The book I selected to review is The world beyond your head: On becoming an individual in the age of distraction, by Matthew B. Crawford.
Matthew B. Crawford gained fame with the publication of his first book, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An inquiry into the value of work.
In Shop Class, Crawford explored the idea that pursuing a trade is more valuable than pursuing a college education, and that there is an ethical and practical importance to manual competence. (Crawford, 2009). (Crawford himself works on motorcycles, and also has a degree in physics and a Ph.D in political philosophy ). (Crawford, n.d.).
He expands on this idea in The world beyond your head. Crawford addresses the crisis of a sort brought on by the distractions that surround us, every day and everywhere. While much of this information onslaught is digital, we are also subject to advertisements on every conceivable surface, from the back of the tray in front of your airplane seat, to the back of your hotel room key card. (Crawford, 2015, pp. 3-4). He suggests that the right to privacy should be expanded to include the right not to addressed. (Crawford, 2015, p. 13). Crawford makes the case for not installing “speakers in every single corner of a shopping mall,” allowing riders to turn off the monitor in the back of the taxi, and being able to find a corner of a bar that doesn’t include a television running beer commercials. (Crawford, 2015, p. 252).
This also plays into the idea of information overload, which “suggests that the surging volume of available information—and its interruption of people’s work—can adversely affect not only personal well-being but also decision making, innovation, and productivity.” (Hemp, 2009). It frequently seems like every online company, every charity, every political candidate wants your email address so that they can bombard you with daily emails. Sometimes, a girl just wants to be left alone.
Inasmuch as my information community is knitters and crafters, the more significant part of this book, at least to me, is his emphasis on learning a craft or skill. A defense against this onslaught of distractions, Crawford argues, requires that we reckon with the way attention sculpts the self, and that each of us can benefit from intense focus that can remove us from the familiar hassles of daily life. He uses a number of examples, such as hockey star Alex Ovechkin, who can perform miracles with his hockey stick, a short order cook who gets into a “zone,” preparing multiple meals at once, the motorcycle rider who learns to read the road and other drivers, the glass blower, and the pipe organ maker, and contrasts these “ordinary activities” with the “autistic pseudo autonomy of manufactured experiences,” such as slot machines and video poker. (Crawford, 2015, p. 111). The first create a happier and healthier human being; the latter creates zombie-like addicts hooked on spinning wheels and blinking lights.
Crawford extols learning, and criticizes our society’s fixation on autonomy, which conflicts with the need to submit oneself in order to build up new skills, like learning to play a musical instrument. (Crawford, 2015, p. 127 – 128). Crawford opines that “membership in a community is a prerequisite to creativity,” (Crawford, 2015, p. 129), and promotes the concept of apprenticeship as a means of passing on knowledge and arts that might otherwise be lost. (Crawford, 2015, p. 139). Such a relationship also provides an easily accessible source for information gathering, (Savolainen, 2010), and and helps one acquire the knowledge to meet one’s immediate need, and allow one to happily pursue an interest or hobby. (O’Brien & Greyson, 2018, p. 41).
Crawford notes that since most of us are midway through life, we lack the option of deciding to become an apprentice pipe organ maker or motorcycle mechanic, because of the press of family and finances. Instead, he makes the case for acquiring new skills, so that we are not merely observers, but are actors in our world, which will cause us to see the world differently, and live more happily and more productively. (Crawford, 2015, p. 249). Crawford also notes that offering students the opportunity to learn with their hands, rather than just sitting in a classroom, makes for more successful and more interested learners. (Crawford, 2015, pp. 256 – 257).
I agree with this philosophy of acquiring knowledge; when I wanted to learn to safely make and can jams, pickles and the like, I took a pickling and canning class with a master chef and food preserving expert. When I’ve wanted to learn a new knitting skill, I’ve sought out a master knitter. I’ve found both of these hobbies to be very rewarding. While such an experience is not always available, it gave me confidence in practicing my new skill. Now, I understand and enjoy the engineering behind turning a sock heel, and I appreciate the science behind safe food canning.
