What do you think?
Rate this book
Human Being: Reclaim 12 Vital Skills We’re Losing to Technology
Our increasing reliance on digital technology has had a profound impact on our own abilities as humans. What can we do about it?
In a fascinating journey through history and science, Human Being offers an insightful and provocative survey of twelve vital skills we used to call upon as a species – from navigation, conversation and memory to craft, solitude and sleep – and how we can work to reclaim them.
As rapidly advancing technology embeds itself ever deeper within our lives, we rely less and less on our own capabilities. The impact on our skills and self-reliance has been immense, and, because the transition has happened so swiftly and quietly, none of us have been taught how to address the effects of our ever-increasing dependence on algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Based on years of research by author Graham Lee, a digital skills educator with experience training tens of thousands of professionals, each chapter in Human Being highlights an example of when these key capabilities were at their peak, demonstrates how in a vanishingly short space of time we have embraced ways to undermine them, and provides clear, achievable guidance on how we can reverse these losses and regain our essential, human qualities.
At once a celebration of human history and a timely call to action, Human Being empowers readers to build better habits around – and away from – technology, and reminds us just how extraordinary human achievement can be.
In a fascinating journey through history and science, Human Being offers an insightful and provocative survey of twelve vital skills we used to call upon as a species – from navigation, conversation and memory to craft, solitude and sleep – and how we can work to reclaim them.
As rapidly advancing technology embeds itself ever deeper within our lives, we rely less and less on our own capabilities. The impact on our skills and self-reliance has been immense, and, because the transition has happened so swiftly and quietly, none of us have been taught how to address the effects of our ever-increasing dependence on algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Based on years of research by author Graham Lee, a digital skills educator with experience training tens of thousands of professionals, each chapter in Human Being highlights an example of when these key capabilities were at their peak, demonstrates how in a vanishingly short space of time we have embraced ways to undermine them, and provides clear, achievable guidance on how we can reverse these losses and regain our essential, human qualities.
At once a celebration of human history and a timely call to action, Human Being empowers readers to build better habits around – and away from – technology, and reminds us just how extraordinary human achievement can be.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published June 25, 2024
24 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 27, 2023
When I had the option to read this book I did wonder if it would be very science or terminology-based, but actually, it isn't at all. This book looks at 12 aspects of our lives and the skills we have, then looks at what is happening to them. It is something that some may not even be aware of but it is happening.
For me, growing up I could tell you different phone numbers, with the area codes and not really think twice about it, now... well I might remember a few and even those I am not always confident that I have them right. Why is this? Technology has replaced the way we get phone numbers because they are often saved into phones, databases or other devices. We hit a button to call the person and don't actually dial a number anymore. It is a simple thing, but the author has explored this and many other skills that are diminishing as technology increases. We are becoming more reliant on it. If we cannot access the internet, our phones or computers then how do we get in touch with people we want to talk to?
The author has used the following as examples of skills that have lessened over the years and generations - Navigation, Motion, Conversation, Solitude, Reading, Writing, Art, Craft, Memory, Dreams, Thought and Time.
Each one is an in-depth look at how others in the past honed their skills and when we look at our abilities they are definitely inferior to those from history. The author takes a person/ people and shows how they excelled at each one of these lost skills. It is very humbling to read about these people and it is also shocking to realise that each one of us has become reliant on technology.
As much as this book is about things we have lost, it also tells of some remarkable people in history who have been at their best. So if you do have an interest in history then have a look at this book.
It does tell us what we have lost, but this book also gives us things we can do to re-skill ourselves. Little things that can and will make a difference. I am a big believer in stopping and sitting to watch the world go by, smell the flowers, look at the clouds and just be away from gadgets and screens, but it is something I have to make a conscious decision to do.
I found this book to be really addictive and I wasn't expecting it to be as absorbing as it was. I think the inclusion of the historical facts made the lost skills relevant and how dependent we are on what we have around us now. It is not a book that preaches but just lays down the facts as they are and it is easy to how things have changed over the years, even in our own lifetimes.
Interesting and thought-provoking and one I would definitely recommend.
For me, growing up I could tell you different phone numbers, with the area codes and not really think twice about it, now... well I might remember a few and even those I am not always confident that I have them right. Why is this? Technology has replaced the way we get phone numbers because they are often saved into phones, databases or other devices. We hit a button to call the person and don't actually dial a number anymore. It is a simple thing, but the author has explored this and many other skills that are diminishing as technology increases. We are becoming more reliant on it. If we cannot access the internet, our phones or computers then how do we get in touch with people we want to talk to?
