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!