Where the book is less successful is Crawford’s frequent name checking of Enlightenment philosophers, such as John Locke and Immanuel Kant. It is not surprising that an author with a Ph.D in political philosophy would be so inclined, but it has been a long time since I took sophomore philosophy in college. The problem is that Crawford presupposes that his readers are already familiar with these philosophies and philosophers, and instead of providing a substantive description, he tends to throw out a quick summary of the philosophy, and then explain why it is wrong. If done in a more intriguing manner, the reader might be more inclined to take it upon herself to explore these philosophies further on her own.
References:
Crawford, M. (2009, May 21). The case for working with your hands. New York Times Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?_r=0
Crawford, M. (n.d.). Shop class as soulcraft. Retrieved from: http://www.matthewbcrawford.com/new-page-1-1-2
Crawford, M. (2015). The world beyond your head: On becoming an individual in the age of distraction. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
Hemp, P. (2009). Death by information overload. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2009/09/death-by-information-overload
O’Brien, H. & Greyson, D. (2018). Diverse information needs. In S. Hirsh (Ed.), Information services today: An introduction (2nd ed., pp. 40-51). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Retrieved from: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/lib/sjsu/reader.action?ppg=75&docID=5295158&tm=1530822390150
Savolainen, R. (2009). Everyday life information seeking. In Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences. doi: 10.1081/E-ELIS3-120043920
Diane,
I enjoyed reading your review of Crawford’s book The World Beyond Your Head. I feel like his viewpoint on us being in a “crisis” because of the distractions are spot on. I find myself constantly setting boundaries or trying to make sure I’m not just being sucked into mindless activities. I have tried to limit the amount of social media I subscribe to and the time spent on social media because I know it is built specifically to be addictive. Also, I see how we are submersed with advertisements. It seems easy to get derailed in the tasks we want to accomplish or our original goals because of all the distractions that are put in our way.
I thought it was interesting that Crawford’s answer to this problem is an intense focus on a hobby or interest. It seems he is saying the only way not to get so distracted is to throw yourself into an activity that you feel so passionate about you will not let yourself get sidetracked. Additionally, he insists that becoming part of a community is essential for success and creativity. In thinking about this, I wondered about all of the seemingly solo hobbies or activities one could participate in. However, it seemed like each activity still has a need for a community – maybe not with which to do the activity so much as to get information. Even if it is a community of remote participants who have shared their knowledge online or through print for others to find.
I am glad Crawford acknowledged the different life stages. As a teacher, I am in a place to encourage my students to spend more time in hands-on learning. As for myself, it is never too late to start a hobby or learn a skill, and this book encourages me to find something new.
Thanks for sharing this perspective, and good luck as you continue the course!
Jennifer –
I think you’re spot on about the community aspect, even if it is an essentially solitary hobby, because you’re part of the community of knowledge!
I enjoyed your review of Crawford’s book as well. The comments about the digital onslaught of information resonated with me. I find that I am easily distracted by the information overload that’s going on around me. I don’t really watch TV, but if I am in a restaurant that has one on, I can’t stop watching it. Even if it’s sports, which I don’t follow. I agree with Crawford’s idea that all this distraction has greater impact on our lives than we maybe realize. I know, for example, I’m not a better conversationalist if I’m glued to the TV when I’m out with friends or family.
I also like his view on learning a trade. There is a place in our society for skilled tradespeople as well as college educated people. It’s interesting that Crawford himself has a place in both worlds. This sounds like a book I’d like to read myself. Thanks for your review!
Joselle,
Thank you for your comment! Yes! I find myself in the same position with information overload – it makes it so hard to stay in the moment when there are distractions coming at you from all sides. I also like the idea of the benefits of working with your hands; if I’m just watching TV in the evening, I feel like I’m wasting time, but if I’m knitting while I watch, then I feel accomplished!