The author has used the following as examples of skills that have lessened over the years and generations - Navigation, Motion, Conversation, Solitude, Reading, Writing, Art, Craft, Memory, Dreams, Thought and Time.
Each one is an in-depth look at how others in the past honed their skills and when we look at our abilities they are definitely inferior to those from history. The author takes a person/ people and shows how they excelled at each one of these lost skills. It is very humbling to read about these people and it is also shocking to realise that each one of us has become reliant on technology.
As much as this book is about things we have lost, it also tells of some remarkable people in history who have been at their best. So if you do have an interest in history then have a look at this book.
It does tell us what we have lost, but this book also gives us things we can do to re-skill ourselves. Little things that can and will make a difference. I am a big believer in stopping and sitting to watch the world go by, smell the flowers, look at the clouds and just be away from gadgets and screens, but it is something I have to make a conscious decision to do.
I found this book to be really addictive and I wasn't expecting it to be as absorbing as it was. I think the inclusion of the historical facts made the lost skills relevant and how dependent we are on what we have around us now. It is not a book that preaches but just lays down the facts as they are and it is easy to how things have changed over the years, even in our own lifetimes.
Interesting and thought-provoking and one I would definitely recommend.
December 11, 2024
Saw this book at my local library and was immediately intrigued by it. The author, himself a digital educator, identifies twelve key human skills being degraded by our overreliance on digital tools:
1. Navigation
2. Motion
3. Conversation
4. Solitude
5. Reading
6. Writing
7. Art
8. Craft
9. Memory
10. Dreams
11. Thought
12. Time
He proposes practical ways to get back in touch with them and achieve a healthier balance. His points are illustrated with interesting examples dating from prehistoric to current times. As a retiree, I’ve been fortunate to achieve reasonably decent grades in many of the skills, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
"Today, technology use is one of the common hurdles preventing you from developing your conversation skills. The more you communicate online, the more likely it is that you will experience social anxiety and discomfort offline. Each time you mull over a written reply or social-media post, you are crafting a persona, one which can quickly dissolve when you meet in person and take part in real-time, physical conversations, which unfold rapidly, with levels of complexity and nuance unparalleled online. [Samuel] Johnson thought that open-ended and spontaneous conversations are an important way to learn and grow as a person, yet sadly an over-reliance on digital communication can make us anxious about meeting in person, leading us to spend increasingly more time online." p84
1. Navigation
2. Motion
3. Conversation
4. Solitude
5. Reading
6. Writing
7. Art
8. Craft
9. Memory
10. Dreams
11. Thought
12. Time
He proposes practical ways to get back in touch with them and achieve a healthier balance. His points are illustrated with interesting examples dating from prehistoric to current times. As a retiree, I’ve been fortunate to achieve reasonably decent grades in many of the skills, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
"Today, technology use is one of the common hurdles preventing you from developing your conversation skills. The more you communicate online, the more likely it is that you will experience social anxiety and discomfort offline. Each time you mull over a written reply or social-media post, you are crafting a persona, one which can quickly dissolve when you meet in person and take part in real-time, physical conversations, which unfold rapidly, with levels of complexity and nuance unparalleled online. [Samuel] Johnson thought that open-ended and spontaneous conversations are an important way to learn and grow as a person, yet sadly an over-reliance on digital communication can make us anxious about meeting in person, leading us to spend increasingly more time online." p84
December 11, 2025
Interesantísimo. Pautas para recuperarse de la intoxicación digital, con muchas propuestas de acción.
April 14, 2025
Algunas partes del libro son innecesariamente largas y aburridas. En esos momentos parecía que sencillamente tuviera que llegar sí o sí a un cierto número de páginas por capítulo.
Más aún, la mayoría del libro está plagado de clichés de la auto ayuda y, ciertamente, todos los consejos del libro se pueden resumir en "planifica tú vida más" y "¿has oído hablar del mindfulness?"
Todos los capítulos dedicaban demasiadas páginas a hablar de esto último y el problema no está en el consejo en sí, sino en el hecho de que es mucho más productivo, como lector, leer cualquier libro sobre budismo; si lo que se quiere es saber sobre mindfulness.
Lo mejor del libro es sin duda las anécdotas históricas que se narran al inicio de cada capítulo (ahí es donde se ve el bastante extenso trabajo de documentación que ha debido llevar a cabo el autor) junto con los resultados de estudios científicos que usa para apoyar sus tesis (tesis nada revolucionarias, todo sea dicho).
