Reconnected: How Seven Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human by Carlos Whittaker is a great book to remind everyone of what is important in life. Not our phones or social media, but the people in our lives. Carlos has such a great, conversational, encouraging way of writing, and I definitely recommend his books. I enjoyed reading about his experiences at a monastery and at an Amish farm and about what he learned from those experiences. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was very well written but just fell flat at the end for me. It felt like there was a lot more opportunities that were missed here. He spent less than 5 minutes at the end of the book talking about the changes he made in his life. Half the book should have been about those changes but sounds like he did this for the opportunity to write a book (yes he disclosed this at the beginning) and not to make any lasting changes.

One of my favorite books and I finished it in 3 sittings. It's about so much more than phones and the effect on us. It's about taking time to ask questions and wrestle and connect with the people around you. So good!

As a long-time follower of Carlos Whittaker on Instagram, I had to check out his latest book! Well done and what an intriguing story. I've definitely felt compelled to make some different choices in my electronics use as a result.

I've been part of the Instafamilia for quite a few years now and I adore Carlos. I was not sure if I really wanted to read this book, because I knew there would be quite a lot of religious talk in it, and that's not for me. But I really like this book a lot. Because Carlos wrote it, and he wrote it like he's talking to us on Instagram. It's not that preachy. There is a lot of religion in it, but that's who Carlos is. He's not telling me what to believe, he's applying his beliefs to how he wants to live. I really enjoyed reading about his time with the Monks and the Amish. And I took away a lot from this book, as I too, along with most people, am obsessed/addicted to my smartphone.

This book was a good reminder of what we already know about technology. It was delivered in a slightly different way that at the end seems more balanced. The perspective from people who we have possibly wrongly put in boxes that don't fit was a great way to further highlight the differences and similarities of all humans. It helps to point to the best in us without ignoring some of the worst that we need to work on. Overall, a nicely written book that was an easy read since the stories were told in an interesting way.

I really enjoyed this book! Carlos Whittaker writes with depth, authenticity, and laugh-out-loud humor. In this book, he documents his experiment with screen-free living in a story like way that draws in the reader in a captivating and non-judgmental way. I loved the insights and simple applications he suggests at the end of each chapter. I’ve already recommended this book to others—so good!

This was really good! Thought provoking, challenging, and practical. I would have liked to have read more about when he re-entered the world without his phone and then with his phone to see the difference (however, as a part of the Instafamilia, I have noticed the difference). That being said, I really enjoyed reading about his experiences with the monks and the Amish. The things that he learned are things that I needed to learn as well. Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow, this book is life-changing, mind-blowing, perspective-shifting. I loved every moment of reading it, and it stayed with me long after I finished reading it. I recommend to anyone and everyone. The whole world needs this book.

There are several excellent points made in this brief but interesting book, but I have some issues with the style. It's presented in a rather 'folksy' manner, which I generally find offputting. It more or less works here, as this is a personal journal of the author's quest to spend less screen time with his phone. This is ironic, as he makes his living posting on instagram...... I like that Mr. Whittaker takes the time to summarize his key learnings at the end of his sections, but there is a huge overuse of putting. periods. after. each. word. Clever when used once or twice. Loses its emphasis when used consistently throughout the book. And I really like the two situations he puts himself into - the abbey and the Amish farm - and his honesty when he first arrives at each, not certain if he can even make it two weeks, shows his human, vulnerable side. But I did not realize that he was going to add a religious slant to his writing, and that is something that is a turn off for me, although other readers could find this appealing. I enjoyed this book overall, but I personally found it to be a bit shallow and self-serving. For instance, he had a hard time dealing with the fact that both the monks and the farmers had cell phones, like the universe revolves around the author and his weaknesses. He didn't consider that other people, in other walks of life, could use these devices without developing the addiction that he has with his phone.

This ARC was provided by the publisher and NetGalley, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

No matter how much time you spend on your phone, we all probably struggle with wishing we relied on it less.
I really enjoyed this read. Practically advice for simply being present and giving attention to things we are not giving as much attention to.
As a mother of ten, it is not necessarily my phone that is my distraction. It is oftentimes my children that get all of my attention. (As they usually should). Yet, whether it is realizing to make eye contact with strangers in the grocery line, or to give yourself times of solitude, times to be bored, times to contemplate, times to rely on God to lead you where to eat lunch or what book to read next, rather than someone’s review or opinion... there are nuggets of wisdom here. I just generally found this to be a book with something to glean. Learning what areas we have disconnected ourselves and how to become reconnected.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Reconnected" by Carlos Whittaker. Even though Whittaker has published previous books and has a "Instafamily" of hundreds of thousands, this is my first encounter with his work.
First of all, the premise is so timely. As a teacher who has witnessed students' phone addictions, social media drama, depression, and even online school threats, I appreciate all Whittaker does in his book. Whittaker takes us on a journey of real experiences that involve a monastery and an Amish farm. His low key charm and tone enables the reader to appreciate the different, humorous, and sometimes difficult situations in which he finds himself.
Noteworthy moments are Whittaker's learning to pray five times a day with the monks and eating ninety minute meals with the Amish. Most difficult is silence. I liked how the author entertained with experiences and shared God-centered wisdom.
Thank you, Netgalley, for this inspirational book. Whittaker at one point says, " They were in charge of their phones; their phones were not in charge of them." I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to return to the place of looking up, wondering, and praying instead of Googling.

