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Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines
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Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines
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Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines
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Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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"Self-forgetfulness is the reigning temptation of the technological era. This is why we so readily give our assent to the absurd proposition that a computer can add two plus two, despite the obvious fact that it can do nothing of the sort--not if we have in mind anything remotely resembling what we do when we add numbers. In the computer's case, the mechanics of addition involve no motivation, no consciousness of the task, no mobilization of the will, no metabolic activity, no imagination. And its performance brings neither the satisfaction of accomplishment nor the strengthening of practical skills and cognitive capacities."

In this insightful book, author Steve Talbott, software programmer and technical writer turned researcher and editor for The Nature Institute, challenges us to step back and take an objective look at the technology driving our lives. At a time when 65 percent of American consumers spend more time with their PCs than they do with their significant others, according to a recent study, Talbott illustrates that we're forgetting one important thing--our Selves, the human spirit from which technology stems.

Whether we're surrendering intimate details to yet another database, eschewing our physical communities for online social networks, or calculating our net worth, we freely give our power over to technology until, he says, "we arrive at a computer's-eye view of the entire world of industry, commerce, and society at large...an ever more closely woven web of programmed logic."

Digital technology certainly makes us more efficient. But when efficiency is the only goal, we have no way to know whether we're going in the right or wrong direction. Businesses replace guiding vision with a spreadsheet's bottom line. Schoolteachers are replaced by the computer's dataflow. Indigenous peoples give up traditional skills for the dazzle and ease of new gadgets. Even the Pentagon's zeal to replace "boots on the ground" with technology has led to the mess in Iraq. And on it goes.

The ultimate danger is that, in our willingness to adapt ourselves to technology, "we will descend to the level of the computational devices we have engineered--not merely imagining ever new and more sophisticated automatons, but reducing ourselves to automatons."

To transform our situation, we need to see it in a new and unaccustomed light, and that's what Talbott provides by examining the deceiving virtues of technology--how we're killing education, socializing our machines, and mechanizing our society.Once you take this eye-opening journey, you will think more clearly about how you consume technology and how you allow it to consume you.

"Nothing is as rare or sorely needed in our tech-enchanted culture right now as intelligent criticism of technology, and Steve Talbott is exactly the critic we've been waiting for: trenchant, sophisticated, and completely original. Devices of the Soul is an urgent and important book."

--Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and The Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World

"Steve Talbott is a rare voice of clarity, humanity, and passion in a world enthralled by machines and calculation. His new book, Devices of the Soul, lays out a frightening and at the same time inspiring analysis of what computers and computer-like thinking are doing to us, our children, and the future of our planet. Talbott is no Luddite. He fully understands and appreciates the stunning power of technology for both good and evil. His cool and precise skewering of the fuzzy thinking and mindless enthusiasm of the technology true believers is tempered by his modesty, the elegance of his writing, and his abiding love for the world of nature and our capacity for communion with it. "

--Edward Miller, Former editor, Harvard Education Letter

"Those who care about the healthy and wholesome lives

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 27, 2007
ISBN9780596515232
Unavailable
Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in an Age of Machines

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Rating: 3.5065358869281047 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is Darcy's point of view of Pride and Prejudice, writing a diary of his thoughts and actions mainly in relation to Elizabeth Bennet. I have read other POV's which have included much more detail about his life but this was still an interesting and easy read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Amanda Grange is a great author and I feel this is a very well written retelling of Pride and Prejudice that makes you want to keep reading and not put the book down until you are done. If you don't love Mr. Darcy before you read this retelling you will by the end and if you do love him already you will love him even more!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I adore Mr. Darcy so I loved being able to go back through the original story but this time through Darcy's eyes. Swoon.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A Pride and Prejudice fan will enjoy reliving the classic love story of Jane Austen. Amanda Grange succeeded in weaving the perspective of Mr. Darcy but it's familiar that she used the exact phrases of the original. It was a little modernized, and more was added.

    What I don't like is how Mr. Darcy seems to be a shallow person; like how he and his company, were highly educated, were talking about other people's lives specifically the family of the Bennets.

    I think Mr. Darcy's cute when he was in agony of suspense whether Elizabeth will reciprocate what he feels.

    This is my favorite: "I begin to see clearly why she refused me. And to see that, through my own pride, arrogance and folly, I have lost the woman I love."
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I've always loved Pride and Predujice. This book is a really interesting read. It is told from Fitzwilliam Darcy's point of view. It's written as his diary.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    1. I think the book would benefit if it weren't written as a diary. Because it feels like an odd one to me.

    2. It was easy to read, as opposed to many other Austen interpretations I've looked through. I'm really, really happy there's no excessive use of thesaurus and no Mr Collins's manner of writing (except for where Mr Collins speaks or writes).