Mi problema con esto último es la falta de citas y de alusión directa y concreta a los estudios. No puedes recomendarme que sea más crítico cuando consuma contenido y luego escribir un libro entero diciendo "un estudio académico dice que..." sin ningún tipo de cita.
Se lleva tres estrellas porque el contenido del libro se nota que está apuntado a querer mejor de forma genuina la vida de los lectores. Sin duda creo que puede llegar a ser una lectura útil y positiva para algún adolescente un poco bucólico e introspectivo, pero en general no recomendaría el libro a nadie fuera de ese target demográfico.
Más aún, la mayoría del libro está plagado de clichés de la auto ayuda y, ciertamente, todos los consejos del libro se pueden resumir en "planifica tú vida más" y "¿has oído hablar del mindfulness?"
Todos los capítulos dedicaban demasiadas páginas a hablar de esto último y el problema no está en el consejo en sí, sino en el hecho de que es mucho más productivo, como lector, leer cualquier libro sobre budismo; si lo que se quiere es saber sobre mindfulness.
Lo mejor del libro es sin duda las anécdotas históricas que se narran al inicio de cada capítulo (ahí es donde se ve el bastante extenso trabajo de documentación que ha debido llevar a cabo el autor) junto con los resultados de estudios científicos que usa para apoyar sus tesis (tesis nada revolucionarias, todo sea dicho).
Mi problema con esto último es la falta de citas y de alusión directa y concreta a los estudios. No puedes recomendarme que sea más crítico cuando consuma contenido y luego escribir un libro entero diciendo "un estudio académico dice que..." sin ningún tipo de cita.
Se lleva tres estrellas porque el contenido del libro se nota que está apuntado a querer mejor de forma genuina la vida de los lectores. Sin duda creo que puede llegar a ser una lectura útil y positiva para algún adolescente un poco bucólico e introspectivo, pero en general no recomendaría el libro a nadie fuera de ese target demográfico.
October 7, 2023
Human Being Review.
It was awesome taking part in the tandem readalong for this fascinating and important book.
There is no avoiding technology and in many ways, it has enhanced our lives. But there is a cost. And Human Being contains simple suggestions to counteract the effects of digital technology in our lives. All these suggestions remind us what it is to be human, and how complex and adaptable our brains our. They are aimed at preserving the essence of our humanity. Ability to create art and literature. To converse and listen. To navigate and dream. To prioritise our restorative sleep by ditching the devices. To slow down and daydream rather than fill every second with mindless scrolling.
Perhaps not all these ideas are feasible for us all, and our brains are all different so one size does not fit all. But I do believe that slowing down and becoming more active in our imaginations and relying less on screens to navigate our lives, can only enhance our collective experience of what it is to be human.
It was awesome taking part in the tandem readalong for this fascinating and important book.
There is no avoiding technology and in many ways, it has enhanced our lives. But there is a cost. And Human Being contains simple suggestions to counteract the effects of digital technology in our lives. All these suggestions remind us what it is to be human, and how complex and adaptable our brains our. They are aimed at preserving the essence of our humanity. Ability to create art and literature. To converse and listen. To navigate and dream. To prioritise our restorative sleep by ditching the devices. To slow down and daydream rather than fill every second with mindless scrolling.
Perhaps not all these ideas are feasible for us all, and our brains are all different so one size does not fit all. But I do believe that slowing down and becoming more active in our imaginations and relying less on screens to navigate our lives, can only enhance our collective experience of what it is to be human.
September 29, 2024
Very good book. Didn't relaise picking this up that it was in ways a self help book with actions to take to improve your life and make yourself happier or more knowledgeable in general. It was very good some of the most interesting things in the book where about how studying with physical copies and paper can be more conducive to learning vs screens. That annotating and writing in margins is a skill lost readers questioning and having dialogues with the author which makes you think more and remember more, not to mention having good references to look back on. That when travelling with GPS sometimes its better to put it away as youll rememeber more of the journey and see more if you navigatge with maps and have to try to think around the city than just follow.
January 15, 2025
Factual
This needs to be taken seriously. I'm old and almost all these skills I have managed to keep, but the ones behind me age wise need to take this book to heart.
This needs to be taken seriously. I'm old and almost all these skills I have managed to keep, but the ones behind me age wise need to take this book to heart.
May 2, 2025
so far, thought provoking.... picked it up because one of my vital skills is lagging - reading. Got to work on it....
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews