Book: The Wired Soul by Tricia McCary Rhodes
Size: 224 pages
Publisher: NavPress (July 1, 2016)
My Rating: ****
Category: Non-Fiction, Christian living
Summary: Technology brings change in our personal lives. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? In The Wired Soul, Tricia McCary Rhodes challenges us to not just mindlessly be chained to technology but to use it for our benefit.
She divides The Wired Soul into four categories: Lectio: to read, Meditatio: to meditate, Oratio: to pray, and Contemplatio: to contemplate. She shares how we can grow in a deep, satisfying relationship with Christ. .
My Review: My first thought when I opened this book was, “Oh no, another book on the evils of technology.” It took me a few chapters to put my defenses down and hear Dr. Rhodes heart. By the end I was convicted to evaluate my own life and make sure the I am making the choices for my time, focus and energy and technology isn’t making them for me.
What I liked Dr. Rhodes knows her stuff. I love the tremendous amount of research she put into the book. She broke down complicated subjects like processes of the brain into bit size pieces I could understand. More than once I referred to the pages and pages of notes she references in the back of the book. I even picked a few new books she referenced that I want to read.
She provides practical ways to apply the material at the end of each chapter. I love this! Just reading something once often brings no lasting change in your life. I found a few new ideas to quiet my mind and focus effectively.
What I didn’t like There were some conclusions she made that I didn’t agree with. I’m not sure if it’s fair to fault her for that though. Any time you practically apply Scripture people will apply it differently. That’s why it’s important to study things out for yourself and draw your own conclusions.
I took one star off because of some errors in structure. For example on page 75 she talks about three critical components to meditation and then goes on to just talk about the first one. The first chapter in oratio (prayer) was excellent. The second chapter seemed to talk little about prayer and much about relationships.
Quotes:
Can you say with confidence that technology is a servant to your needs rather than a silent taskmaster over you?
If efficiency is the holy grail of technology, then we ought to find ourselves with more time on our hands, not less…Technology, however, exacts a paradoxical price: it offers us a vast array of ways to fill the time that it saves us.
The ability to interact with God through medication has always required first finding a way to deal with distractions from without and within.
I would recommend this book to: anyone wanting to be in charge of their choices and live life on purpose.
Sum it up: Don’t be a lemming.