The End of Absence

Soon enough nobody will remember life before the Internet. What does this unavoidable fact mean? Those of us who have lived both with and without the crowded connectivity of online life have a rare opportunity. We can still recognize the difference between Before and After. We catch ourselves idly reaching for our phones at the bus stop. Or we notice how midconversation a fumbling friend dives into the perfect recall of Google. In this eloquent and thought-provoking book Michael Harris argues that amid all the changes we're experiencing the most interesting is the end of absence-the loss of lack. The daydreaming silences in our lives are filled; the burning solitudes are extinguished. There's no true free time when you carry a smartphone. Today's rarest commodity is the chance to be alone with your thoughts. Michael Harris lives in Vancouver Canada.