'101 Things to Do Instead of Playing on Your Phone' by Ilka Heinemann is a rather pointed ebook to maybe hand to certain people in your life (or yourself).

We live in a smartphone obsessed society. You don't have to look around much to see that. This book offers tips like 'Draw a Selfie' or tips for limbering up your shoulders and ankles.

The problem is that it's replacing mindless activity with more mindless activity in some cases, and the ones that appear more mindful are treated as the rest. It's pretty light in content and I'm not sure I'd recommend it or even buy it as a gift book.

As many of us stay tethered to our phones as if our very lives depend on them, this book is a welcome one that gives alternatives to enjoying life without your phone

A great little pocket sized book with fun and interesting things to do!
It was pretty funny to find myself reading a book about what to do instead of playing on your phone, whilst reading it on my phone.
There were some suggestions that seemed a little silly, and maybe these were added to get it up to 101 things, or maybe its just that people are interested and like doing different things!

This is a fantastic little book to buy as a present for someone who needs their phone surgically removing from their hand!! It would be great as a birthday, Christmas or Secret Santa present for a colleague at work - we all know the people who are addicted to their phones!! Fab little ideas and fun things in this book as an alternative to social media - 5 stars from me, it is a great idea for a book!

Absolutely loved this book. The tips are mostly known, but when we are obsessed with screens, it is hard to focus on other things and try out different things. Having a book that sums up what to do instead of being on the phone helps curb the addiction.

I frequently see parents handing out their phones to kids for playing because the kids aren't interested in anything else and the adults can't seem to control them. Some of the tips in this book could help keep kids occupied when their friends are not around to play.

Highly recommended!

I received an ARC of the book from Andrews McMeel Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

101 Things To Do Instead of Playing On Your Phone is an entertainment book by Ilka Heinemann. It is a book that effortlessly brings you back to a time before cells phone existed by listing lots of fun activities you can do that don’t involve your phone- 101, to be exact. These activities include drawing your selfie, learning how to read your own palm, and coloring in pages. Simply, this book is a friendly reminder that although phones are important in this day and age, you should take a breather from it every once in awhile to wind down and let your creative juices flow.

101 Things To Do Instead of Playing On Your Phone is a fun and imaginative quick read that people of all ages will enjoy. Based on the genre, the writing is quick and snappy which allows the audience to be captivated quickly. I personally really like this book; the illustrations are beautiful and the activities work my brain and could keep me busy all day. I can perfectly imagine seeing this book in trendy stores for teens such as Francescas or Newbury Comics. My only complaint is that if you are reading this book on a tablet like I am, then you cannot do certain activities like color or connect the dots. However, the book as a whole is certainly entertaining and would make a great gift for anyone. I suggest this book to all people, especially teens, who are addicted to their cellphone. This book teaches you that every once in awhile it is okay to stray away from technology and let your mind wander the world.

I loved this book, such a great little book that you can take with you anywhere.
Yes some of the suggestions appear like common sense but it appears we have lost all common sense where our phones are concerned, especially the younger generation.
Some of the suggestions are practice your times tables or write poetry, many can be done alone or with family/friends.
I would actually give this book as a gift and will be purchasing a paper copy for myself and the kids to carry around in the future.
I feel lucky to have received a free e-copy of this book in return for an honest review.

101 Things does not provide any novel ideas. I guess it would be good if you had no imagination whatsoever, but this one is uninspiring. Skip it.

5 helms

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Such a fun book and it made me smile! So many things we forget to do just because we are so taken with our phones! This book is a perfect reminder of the simpler things in life and what we used to do before technology took over. Colouring in, practising your multiplication tables, relaxation techniques, creative writing, reading poetry are some of the activities and it has something to suit individual tastes! You don’t have to go in order, just pick one and do it and forget about the world for a few minutes :)

Perfect as a gift for someone or for yourself! Great to have around the house or the car for long road trips with your loved ones as it will definitely make the journey more pleasurable. Enjoy the phone break up and enjoy the nostalgia of putting pen to paper!

This book would make an excellent (and somewhat pointed) graduation gift to the high school or college senior in your life (though not middle school, as a bit more complicated than that). As for adults, I could imagine someone using it on a subway, but some of the activities felt better suited to a younger audience. Over all, a good variety of things to do-- mathematical, relaxation, creative, memory-based... As someone who is trying to reduce my own device usage, I liked many of the ideas!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the books you should have in a printed format. Reading it on your computer/smartphone defeats the purpose of the book. I wish I could have it in my purse, bringing it with me when I am waiting for a friend or on an appointment.