    3. On the other hand, I no longer wish to see words 'satirical' and 'droll'.

    4. Overall, it stays true to Jane Austen's writing, which makes me happy. Though it does make Darcy a bit of a dull sort of fellow. Not to mention unpleasant in places.

    Which he was, I guess.

    I liked the book. Give it a go if you're an Austen fan.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    After reading Pamela Aiden's "Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman" trilogy a few months ago, I found this to be merely a much simpler version. Grange doesn't go much beyond the events we already know of from the original novel, and Darcy himself doesn't seem to have much depth at all. He switches from being determined to stop thinking about Elizabeth to suddenly proposing without almost any explanation at all. His feelings seem to flip flop to quickly throughout the novel with no basis. Overall, I knew exactly what was going to happen - there were no surprises. Nothing happens to Darcy that we don't already know about to some degree.
    The book was enjoyable for the story itself, and of course I found myself smiling when Elizabeth finally accepted. The glimpses of their life after marriage were cute too. If you really want an in-depth look at Darcy, I recommend the Pamela Aiden trilogy. Although it can be a little far-fetched a times, she adds a slew of new characters for Darcy to interact with, and really shows the way his mind works.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Normally I don't care for new books based of classic work but this story was very different from Austen's that it worked. I very much enjoyed the format and even a non Austen fan can appreciate the story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Fun fan fiction of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. This is the first Jane Austen fan fiction that I've ever read (after coming across a short-story by Ms Grange in a collection of P&P fan fic), and I thought it was well done. The author takes things from the original text and blends it seamlessly into her writing, so that I felt like I was re-experiencing the pleasure of reading Jane Austen and getting the 'behind the scenes' perspective. I'd be interested in reading Ms. Grange's "Colonel Brandon's Diary", if the opportunity presents itself.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a fine book as long as you don't expect too much from it. If you're expecting perfect Austen, right down to the flowered nuance of language, forget it. But if you're looking for a fun, spirited read that takes you through some of the thoughts Mr. Darcy may have had as he courted and married Elizabeth, than this is a fun little book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Pride and Prejudice retold from Mr. Darcy's point of view. A fun read. It didn't give me grand new perspectives on canon, but it was enjoyable.

