If you have been following Carlos Whittaker on his socials, then you will come to enjoy this book as you do his stories and reels. His great storytelling is matched with his journey of what life is like not only as a monk or an Amish person but also one that does not have a phone! Cue the astonishment! Yes, Mr. Whittaker takes more than 7 weeks away from our precious handheld everything. He even takes brain scans before and after to see if there any results in being attached to the handheld as we are all so guilty to do. He not gives us some advice to get us away from the screens but makes such valid points that we have longed have forgotten to do as a result of our obsession with our phones. He brings us to the core of being a human is that is community and relationships. Some we take for granted but yet here we are so connected more than we ever been and yet are the loneliest that we have ever been. This book is not meant to be read once and done. Instead, I see it as a refresher to new resolutions for ourselves and our lives and what is truly important. Is it the followers, the likes and the virality of what we post? Or is it the eye contact and actual conversations over a meal without a phone in hand? He brings up so many great nuggets for us to digest in our everyday life with the phone. When was the last time you went a day, a hour, even 30 minutes away from our phone? What do you think you could accomplish, think, wonder or even perhaps, become a little bored? Is that really a bad thing? I think Carlos Whittaker is meant for everybody to ready in this heavy digital world!

I've followed Carlos on social media for some time and was excited to hear about this book, and to find out what he did while he was away from social media. He offers his journey and experiences to learn from without ever feeling judgemental of the choices you make. It's the most practical and uplifting book I've read on the relationship we have with our phones and how to reconnect with other humans. Thank you to the publisher for providing this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been a fan of Carlos Whittaker and have enjoyed each of his books. But RECONNECTED was like a breath of fresh air. The topic is not something necessarily new, but Carlos approaches it in a unique and interesting way. I found myself completely immersed in the pages, wanting to know more and more about life at the monastery and even more about life with the Amish. I'm convinced, without a doubt, that technology (while useful in most ways) has contributed to our society's destruction. We no longer rely on one another like we used to. We no longer know what's real and what's deep fake. Carlos's book makes me think twice about picking up my phone to "numb my mind" when things are hard or challenging, or I don't know the answer to a question. Instead, we should turn to God and each other! Way to go, Carlos! I will recommend this book to my friends, my connection group at church, and my teens. By the way, Carlos is so talented and engaging, and this book is great for both Christians and non - Christians. RECONNECTED is a must-read for EVERYONE who uses any sort of screen technology!

This is going to sound weird in 2024, but...I can't relate. I am someone who lives the kind of life that maybe Carlos wants to live in some version - I don't even have social media on my phone at. all. In fact, my phone is connected to an email address that is JUST for my phone, so I don't have email away from my desktop. I don't turn my desktop on on Sundays (and haven't for 13 years), leaving me completely disconnected for an entire day each week. I read every morning and even longer on Sundays. I use technology, but am not used by it.

That said, I enjoyed this book immensely. It helped me to understand that the benefits my soul senses that I reap from choosing what is, admittedly, a harder lifestyle in today's world are real. I connected immediately with the experience that Carlos was having throughout his journey because it is exactly the kind of experience I work diligently to cultivate in my own life.

And...the book convicted me of where I'm slipping a little. It seems magical and wonderful to linger over meals the way the book describes, but...I'm also single, so it's learning to savor in the solitude. I guess I've grown weary of the marvelousness of solitude in my prolonged singleness. Maybe. It all reminds me of that time I was an undergraduate student taking a photography class after a prolonged serious illness - the way my eyes saw new color, the way I was living with eyes wide open to see things that I hadn't seen before. Even though I have a good relationship with technology, there is still room in my life for my relationship with wonder to keep growing. And I needed this book to remind of that. So thank you.

Let's compare brains sometime.

This was my first book from Carlos and I genuinely enjoyed it. Not only were the stories and experiences entertaining, he brought practical applications from his learned experiences that made this experiment feel like something we too can learn from. I don’t think I’ll take 7-weeks of no-screens and live with monks and the Amish, but I’m glad Carlos did so we can all glean from his experience!

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This was a truly powerful book that I was in desperate in need of reading right now. I’ve been wanting to make some changes and this really encouraged me to follow through with those

I typically don’t read book like this. I’m not a religious person at all, but I follow Carlos on Instagram and enjoy his content. When he was talking about the basis of this book I was very intrigued. The idea of not only disconnecting from the world for 7 weeks, but basically joining a monastery sounded crazy! I’m so glad I read this one. As Carlos takes us on his journey of detoxing from SM and electronics he also takes on a journey of learning about the monks that live in the monastery and life with the Amish. I wish that he had maybe talked more about his time at home without SM, but overall I really liked the book. In a world where we have become so dependent on SM and trends and immediate gratification, I think we could all use 7 weeks of “time out”.

I've followed Carlos Whittaker on Instagram for many years, and this book is like sitting on his couch listening to him tell the stories of the time he spent screen free. I went into this book thinking that Carlos was going to advocate for us readers to try going screen free (I should have known better!), but instead he gives some recommendations on how to cut back on screen time which is perfect for our current times. This is a book I need to skim each year to be reminded of the actions to take to cut back on screen time.

The bulk of the book was about Carlos' time at the monastery followed by his time at the Amish farm. He briefly wrote about his 3 weeks at home screen free as he wrapped up the book. I wish he would have spent more time talking about his time screen free at home because that's something we all can relate to. It's easy to cut back on screen time when you are on "vacation" or outside your normal routine, but it's much more difficult during your day-to-day life with ingrained habits.

