This book "draws on the latest research to show that the Net is literally re-wiring our brains, inducing only superficial understanding. As a consequence there are profound changes in the way we live and communicate, remember and socialize - even in our very conception of ourselves. By moving from the depths of thought to the shallows of distraction, the web, it seems, is actually fostering ignorance. 'The shallows' is not a manifesto for luddites, nor does it seek to turn back the clock. Rather it is a revelatory reminder of how far the Internet has become enmeshed in our daily existence and is affecting the way we think. This landmark book compels us all to look anew at our dependence on this all-pervasive technology." - back cover.