Modern technology has improved our lives in so many ways. We can do more with less effort than before and thanks to the internet, we can communicate, share ideas, and find answers to questions with almost no effort. But this convenience does carry a price and the potential cognitive downsides of the world wide web are the subject of this book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.Using the internet makes it quick and easy to find fast answers to pressing questions and everyday inquiries. How many of us use the internet to quickly find out the weather forecast? Or a sports score? Or the year a specific song was released? The internet is great for finding quick answers such as these and I doubt anyone would argue that the web is not the best and most efficient means to an end in these instances. But where the web can be troublesome is when we use it for everyday reading and deep understanding, and that is what the Shallows is all about. It examines the long-term effects of internet usage and shows how it has, in many ways, reduced our ability to retain knowledge and actually encourages forgetfulness.This book combines science with social trends and norms to draw its conclusions. I like the way the book uses evidence- based studies to back its claims. Neuroplasticity, for example, has been shown to impact our brains over time and there is no doubt that continuous internet usage has re- wired our minds, often in not the best or most desirable ways. The numerous distractions and the tendency of web pages to spoon feed us in small snippets with information and stories that already fit our own specific profile of likes and interests are among the many things detrimental to healthy mental development. The internet encourages these things and as you read this book, you will almost certainly recognize many of these negative aspects of the web in our own life and how you have fallen victim to them repeatedly.I certainly see the value of the internet and I realize that it is here to stay. But there are some areas where I try to avoid the internet or limit its use. One is with reading. I still read the old-fashioned way, with an actual book. I don’t use ebooks or e-reading devices of any kind. I like turning the paper pages and I like that I can take my book almost anyplace I go. I avoid reading too many online news and other stories, too, and I try to vary what I read because I know that what google presents is already tailor- made to fit my own browsing history and therefore isn’t good for my own intellectual development. By taking these steps, I am hopefully helping to counter some of the negative effects of the internet that this book outlines.Is the internet good or bad? I think the best answer is both, and the Shallows is an effective and useful read for better understanding the downsides of using this modern technology too frequently. The book doesn’t advocate for eliminating the internet or other related technologies from our day to day routine because it wouldn’t be practical and besides, there are many positives to the internet that have enriched our lives. But there is no doubt that the internet does have its drawbacks and the Shallows is a good book for uncovering the reasons why. The book is now a little outdated, but much of what it says still rings true and we all need to heed its words of wisdom.