The Shallows

Nicholas Carr asks what constant online use is doing to the way our minds work. He builds his argument on the ideas of Marshall McLuhan, who long ago proposed that the medium shapes the message and the mind that receives it. Carr then traces how humans have communicated over time, from spoken language through writing, print and the electronic age, to show how each shift changed habits of thought.

To test these claims, Carr draws on findings from neuroscience, especially research on neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to reorganize itself through repeated experience. He looks at how the skimming, multitasking and rapid switching encouraged by digital screens may affect concentration, memory and deep reading.

The book suits general readers curious about technology, the brain and media, as well as those interested in the history of communication and how it has shaped culture.