The Digital Delusion by Jared Cooney Horvath

THE DIGITAL DELUSION by Jared Cooney Horvath discusses “How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids' Learning--and How to Help Them Thrive Again.” Horvath, a neuroscientist and educator who specializes in human learning and brain development, has certainly produced a thought-provoking text. He divides it into three sections: defining the problem (including a chapter which looks at the impact on attention, empathy, and transfer of knowledge); a deeper dive into the use of cellphones and artificial intelligence; and an action-oriented section on how to push back. Some of his most interesting comments concern discrepancies between commonly held beliefs and what research shows. For example, he notes that, “although EdTech is frequently promoted as a tool for equity, evidence suggests it most often benefits students who already possess strong knowledge and self-regulation skills. As a result, digital technology tends to amplify existing inequalities rather than eliminate them.” And, in an interview earlier this year with American Enterprise Institute, Horvath explained that high international test scores do not necessarily correlate with tech use, saying, “the countries that use technology the least in schools in the world are Japan, China, Malaysia, and Singapore.” He continues, “[their] rich digital infrastructure is for adults producing work, not kids learning how to become adults.” He repeatedly probes the difference between knowing something and merely knowing where to find it, writing, “human beings think in stories. … digital technologies largely kill sustained narrative. They flood us with disconnected, context free fragments … with no coherent thread linking one idea to the next. This consistent stream of randomness doesn't just weaken memory, it also disrupts comprehension, deep thinking, and the ability to build usable knowledge.” THE DIGITAL DELUSION offers much to contemplate in what Publishers Weekly calls an “intriguing if flawed treatise … sure to spark plenty of conversation.” References and Appendices accounted for approximately half of the preview copy I received.

LIT by Jeff Karp

LIT: LIFE IGNITION TOOLS by Jeff Karp takes a look at how to “Use Nature's Playbook to Energize Your Brain, Spark Ideas, and Ignite Action.” Karp is a biomedical engineering professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, an innovator and serial entrepreneur.  He obviously is a person with high energy and interest in pursuing new ideas and different ways of thinking. Some of the skills he stresses include “flip the switch,” “live for the questions,” and “get bothered.”  He quotes any number of experts like Temple Grandin or Sir Ken Robinson, and encourages readers to “be an active opportunist,” “get hooked on movement,” and “fall in love with practice.” Karp’s publishers say that LIT: LIFE IGNITION TOOLS “takes us off autopilot and helps us stay alert, present, and fully engaged in our lives.” For many readers Karp’s strategies and suggestions will not be intuitive and more specific action steps could have been helpful. This seems like a hard text to tackle and digest alone, but a group working together over an extended time could definitely have an impact on each other. Detailed notes and excellent references comprise roughly ten percent of the text – the bibliography is a fantastic reading list. 

Look Again by Tali Sharot and Cass R. Sunstein

LOOK AGAIN by Tali Sharot (The Optimism Bias) and Cass R. Sunstein (Nudge, Noise) is the stimulating result of the joint effort between professors of cognitive neuroscience (at University College London and MIT) and of law (at Harvard), respectively.  Extolling “The Power of Noticing What Was Always There,” they advocate for consciously making changes (vacations, a walk, a new book) to enhance life experiences. Even though we may not always fully appreciate it, breaking habits can be rejuvenating. Sharot and Sunstein give other examples like how the number of accidents dropped when Sweden switched the side of the road for driving or “how satisfaction with material goods falls sharply over time, [while] satisfaction with experience does not decline.” A particularly pertinent section deals with why we tend to believe lies if we hear them often enough. Sharot and Sunstein write, “this is partly because when a statement is repeated again and again, your brain processes it less and less as is no longer surprising or new.” It is not a big leap to think about that statement (called the illusory truth effect) and then look at polling results regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Another section deals with metacognitive myopia … the likelihood of giving less weight to a statement debunking a falsehood, especially if it involves repeating the lie. As they point out, even size and color of text can influence our perception of truth. LOOK AGAIN received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“a revelatory investigation of a phenomenon that’s as complex as it is common”).

– PLEASE NOTE: Cass R. Sunstein will be speaking about this new book with Ayelet Fishbach on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 7:00 PM CT on ZOOM in a program sponsored by Family Action Network. Registration is required and the presentation will be recorded and available on FAN’s website.  

