Before the days of Google and Wikipedia, if you wanted information on a particular topic, you would have to look it up in an encyclopedia, listing everything in alphabetical order. Tinder in real life was a piece of paper! When there was someone you were interested in, in order to ask them out, you needed to either pluck up the courage to ask them out in person or else pass them a piece of paper with three boxes: check yes, no, or maybe. Oh, and web design was done by spiders! Many jobs did not exist before the internet. Those who were web designers were most likely a spider. A couple of other examples include how wasting time in the office was more obvious. It was a lot more obvious if you wanted to look at something other than the work in front of you on the computer. Staring out the window or looking at inspiring pictures on the office walls were far more obvious than they are today. And, of course, posts were made on real walls. If you had an event or information you wanted to share with other people, then you needed to physically print it on a piece of paper and post it on a real wall for others to see. There are many more nostalgic flashbacks included here in Michael Gentle’s lovely new book, so, in conclusion, pick up this book and see how the last unconnected generation used to live. Catch the tempo of everyday life, from home and school to work and leisure - and perhaps reflect on what we might learn. FULL REVIEW: https://annecarlini.com/ex_books.php?id=585 ~ Exclusive Magazine, Review

What Gentle does here is dutifully remind us of some of the small pleasures of life that we all now just simply take for granted. From casually enjoying an evening out, to our homes being for retiring (not working), to making plans and sticking to them, to not knowing directions and needing a paper map, most everything we took for granted has been replaced by an online electronic presence. OK, sure, the Internet is an integral part of our lives. It’s become so much a part of our daily life that we can hardly remember a time when we couldn’t look something up on the Internet. And even though this resource is so present in our lives, we often don’t think about how it helps us. But if we also become respective, dare to pick apart a few of our made-easier things today, much like peaking an onion, some of the layers before we got to where we are today could easily have just relented in their progress (and we would have been mighty grateful regardless, I believe). I mean, the biggest one for me being that before instant messaging, our lives had more downtime and fewer distractions. We didn’t have constant access to an endless amount of information. Instead, we had to meet in person with friends or family and talk about what was going on in the world. That meant people gathered around the dinner table and discussed current events or politics – all without the distraction of their phones. The Internet has changed our lives in both positive and negative ways and here Gentle provides an insightful flashback to a time much simpler and, at times, perhaps more healthy for us overall. ~ Exclusive Magazine, Review

Michael Gentle’s book provides an enjoyable and balanced survey of some of the dramatic changes the internet has brought to our daily lives. It is sure to encourage reminiscence, reflection, and even debate, about the costs and benefits of life in a digital age. ~ Professor Christopher J Colvin, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, USA. Expertise in global health policy, gender and HIV, and health activism

Michael Gentle reminds us of some of the small pleasures of life, from enjoying an evening out without interruption to not having to work at home, much of which has been replaced by 24/7 connectivity. Perhaps this insightful and highly enjoyable work will encourage us to occasionally revisit the charm of former times, albeit without forfeiting the advantages that technology now offers. ~ Dr. Nancy L. Segal, Psychology Professor, California State University, Fullerton. Director, Twin Studies Center

Michael Gentle has succeeded in writing a book that is neither an anti-tech rant nor a call for a return to some idyllic past. An entertaining read. ~ François Jolles, CIO, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Switzerland

An insightful look at a slower and simpler time, and a reflection on what we have gained and lost. It raises some interesting questions on the effects of the internet on health and wellbeing in a digital age. ~ Lilian Dudley, Emeritus Associate Professor, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, South Africa