Michael Harris is the author of The End of Absence, which won the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-fiction and was longlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize, the Chautauqua Prize, and the BC National Award for Canadian Non-fiction. He writes about media, civil liberties, and the arts for dozens of publications, including The Washington Post, Wired, Salon, and The Globe and Mail. He lives in Vancouver.
We should remind ourselves that a life without solitude is a
diminished life. What makes this book so valuable and so timely is
that it serves both as a reminder of solitude's worth and as a spur
to resistance. Read it in peace. --From the foreword by Nicholas
Carr I came away from this book a better human being. Michael
Harris's take on existence is calm, unique, and makes one's soul
feel good. --Douglas Coupland, best-selling author of Generation
X
Solitude is a gorgeously written and fascinating book, richly
detailed and thought-provoking throughout. I highly recommend it.
--Michael Finkel, New York Times best-selling author of True Story
and The Stranger in the Woods
In a time of unrelenting connection, solitude becomes a radical
act. It also becomes an essential one. Michael Harris makes a
thoughtful and deeply felt case for why the art of spending quality
time with oneself matters now more than ever--and the steps we can
take to reclaim it. --Brian Christian, author of The Most Human
Human and Algorithms to Live By This is an excellent book by a
first-rate writer. Michael Harris brings his insight and eloquence
to bear on one of the most insidious problems of our time: how to
break free from the seductions of technology and reclaim our inner
selves. --Deborah Campbell, award-winning author of A Disappearance
in Damascus Michael Harris's Solitude is a delightful reminder
that, contrary to current wisdom, we cannot be fully human unless
our minds are free to wander. An essential and spirited companion
as our digital culture accelerates into the unknown. --Andrew
Westoll, award-winning author of The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary
A timely, eloquent provocation to daydream and wander. --Nathan
Filer, award-winning author of The Shock of the Fall Reading
Harris's book is like smashing your Google Glasses and looking
through your unique lenses for the first time. --William Powers,
award-winning author of Twelve by Twelve, Off the Grid & Beyond the
American Dream and New Slow City Michael Harris senses that
something precious has been lost. --The Atlantic
This year, a spate of new books offers amazing feats of solitude.
The titles in part respond to the live-out-loud era of social
media, where anyone with a device always has some form of company
... 'You could call it crowd sickness, ' said Michael Harris. --The
Wall Street Journal
A poetic, contemplative journey into the benefits of solo
sojourning. --Elle Canada
Solitude ... serves as a manual for cutting out your life's
unwanted noise and embracing the quiet. --Zoomer
Harris makes a compelling case for how true aloneness is both a
form of expertise and a reward. --The Georgia Straight Harris
reflects personally and powerfully on the paradoxical feelings of
isolation that emerge from being constantly connected and draws on
the latest neuro-scientific and behavioural research to tell
stories about the transformational power of solitude which can make
us happier, more productive and, ultimately, more human. --The
Bookseller
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