    I kept getting distracted by a layout problem, though: there was not nearly enough space between the diary dates and the following text, and the y's frequently overlapped the next line. Very annoying.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I LOVED this book!!! I have wanted to read it ever since I finished Pride & Prejudice, and it was definetly worth the wait! I Love how the story flows the same, but from a different perspective! Wonderful...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this one. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books, so I was hoping this would do it justice. I think that Grange captured Mr. Darcy's voice very well and succeeded in telling the story from his point of view. The writing was nice and very easy to read. Some of Mr. Darcy's thoughts were very amusing as were some of his conversations with Colonel Fitzwilliam. This was an interesting spin-off and a fun, light read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I found this book to be quite enjoyable, despite basically being a retelling of the familiar tale from a different perspective. While the events and characters are familiar, having Darcy vocalize the emotional tumoil he went through was satisfying. I am not fond of books written as diaries, and this was no exception, but I was able to overlook it. This was much easier to read than Pride and Prejudice, but also less rewarding. And I think it definately does not stand alone. I would recommend it if you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, but keep and open mind and don't expect any startling revelations, just a love story told from the much misunderstood gentleman's point of view.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Grange relies heavily on Austen’s work and this novel contains, at the very least, 90% of Austen’s material verbatim. Yet, Grange has peppered the pages with Darcy’s internal monologue that stays surprisingly true to the character and is quite an enjoyable read. Mr. Darcy in this book, while he is tormented internally by his affections for Elizabeth Bennet, does not betray his stature or position and act out of the ordinary. Instead, he writes of his inner torment in his diary and tries to hold his composure because of his status (and because of Elizabeth’s). With his entries, we see Mr. Darcy as a red-blooded man, someone who can love most passionately, and someone who can grieve over his mistakes.But, perhaps the most enjoyable is the author’s additions of Darcy and Elizabeth’s life after they are wed. We are given several entries from Darcy as a married man and given a glimpse of what the character’s married life might have been like.It was a refreshing read, in that many secondary characters are given more dialogue, and Darcy has been given more depth as a character while not straying too far from Austen’s portrayal of him.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The book begins not with Bingley's occupation of Netherfield, but rather with the original incident involving Georgiana and Mr. Wickham. In this area, the author takes creative license, expanding upon circumstances and giving one a different view upon Georgiana's character as well as that of Ms. Younge. This sets the stage for the events that follow and Darcy's take upon them. It also elucidates his feelings towards both his sister and his former steward's son.My favorite scenes in this novel are the ones created entirely from the author's own mind. Ms. Bingley was always faithfully represented, as were Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine. The incidences that Grange created give us more insight into the characters of minor players and even ones who figured prominently in Pride and Prejudice without ever being fleshed out. By this I refer to Bingley, who was only ever shown to be an amiable gentleman who is easily swayed. Grange's take on his personality made him less of an idea and more of a person one can believe in.The entire book is written as a diary, adding in various events to fill in the gaps in time that existed between Darcy's appearances in the original novel. The dialogue from the original was retained, and while I can see the attempt to maintain authenticity, it came at the price of my belief in the premise of this work. In writing in one's journal, it seems unlikely that one would set about scripting out conversations as one would if writing an actual book. The insertions seemed forced, reminding me that this is an homage to another author's work.Part of the reason that the quotations stood out was due to vocabulary and style. Grange does quite well in some instances in terms of her sentence structure and removal of the contractions we are so fond of these days. In spite of all of this, however, I was struck by the simplicity of the journal entries. Bingley once commented upon Darcy's use of long words, suggesting a verbosity that was sorely lacking here. The repetition of words and phrases also seemed uncharacteristic when compared to Austen's original dialogue.More than a Darcy-centered play-by-play, I came into this experience wanting to see an interpretation of his inner thoughts and reasoning, as well as the changes in his character over time. These are present in the passages fabricated by the author; unfortunately, they are absent in those already established by the original work. Instead, preexisting sections become summaries of Austen's scenes, limiting Darcy's emotions to those that she already laid out. They did not improve my understanding of the man in question.One of the many dangers of writing historical fiction is in keeping everything true to the time period, and I applaud the author's bravery in attempting such a daunting undertaking. Even so, I couldn't help but notice the instances in which this became an issue in Mr. Darcy's Diary. An anachronism that came up several times was the lack of proper use of subjunctives. Many twenty-first century writers will use "I was" when "I were" is technically correct, but this sort of rule-breaking should not have been present given the thorough education that Darcy undoubtedly received. These moments jolted me out of Grange's take on Austen's world every time they occurred, making it difficult to believe that this book is indeed a journal penned by Fitzwilliam Darcy's hand.It isn't easy trying to fill Jane Austen's shoes. In Mr. Darcy's Diary, the author succeeds best when deviating from the predetermined track and channeling her own take on these beloved characters. An original work may do more justice to her talents.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I just loved this book it is s bit different as it goes past the wedding day and into some of the future. It was a lovely read.Between the reconstituted passages, the reader is treated to Darcy's ongoing reflections on Hertfordshire society, his family obligations, his sister and, most crucially, Elizabeth Bennet and her family. There are also wholly invented conversations, most engagingly between Bingley and Darcy as they try to resist the pull of Netherfield Hall.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mr. Darcy's Diary is a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice. Written in diary format and from Mr. Darcy's point of view. The reader gets insight to Darcy's deepest feelings about Elizabeth and more. Why he thinks and acts the way he does. Being an Austen fan, I highly enjoyed this book. It's almost as good as the original. I found it very entertaining and insightful.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This book is all about Mr Darcy's hoping to see Elizabeth smile, hoping to see Elizabeth dance, hoping to run into Elizabeth again, bla bla bla. I expected the dialog to be old fashoned too, but it's not. The author tried and at least partially succeeded in sentance structure and word choice, but the more you read, the more you notice the author's limitations in Austin-style writing. Maybe she deliberatly avoided an Austin imitation, but I would have enjoyed this book more had it been in Austin language. I agree with one of the comments made below: this book is basically a reideration of the original; there is not a lot of creativity on the author's part so you might as well just read Pride and Prejudice.