Thank you Nelson Books | Thomas Nelson for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m not sure if I just needed this book at this time or if it’s the best book Carlos has ever written. As he writes, I feel like I am with him in the monastery and on the farm. The way in which he describes his emotions and reflections draws me in and paints a beautiful picture of what could be in my own life, I’m so thankful for this work.

I have been following Carlos for quite sometime as we have a mutual friend in common, so while I was aware that he was taking 7 weeks "away" from social media, he didn't give any hints as to what those weeks entailed. As soon as he announced his book and the details of those 7 weeks I knew that I was all in. Two weeks spent with monks in California, two weeks spent with the Amish in Ohio, and the last three weeks spent back at home in his normal day to day, all without a single screen. No phone, no laptop, no desktop, no television. While I'd like to think this is a dream, (a call back to the nostalgia of my childhood as a millennial where playing outside was the thing to do) I'm not sure I'd be able to handle all that comes with powering down. When I say I devoured this story, I mean it. I started it mid-afternoon, fell asleep with it in my hands, woke up at 4am with the hunger to read more, and finished in the early hours of the morning. This book makes me hope for a better rhythm for myself. It makes me hope that all of the readers find a better rhythm and maybe a stronger sense of self and community. Funnily enough Carlos' calls his followers the "Instafamilia" and references those followers as "Hope Dealers" and man did he dole out the hope in this story. I want to read this book over and over, soaking up the importance of the words and the experiences. Please, please, please pre-order this book. Read this book, Live (some parts) of this book.

An honorable mention that made me LOL "Stop it, cat." I read this story 3 times and cackled my way through each time.

I squealed with delight when NetGalley and the publisher approved me to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review and THIS. BOOK. DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT!!! Seriously. Carlos Whittaker has such a way with words. I love all of his books, but this is a favorite. This is one of those “buy a copy for yourself and all of your friends and talk about it until said friends are so annoyed with you for talking about it that they give in and read it themselves and then they can’t stop talking about it” books. I digress. I’ve read a lot of books about taking a digital sabbath of sorts, or the importance of limiting technology, all along those lines. But this book is REVOLUTIONARY! I’m just an average work from home / stay at home toddler mom and am floored by how much this book impacted me. The way Whittaker tells his story, invites the reader in, and then applies it to the readers’s life is incredible. Not only will you want to have better boundaries with your phone after reading this book, you’ll want to be more intentional in so many ways. Pick up a copy and you won’t be sorry you did!

I have followed Carlos for years, and was really excited about a new book from him. This book did NOT disappoint. I cannot exclaim enough how timely and necessary this message is. I personally have needed this book for a while now. It made me think, convicted me, and made me stop and notice things in my life. I had to digest a lot of it slowly, as real change doesnt happen overnight. However, this book made me journal, ask questions about my own life, and really think about changes that I want to make. I do not want to be engrossed in a digital world at the expense of the real world around me. Thank you Carlos for such a necessary message, and for sharing your story so openly.

In 2022, Carlos Whittaker spent 7 days being completely screen free - no phone, no computer, no t.v, no screens. He spent two weeks at a monastery, two weeks working on an Amish farm, and three weeks at home with his family. As part of this experience, he also worked with a doctor to get before & after scans of his brain to see if the screen-free time had any impact.

This book will hit most people right in the gut. Doing the math on how much time is spent with electronics is eye-opening, and the real first point of the book to stop and do some self-reflection on how we currently prioritize and use our own time. Through Carlos's experiment and experience, he reflected on several aspects of life that society has been missing out on. I paused mid-way through the book to reflect and make immediate adjustments to my electronic notifications. I also have a list of some key words that are great topics to focus on and remember, especially as I am tempted to grab my phone and spend some time looking at electronics.

This book makes you think! I can't wait to get a hard copy and highlight and take notes, reassess any progress I've made at that point, and continue to reflect on the role that screens play in my life.

This was a great, thoughtful read. The writing has a lot of voice, authenticity, and humor. Whittaker makes it clear that he’s not anti-phone, but he gives a lot of reasons for more intentional engagement with screens, and practical suggestions for how to be more present in daily life. I did a lot of highlighting in my Kindle for this book, and have a feeling I’ll return to it a lot for its advice on how to be “not anti-technology, but pro-community.” I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be more present in their daily life with their friends, family, and/or community.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC. This review is my honest opinion.

Wise, conversational, and laugh-out-loud funny, Reconnected is a must read for anyone with a smart phone. Carlos Whitaker spent seven weeks with no screens to see how it would impact his brain and his ability to human. He documented the whole experience and has distilled his most sage learnings into an approachable, non-judgmental book that will keep you entertained even as you’re gleaning lessons on being connected in a disconnected world.

The experiment begins with a brain scan to get a documented “before.” Carlos owns that he spends “7ish” hours a day on his phone, and he wanted to see how (and if) his brain would respond to seven weeks without his phone (or any screen). He 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. Then he returns to have a follow up brain scan to see if there are measurable differences to match the internal changes he had undergone.

This book is phenomenal, and it’s also probably not what you’re thinking. I dare you to add it to your library. Thank you to Carlos for sharing with us the benefit of your experience as you took on this experiment- also? Thanks to Heather for her heady support and encouragement when you felt you might be better off coming home in the first 24hrs. Loved this book. It’s so needed.

I’d like to thank Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun book! And SO good! The concepts and conversations that are discussed are wonderful. It's a good easier read, and not heavy were you want to not finish the book. I loved this! Great book!