This Virtual Life: Escapism and Simulation in Our Media World

by Andrew Evans, Jerry Sadowitz (Foreword by)

As the media becomes more sophisticated and lifelike, we spend more and more time in front of television screens. Distinguished psychologist Andrew Evans examines this warping of reality, and asks where such a path will lead us.

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Daisy Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent 2 weeks getting through the last 50 pages because it was too frustrating. I thought their would be some sort of overarching analysis of escapism and virtual existence and how they might relate. But the book is mainly lots of atomistic descriptions of different technology from the early 2000's, including "the net", and the desktop computer "mouse" after an introduction to different forms of escapism. Also the presentation of men and women in relation to the technologies discussed, and a comment on "poor Africa" are really outdated.

[Sašo Vrabič · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how I manage to not read this book in 20+ years, but I finaly did. What I find it interesting though is that it is quite fun to read it after technology changed so much in two decades. The author was quite a visionary.

[Elise Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sticking with this book because it has some really interesting content, and the cited sources are all fantastic, but the style is difficult for me. Lots of overgeneralizations, unthinking use of stereotypes, "man" and "mankind" used "inclusively." That bothers me more than it used to simply because there are easy fixes for it. I realize that it is sort of an "old" book having been written prior to its 2001 publication date, but we knew better by then. I can't decide betwee 2 & 3 stars because of the fact that there is useful content, but most of it is in the fact that it reads like an expansive literature review that is well-focused on the topic.