Most of these activities, you need the book or a pice of paper. Not to mention a pen. Most of the time spent on a phone is to make time go, and I hoped the activities would have been presented in a better way spend time without needing to plan or to have things with you. I also hoped the book had presented more stuff to do together as the biggest problem is that we spend less time with each other, and more on our phones.

It is still a nice book. I remind me of the activity books I used to have as a child. The drawings are cute, and the book is an easy read. The activities can be done without to much of a hazard, if you only have pen and paper at your disposal. But I do not think this book will keep people from using their phones.

I'm not sure why this was added to my titles when it can't be downloaded to my Kindle. I would have loved to have read it and shared my thoughts.

I love it when the title tells you everything you need to know. However, I’m reading this on a tablet, so it was a little hard remembering it’s meant to be a physical book, which makes things like Draw a Selfie and Coloring very difficult, though not as impossible as Cutting out the Paper Airplane.
Kids’ games abound, my faves being I Spy and Cloud Zoo. Smile at someone, see if they smile back. Play Fashion Adviser has too much opportunity to turn to the dark side. I particularly like the Giving Awards one, though the fun in it is coming up with the right awards.
But there’s also quite a bit of stuff like Write Your Grocery List for Tonight’s Meal or Bucket List where it’s the same as doing it on the phone, and would be simpler. Still, most of it is fun stuff, as well as things to think about.

I absolutely cannot stand when you are out socialising and everyone has their head immersed in their phone, more interested in what's happening on social media than the people there in front of them, so I love the idea of this book. I did struggle to understand the concept however as the activities and ideas seemed very geared towards kids, with a lot of the activities requiring you to have the book with you to complete. Therefore, you'd have to take the book out and these days kids often just have their phones in their pockets, thus negating the need for this book.

To be honest, I was expecting more lengthy suggestions rather than just suggestions of doodles, making lists, that kind of thing, as opposed to things like 'find a man wearing red pants'. Other suggestions include writing a poem; this seems to negate the point of the book, as instead of being head in a phone in your social circle, you'll be head in a book writing a poem!

I do think this is a idea, and might make a good Christmas stocking killer for tweens who might need encourage to reconnect with the world and step away from the phone, but personally I wouldn't recommend this to anyone older than about 13.

This is a wonderful little book. So often we automatically whip out our phones while waiting and tap at it mindlessly hoping to entertain ourselves. This book presents alternative, more fulfilling ideas. Some are more serious, some are just plain fun. The book's layout is clean and interesting. It is a great pocket guide to keep in your bag. Some would spark fun conversations with a friend or child.

Better suited for young teens

I delved into this book with the expectation that it would be different to the experience of receiving a lecture regarding phone use. It was different in respect to this, hence the three stars. For me, though, the book's biggest flaw was that it was relatively unremarkable. Each page was covered with a different task, a different thing to do, a sudoku, a dot-to-dot, write a letter to a stranger, have a nap etc. The ideas were quite unoriginal, something I can't fault the author for- since dozens of lists have been made, and books written, on this subject.

I would say, this book would perhaps be better appreciated by a younger person. Usually it may not be appropriate but these days, ten year olds seem to own their own phones. I can't help but think that it's a one-time use kind of book: once all activities have been done, it would most likely be tossed aside.

It did have a journal feel to it, with activities like write a bucket list, or a poem using a handful of words from the bottom of the page. Personally, I think this book would be better were it to include more blank pages- just to write anything. It would then feel less forced- less like a guidebook or assignment. More fun and natural. I suppose if you were gifting it to someone, it would be better if you paired it with a notebook or journal.

I received this book through NetGalley.

This creative book by Ilka Heinemann is a reminder to return to the genuine simple life before the phones were taking over our existence. Simple facts as reading a book, planning your future, thinking about where will you be in 10 years, or a ridiculously creative dot-to-dot exercise can happily replace an afternoon spent looking at your screen. It is an easy to read book sharing simple tips and even simpler life skills - like writing a love letter or remembering the names of the planets in the solar system or write your own bedtime story or sharpen your mind while solving some mathematical operations.
If you are thinking about having a new, more meaningful start into life, use this summer vacations to think about the inspiration of this book. Cheers for the new beginnings!

Cute little book with many fun, if obvious ideas that have you putting your phone aside. Some ideas are more creative. I would love to have this in a pocket-sized book I could slip in my purse for when the kids and I are out and about.