simple ‘plodding’. Inspired by her experiences growing up on the Isle of Arran and living in a tiny home in Cairngorms National Park.
Each chapter features:
