This would seem to be a timely topic for the masses around the world now in voluntary or forced quarantine. The young Vancouver social critic bemoans the constant connectivity of the Internet age, leaving no space in our brains for solitary daydreaming and creativity. Citing a wide range of neuroscience research findings and classic literature, e.g George Bernard Shaw’s In praise of Idleness, he documents the value of disconnecting from the rest of the world to just ponder whatever topic pops up into an undistracted brain. He also frequently deviates into his own solitary and unique musings about the benefits of long walks a la Frederick Gros in A Philosophy of Walking, and other topics that have a tenuous connection to solitude, such as the efforts of some scientists to defeat death entirely.
Harris is no nostalgic Thoreau luddite pining for the impossible return to a past age of innocence. At first glance his advocacy of escape to solitude to treat ‘nature deficit disorder’ would seem to be the antithesis of Robert Park’s recommendations in Bowling Alone, but their arguments actually complement each other in some ways. Park recognized the disintegration of meaningful social support networks long before the constant connectivity that Harris criticizes made those support networks wider but frailer, like a poorly spun wide but torn spider’s web.
The writing style is original and vivid with great descriptions of characters he interviews and the phenomena he documents.
“Oakley is ….possessed of a prickly intellect, a craggy brow, and caterpillar eyebrows that he uses to punctuate his remarks.”
“Emoticons and emojis scratch out individual voices and offer instead a limited shopping list of feelings.”
I enjoyed this book during my ‘social isolation’ almost as much as I enjoy my long solo walks in nature, where I am at no risk of getting or passing along any virus, at least until mosquito and black fly season.
The Passionate Reader 