Why We Remember by Charan Ranganath

I requested a preview copy of WHY WE REMEMBER by Charan Ranganath after reading his guest essay which explains the difference between little “f” forgetting (fairly common retrieval failure) and capital “F” Forgetting (lost or completely gone memories) in The New York Times. Ranganath has spent decades studying memory mechanisms and is currently a Professor at the Center for Neuroscience and Department of Psychology and director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California at Davis. His new book is subtitled “Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters” and he writes in detail about how the brain works and the various experiments in his research. The content is fascinating (e.g., how false memories are built), but complex at times. Ranganath emphasizes that “your remembering self is constantly - and profoundly - shaping your future by influencing just about every decision you make.” He includes extensive notes (roughly fifteen percent of the text) and bibliographic references (another twenty percent) in support of his arguments. This text also made me think about a much older book from Joshua Foer called Moonwalking with Einstein which first introduced me to the method of loci or creating a “memory palace.” Although sometimes academic in tone, WHY WE REMEMBER received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“Approachable and enlightening, this is worth seeking out.”).

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

SUPERCOMMUNICATORS by Charles Duhigg (The Power of Habit and Smarter, Faster, Better); describes “How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.” Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist and author, writes that this book “is an attempt to explain why communication goes awry and what we can do to make it better. At its core are a handful of key ideas.” He continues by describing three kinds of conversations (practical or decision-making; emotional; and social) which he says primarily addresses one of three broad questions: What’s this really about? How do we feel? Who are we? Duhigg stresses that we need be more skilled at determining which type of conversation is occurring and then also in applying the different skills needed for each. I found myself thinking about this recently when talking to a friend and was able to ask a version of “Do you want me to help you solve this problem, or just listen?” After several years of studying the topic, Duhigg believes that anyone can become a super communicator and can have more meaningful discussions or “learning conversations.” First step: ask yourself “Why am I opening my mouth?” He acknowledges that this is very difficult and employs real-life examples to illustrate several rules in a well-organized series of guides. To gain a better overview, see an essay by Duhigg  that outlines his thinking, particularly about listening, sharing, and connecting (recently published in The Wall Street Journal). SUPERCOMMUNICATORS received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Much advice worthy of reflection, perhaps in conjunction with David Brooks’ How to Know a Person.

Flip Thinking by Berthold Gunster

FLIP THINKING by Berthold Gunster explores the improv strategy of turning *yes, but* into *yes, and* as described in his subtitle: “The Life-Changing Art of Turning Problems into Opportunities.” Gunster has worked as a theatre director and writer for years and has written numerous books on this subject. In this latest work he includes numerous chapters, each of which averages about 3000 words (or ten minutes of reading time), to encourage daily reflection on a variety of strategies. Some of those are waiting, rethinking, flaunting, and reversing. One of Gunster’s insights is that by default humans tend to try to solve problems, or even resist them, which can often make them worse. He encourages readers to reframe or let go of expectations. Similarly, he suggests asking yourself, “What could I learn from this problem? What could be the hidden opportunity?” A lengthy list of recommended reading, detailed notes, and an index comprise roughly thirty percent of FLIP THINKING. A summary of key points related to Gunster’s work is available on the Next Big Idea Club website. There, Gunster says, “Flip thinking is what children tend to do. What do grown-ups do when it rains? They avoid it. Stay indoors, carry an umbrella. What do children do? They dance in the rain.”

Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin

VISUAL THINKING by Temple Grandin is subtitled “The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions.” The best-selling author and speaker explores those issues as well as the many reasons to more actively encourage visual thinking skills. Grandin will be discussing her new book – in person and via Zoom – this Thursday, October 20 at Evanston High School during a program sponsored by Family Action Network. Details are here.  She is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and has written extensively about animals and about neurodiversity; her memoir, Thinking in Pictures, was made into an award winning film. In this new text, Grandin contrasts those who think primarily verbally with visual thinkers, themselves further sub-divided into spatial (abstract patterns) and object (pictures/images) visualizers. Verbal thinkers tend to be more linear in their thought process while Grandin argues that visual thinkers are more associative and that society and our economy would benefit from valuing their technical skills more highly. Roughly thirty percent of the book includes references from researchers, behavioral scientists, engineers, social commentators, entrepreneurs, and educators. Look for VISUAL THINKING on the Library shelves and add what is sure to be a fascinating talk to your calendar now! 

Related text: Fixed by Amy E. Herman.