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Pride and prejudice is my favorite book of all time, so I was a little apprehensive about reading a book written about it. But it met and exceeded my expectations.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mr Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange follows the same Pride and Prejudice plot but through the eyes of our beloved moody Mr Darcy. The book is written in epistolary format (ie; as a diary, naturally) so some who aren't used to this may take a while to get used to. I haven't read many epistolary novels much but this one flows evenly and it's not choppy so reading it isn't difficult or hard. In fact, it makes the experience nice and enjoyable.I have to admit, I thought it was going to be a serious novel as, seeing it was through Mr Darcy's perspective he's going to be dour, moody and serious so it only fits that the novel should reflect that. It's not entirely what I expected. I found myself chuckling and laughing at some parts especially at how Darcy has to look after Bingley most of the time. Bingley is shown in this novel as very scatterbrained, impulsive and comical (in fact, the exact opposite of Mr Darcy) and Mr Darcy is seen as having to steer him onto the proper road all the time. Although, when the story starts out when them arriving at Netherfield and Darcy completely hating being there with "country folk" I have to say I thought Darcy and Caroline were two of the biggest snobs I have ever read in my entire life. I couldn't stand their talk and thought it was absolutely cruel of them to purposely separate Jane and Bingley like that. It made you almost want to punch Darcy in the face. What gave me the chuckles the most was his constant denial of trying to not think about Elizabeth. In most of his diary entries in the beginning he swears to not think about her but then you see him mention something of her character, or how she looked. It was funny but at the same time it was interesting because it gave the reader the opportunity to see what Darcy was really thinking when certain climaxes happened to take place through the Pride and Prejudice plot. I loved his thoughts when he was around Mrs Bennet or even Mr Collins. I knew I laughed out loud at parts where he write of his opinion of these people. It was also nice to see more detail into his bantering back and forth with Elizabeth which is seen as almost a means of flirtation but in a very subtle manner that only both of them could understand.The story stays close and highlights the most important parts of Pride and Prejudice with tidbits of what happens in between those events but what's more important is towards the end it gives you a little more of what happened after the ending and I thought that was the most interesting. I liked how a tiny addition could make the novel even better. I liked how there were knots tied to characters I was curious about and how the happy ending was made even more happier.Overall, Amanda Grange does a wonderful job with this book and I'm hoping fans of Pride and Prejudice will enjoy this book as much as I did. It was a great, entertaining and very light hearted read.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I've read some very good spin-offs, sequels, and prequels to Pride and Prejudice, but, unfortunately, this isn't one of them. If you've read Austen's original and have seen any of the film versions, you'll find nothing new here. Grange adds no new insights into either Darcy's character or the backstory. "His" diary entries are merely restatements of what happens and what is said in the Austen original, fleshed out by a few emotions made obvious by Colin Firth, Matthew McFayden, and others on screen.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very enjoyable story - Pride and Prejudice written from the point of view of Mr Darcy. I thought the diary format might have been a bit unbelievable but it seemed to work well. Stayed very close to the original text - a bit of extra detail would have been good. Continues on past the wedding which is a bonus. Finally things go well for Anne!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    After reading Pamela Aiden’s “Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman” trilogy recently, I found Mr. Darcy’s Diary to be merely a much simpler version. Grange doesn’t go much beyond the events we already know of from the original novel. The only events with actual substance are the ones Grange directly quotes from the original without her own addition to the story, besides: ” I cannot believe it. I have seen Elizabeth.” {pg. 204}And Darcy himself doesn’t seem to have much depth at all. Darcy’s feelings seem to flip flop to quickly throughout the novel with no basis. And there were no surprises. Nothing happens to Darcy that we don’t already know about to some degree.Of course, I found myself smiling when Elizabeth finally accepted as I always do. The glimpses of their life during their engagement and after marriage were cute too.However, if you really want an in-depth look at Darcy, I recommend the Pamela Aiden trilogy. Adian, unlike Grange, really shows the way Darcy’s mind works.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Now having read Pamela Aiden's series and a range of other Jane Austen fan fiction novels, I would compare Amanda Grange's Mr. Darcy's Diary as better than other fan fiction but not on par with the Pamela Aiden novels. The last one-fifth of the book was the most interesting to me, as it provided a "what could have happened" glimpse into the lives of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam and their acquaintances after their marriage. I think Amanda Grange had the best of intentions and made a solid effort at summarizing Pride & Prejudice from Darcy's perspective, unlike other the other Jane Austen fan fiction authors who almost make a mockery of one of the world's greatest works of fiction.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting and humorous - but hardly scintillating.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    My dear readers,It is with grave misfortune that I dissuade you from whatever excitement you may have upon learning of the existence of this novel. Jane Austen, the wonderful authoress that she is, has created such a wealth of characters and a story so beloved that more modern writers cannot help but continue to revisit the story and attempt to put a new stamp on things, but to no avail.Mr. Darcy's Diary is a straight retelling of Pride and Prejudice, even directly quoting the original during key points in the plot. Grange has done a very admirable job of spinning the story from Darcy's point of view, but she hasn't been able to do it in an interesting or original way. Her efforts to recreate Darcy's formal and reserved personality within this diary-as-a-novel format have resulted in a very bland and wooden book where every twist of the story is predictable. Please take my assurance that it would be much more entertaining to reread Austen's original yet again.In short, Grange's rendition of Mr. Darcy's side of Pride and Prejudice never enflamed my passions. And for all its formality in tone, the book is so familiar that it can only cause a brief entertainment. I'd recommend this book only to particular friends of the original story.Kindest regards,An Opinionated Lady
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A retelling of 'Pride & Prejudice' through Mr. Darcy's diary. Though I thought the beginning was slow, it set the rest of the story up well. Because the plot is so familiar, it's a really quick read. Overall, I liked it a lot.