Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human by Carlos Whittaker is a true delight. The author unplugged from all screens for many weeks, spending time with monks, Amish people, and his own family. I really enjoyed reading this book. It makes you look at everything differently and makes you examine what we’ve lost with our constant connectedness and instant information. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Have you ever wondered what impact your doomscrolling is having not just on your life but on your brain? I appreciated Whittaker's hard core approach to this very concept and his candid sharing of his experience. From slowing down, to prayer, to tackling big God concepts, all the way to an Amish farm WOD, Whittaker not only does what many of us wish we could do--put down our phones and truly be present with those around us--but he also highlights the true benfits of doing so and the many ways he chose to move forward changed. A great read!

This book showed me on how i need to disconnect to rereconnect. To get off my phone and focus on the then and get out of my devices. I would definitely recommend

Bravo! Loved this book. I'm hoping to really be intentional with my phone.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I had never heard of Carlos Whittaker before reading this book, but the synopsis drew me in. I found the book to be very easy to read, very accessible, and very much relatable (even though I've never been to a monastery or worked on an Amish farm...though I do live in the heart of Amish country).

The author details his experiences in these places and the things he gleaned from them - things that apply to most, if not all of us. This isn't so much a book about putting down your phone and all the ways it'll improve your life; it's more a book about the things we've lost as a result of being so connected to our screens. I don't want to list them here because I don't want to spoil the book, but I can tell you had made some really salient points and I found myself highlighting several things throughout. I want to commit these things to memory so that I can think of and apply them as the need arises.

I do intend to change some of my behaviors after reading this book. I found it well worth my time and both enjoyable and easy to read.

If I had to find one thing to nitpick, I will say that the author makes some broad generalizations at times (he dispelled some myths about the Amish based on his experiences with the family he lived with, but there were some things that are certainly not the same across the board in all Amish orders). I get that he was only basing the information on what he learned via this experiment, and he DID acknowledge that not all Amish orders are the same, but he would still go on to make all-encompassing statements that simply aren't true about all Amish people. On one hand I found some of the things he said to be really eye-opening, but then the more things he mentioned, the more I realized it's not true of the Amish that live in my area - so to someone that knows nothing of the Amish, it could be a bit misleading.

There was also one little point made at the end of the book that left me feeling a bit bummed, but I like that the author was honest about this fact. I have a lot of respect for him for that, because it's something you will find yourself wanting to know as you are reading, and he gives you the info near the end, even if it's not what you were wanting to hear. I am intentionally being cryptic about here because again, I don't want to spoil anything.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone who finds themselves wishing for a life with less screen-time or reminiscing about how things used to be in "the good old days". It's a quick read and you will be glad that you read it.

A fascinating story on how the author spends time in different environments that don't rely on technology, and how he connected with God during that time.

A thoughtful and thought provoking story! Carlos Whitaker knew he was spending more time connected to his device than connecting with the world around him. So, he challenged himself to 7 weeks without his phone and to find ways to reconnect with the world around him. In his experiment, he spent time with Monks in California and with a community of Amish people in Ohio. What he learned was truly how addicted we are to our devices, but more importantly how he can be intentional with relationships and still balance thoughtful use of technology.

I loved reading this story and hearing about Carlos’ unique story experiences in the communities he lived within. I also really enjoyed the thoughtful lists of tips that he wove throughout the story. They were actionable items to reconnect with the world around us and really pay attention to the people and places in our lives.

Carlos Whittaker is such a joy and is the perfect person to get this message from—no one is better at showing the importance of human connection through meaningful stories. As a member of his “instafamilia,” I get so much hope and inspiration from his content, and this book is no exception.

I love the unconventional approach he took to detox from his phone and appreciated his medical tests that showed the importance of what he did from a physical perspective as well. It was fun to hear about his experiences during this experiment, and I am motivated to make progress in becoming less reliant on my phone after reading this.

The audiobook is exceptional—there is nothing like Carlos providing wisdom in your ear like you’re in the room with him!

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.