Reclaiming Conversation cover art

Reclaiming Conversation

The Power of Talk in a Digital Age

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Reclaiming Conversation

By: Sherry Turkle
Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
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About this listen

 The 10th anniversary edition, with a new preface by the author

“A persuasive and intimate book . . . showing how, phones in hand, we turn away from our children, friends, and coworkers, even from ourselves.” —Carlos Lozada, The Washington Post

“[Turkle] presents a powerful case that a new communication revolution is degrading the quality of human relationships.” —The New York Review of Books

“Neil Postman was the greatest media analyst of the late 20th century . . . I often wish that Postman was here with us today as the pace of change and concerns about harms increase rapidly. But we do have a Neil Postman, and her name is Sherry Turkle . . . Reclaiming Conversation was a landmark work of media scholarship . . . Sherry gives us the most powerful summation of how smartphones and social media, these powerful technologies of connection, have damaged close human relationships. She does it in four words: 'We are forever elsewhere.'” —Jonathan Haidt, bestselling author of The Anxious Generation

A prescient bestseller a decade ago, and essential today—with new insight into the threats of generative AI.

Sherry Turkle, long an enthusiast for the promise of digital technology, now investigates its troubling consequence: at work, at home, in politics, and in love, we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection. At the dinner table, children compete with phones for their parents’ attention. At work, we retreat to our screens and home offices, forgoing the water-cooler conversation that once made us more productive and engaged. Online, we post opinions that our friends will agree with, avoiding the real conflicts and solutions of the public square. When we turn to our devices instead of to one another, the cost is our own humanity.

But there is good news: conversation cures. Face-to-face dialogue builds empathy, friendship, and creativity; it’s the cornerstone of democracy and good for the bottom line. Drawing on five years of research and interviews in homes, schools, and the workplace, Turkle makes the paradigm-shifting case for conversation. Communication & Social Skills Management Management & Leadership Media Studies Parenting & Families Personal Development Relationships Social Sciences Words, Language & Grammar Business Technology Artificial Intelligence Compassion Computer Science

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All stars
Most relevant
I found this to be a very repetitive book with a few really compelling points. Turkle seems to buy into the premise that Autism is about a lack of empathy in her statements that our love for technology is turning the next generation into a bunch of autistics. The same goes with her statements about engineers as administrators. I find that and her comments about 'normal' social interactions to be off-putting. What I like is the evidence she provides that our addiction to our devices are making meaningful connection more difficult. And I will also implement some of her suggestions as a friend, partner, teacher, and colleague.

Better as a TED talk or podcast

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I enjoyed everything about this book. Constantly mindblown and shocked of the information provided. If I could, I would force everyone to learn this information.

Very relevant knowledge

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It’s an amazing book which totally changed my perception towards technology. Perhaps I’d recommend it to everyone who wants to learn the forgotten art of conversation.

Highly recommended for everyone

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If you care about the future of humanity, then I suggest you read this book.

Hope & Despair

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This is a very very important book explaining so much of what it is that we have lost in our era of smart phones.

As a parent of 20 somethings I finally found the scientific research that illustrates my discomfort with my lack of connection with them, and theirs with me. . . Esp those born in this millennium.

They don’t even know what they don’t know, and that makes me sad for the generations of children coming that won’t know the connection with their elders that I enjoyed as a child. Thank you Sherry.

Please can you produce an abridged version that is a powerful and short book that can be shared. This book is too long for me to give to anyone to read.

Explains SO much. . .

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