Reconnected by Carlos Whittaker is a brilliant book! Carlos shares with the reader his journey of how he understood how much his phone and other electronic screens, took away from his ability to truly "connect" with others and the world. Carlos spent seven weeks with no screens and prior to his experiment, he had a brain scan by a well-renowned neurologist, so he could see how the elimination of screens for the 7 week period would impact his brain in either a positive or negative way. He documented the entire experience through journaling and even took video of certain rare moments, to capture the essence of what he was experiencing and be better able to express this to the reader. This book is filled with wisdom, humor, and so much rich content, and Carlos shares his learnings in a non-judgmental, engaging way.

After getting his brain scan, Carlos spends the first two weeks in near silence in a monastery, the next two weeks with an Amish family in Ohio, and the final three weeks at home. He then returns to have a follow up brain scan to see if there are any measurable differences with his brain, that would correlate to the emotional, spiritual, and mental changes he noticed while being screen-free.

This book is an exceptional read and I highly recommend it to everyone! The audiobook version is great to listen to, as Carlos has such a rich humor and laid back expression when narrating, and many of the moments he describes, such as a bobcat experience in the monastery, will have you laughing out loud!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow, I read this book super fast. I have been following Loswhit on instagram for a long time and have read all but one of his books. I knew this one would be interesting because I have always been intrigued by the way Carlos talks about community and human relationships. I even started charging my phone in a different room based on his suggestion last year and it has really impacted my life in a positive way.

This book felt a little bit like a social/psychological experiment which I really enjoyed. I felt like Carlos did a great job covering almost the entire scope of being human by talking about way we can be better with out internal life (solitude, etc) and our external life (friends, family, neighbors). I know I will be referencing his suggestions over the long haul.

My only dislike for the book is how quickly it wrapped up. Carlos spends many chapters unpacking his two weeks with Monks and two weeks with the Amish but the three weeks with his family at the end are pretty short. I would have loved to learn more about the ins and outs of being screen free at home while the rest of his family was going about life as usual.

I could write an entire blog about my feelings on this book but suffice it to say that it was extremely relatable and I feel confident that I can apply the suggestions Carlos provides for getting my screen time under control and being a better human.

In RECONNECTED, Carlos Whittaker tells the story of doing what so many of us groan about doing: giving up our screens and on-line angst and making peace with ourselves, then returning to our everyday lives with a fresh perspective on what matters most and how to use our technology as a tool, but being mindful and choiceful in our relationship with it. I felt the power of the desert, of the weaning off a bleating, blurry-visioned world in favor of the present, of embodied living. It was so peaceful, so profound, I was deeply refreshed simply reading of his experience and taking to heart, his stories, I have time-boxed my technology and set new boundaries in my usage. I love his writing and even more the bravery in sharing a tough and rewarding journey. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

There's a real desire to find more connection in the real world vs. the digital one right now, and Carlos Whittaker addresses this with humor. Patrons will be interested in reading about his digital Sabbath.

This was a really good, thought-provoking tale that I really enjoyed. Carlos does a great job of leading the reader to think not just about giving up smart phones (and several times cautions that this is not a book about the dangers of smart phone addictions), but to think more about the ways and reasons technology and smart phones can be used to enhance community in your life.

The many humourous stories of his adjustments to living with monks and the Amish were refreshing and it was easy to get drawn in to Carlos's journey of detaching himself from his phone.

I would have liked to see more of a spiritual theme throughout, but he did mention his faith a few times.

*I received a free digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

I enjoyed this book. It was the right amount of funny without distracting from the real issues talked about. It almost read like a novel, which is always a plus in my book when it comes to non-fiction/ memoirs. It was also a practical book - you could easily apply some of the ideas and principles in the book in the real world, without having to go to a monastery or to an Amish farm.

As a longtime member of the Instafamilia, I was looking forward to hearing about Carlos Whittaker’s 7 screen free weeks. LosWhit is a great story teller and his stories from his time with the monks and the Amish are very enlightening. Reconnected is jam packed with insights of the benefits of going screen free. I’m looking forward to seeing the documentary.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

I knew nothing of Carlos Whittaker, but having read the description of Reconnected, I wanted to give the book a try, and I am glad I did! I absolutely enjoyed reading this book, which was a quick read. Carlos spends time with monks, as well as an Amish community, in order to give living life without a cell phone a try. While at each, he is surprised to see many others with cell phones! He forms a greater understanding of himself, sense of community, and of making conscious decisions as to when/how to use his cell phone--which he uses for his source of income, btw.
Many thanks to Nelson Books, NetGalley, and Mr Whittaker for the ARC in exchange for an honest review