Goodbye Phone, Hello World: 60 Ways to Disconnect from Tech and Reconnect to Joy

There are more and more books being published on the concept of setting down your phone, backing away from technology, and seeking to recapture life in the real 'non-digital' world. This book is that - so what makes it unique? Why buy this one over others? I think this one while providing facts and data, really is also a beautifully laid out book with quotes, facts, and personal easy to read real-life stories and experiences that sets it apart from other drier attempts to say the same thing.

Ironically, I read this book ON my smartphone so there is that small irony - but this book walks through some practical options for setting down the phone that I haven't seen before. Pulling from other experts in the field to help equip this journey of setting down the phone and setting up good practices - Greenberg moves away from the simple - it's not great for you - to practical advice that is seemingly attainable.

Short, to the point book about the value of reducing your phone usage and benefitting from what's to offer with all that extra free time. The book is definitely aimed at those who spend a large chunk of their free time on screens and therefore have a shorter attention span. The author quite often draws from Eastern practices/thought. I LOVED the illustrations. As always, if you want to read anything about the impact of tech usage on our lives, I recommend Sherry Turkle's Reclaiming Conversation which is quoted in this book.

This is such a cute, quick read. Greenberg offers practical tips, advice, and data on how to disconnect from our phones and re-connect to our real lives. Would make a great gift, coffee table book, or easy read for those looking to get off of their devices.

This book was a breath of fresh air as it presented the problem: distraction from living life to the fullest. Identified the root of the issue: technology overuse. And continued to provide a method to free ourselves from the chains technology, unfortunately, sometimes traps us in. I think I especially appreciated reading this book right now because I am 19 weeks pregnant with our first child and reading about the author's interactions, or lack of, with his own son was a wake-up call to both myself and my husband. Paul Greenberg did extensive research and I especially enjoyed when he would include facts about how much time the average individual wastes on their phone.

I have seen other authors attempt to write about this same topic but none of those works seemed to leave such a lasting impact upon me. This is a book I would be pleased to buy when it is released and one I would read again, recommend to friends, and implement in my workplace.

What an eye opening read. This book really breaks down how much time, on average. we are glued to our phones. I know myself, I am definitely in need of a "break up" with my phone. Its staggering really, to think about how much time is wasted or lost by having our eyes glued to the screen. I found this book to be very thought provoking, I will definitely be examining my own habits and see how I can break up a bit with my phone.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this short, simple book, author Paul Greenburg explains his personal journey of letting go of his smartphone after realizing how many moments it had stolen between him and his son. The book begins with his spare, moving reflections about this, and then transitions into chapters about how to recover from smartphone overuse. Each one addresses a different life category, but in all of them, he quotes from Eastern thinkers, shares research and quotes about the cost of digital overuse, and encourages practical life habits for unplugging.

In each chapter, Greenberg suggests a variety of alternative activities and lifestyle habits that people can choose instead of using their phones. Some of these were less practical than I had hoped, since not everyone can conceivably go on long-distance cycling and sailing trips, or travel around the world, but he does make apt cost comparisons for those who do have that capability and choose to spend their time and money on digital distractions. And, overall, his ideas focus on practical suggestions for basic lifestyle changes and improvements, like reading, memorization, exercising without depending on smartphone apps, and spending more meaningful time with other people.

Throughout the book, as he cites persuasive research about the costs of digital technology, he always remains hospitable to people who feel overwhelmed at the thought of changing. He never shames people for their choices, and this book provides a gentle, easy path for someone to become more familiar with the costs of technology without feeling doom, gloom, or panic. Also, as he mentions, even though there are lots of great books available that critique the digital world, many of them are too long and complex for the average smartphone addict to read. Here, he provides a simpler introduction to the topic, sharing some of the most important findings and insights from his reading. The book's citations will provide a guide to further reading for anyone who is interested in more, but this is all that some people will want or need, and I'm glad that it's available here.

This book's appealing design, simple layout, and practical suggestions will make it a winner for anyone middle school age and older who wants to reevaluate their relationship to technology and decide on practical ways to recover or create habits that are more healthy and meaningful for their mind, body, and relationships. I'm glad that this book exists, and it would pair well with "How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life" for anyone who is interested in a more in-depth game plan for defeating tech addiction.

Very much enjoyed this quick read because of Paul Greenberg's to-the-point approach to disconnect from our digital world. This book has a great balance of real-world examples, simple tips you can begin to apply today + inspiring quotes to emphasize potential accomplishments that can be achieved by putting down our smart devices.

I would suggest this book to someone who is "digitally addicted" or wants to be mindful in their digital consumption.

I really enjoyed this book and the statistics it gave me, shocked me. It has made me realise how dependant we are of our phones and yes, I did used to go out and not need a phone to meet up! I liked the illustrations that were created too.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

What a beautiful book, both pictures and words. Inspiring, thought provoking, so profoundly well designed. I loved it and it has motivated me to think about my own device use. This book is hard to wrap my head around during the pandemic — I think its message would do better once the world is back to normal and we can connect with friends in person again — but I think it’s a must-read for all.

An eye opening look at how much time we spend connected to our phones computers etc.A book with really good ideas how to disconnect how to enjoy life without the constant distraction.A guide to reclaiming you’re life,#netgalley#chroniclebooks

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Goodbye Phone, Hello World by Paul Greenberg examines just how much we, as humans, spend on our smart phones, and provides insight on how we can better use our time. This book made me smile, reflect, discuss, and question how I currently use my device, how my usage impacts my relationships with others, and what offerings Greenberg provides would I implement in my phone usage practice. To me his most interesting recommendations were reading, learning a language, and also volunteering to support environmental cleanup.

While I think the topic of disconnecting from cell phone usage is starting to become overly popular, I thoroughly enjoyed how Greenberg quantifies the average person’s daily usage and how that time can be otherwise used. Greenberg uses numerous articles, medical journals, philosophies, authors, etc. to support his recommended activities. At times, I wish I heard more of his voice over the supporting arguments. But, with the context of trying to convince someone to depart from their beloved smart phone, I think the academia support further proved Greenberg's intentions.

This is a great book for someone interested in practicing more mindful activities, disconnecting from technology, and/or wanting to invest in a new hobby but can’t quite “find the time."

This book was very inspiring. I’ve been wanting to cut down my phone time for a long time now. This book was easy to read and contains a lot of handy tips. I also love the layout from this book.

I just read this book, courtesy of Netgalley, and overall, I enjoyed it. There were some parts where, I thought, umm, this should already be coming sense, but thought again, uh, common sense isn't quite so common. This isn't coming out till later on this year, but this talks about the ways all of us serious smartphone and techie users can and should get back into more, real life, versus online life. Myself personally, this also speaks to us just into the techie mantra, due to technology becoming more and more predominant in life and the world trying to become more controlling, by forcing us into this way if life.
I definitely say this is a must read for anybody who's trying to figure out how to get their family and/or friends to be more engaging in the now, versus engrossed into their devices.

I adored this book. It's got a strange simplicity that makes it ever the more impactful. There are simple observations about how memory and action have changed after smart phones. As someone who lived so long without one, and now can't remember that existence, this was a particularly important reminder to disconnect. The layout and the illustrations really add to the power of the book. This is one that surprises you. I'm excited to own a copy to keep on my bedside table.

Highly recommend this book to everyone who is on their cell phones often. The amount of things we could accomplish if we unplug is amazing. Insightful examples of how much we miss in life when on our devices. This book also lists several ways to unplug and enjoy yourself, while bettering your life.

This is a self-help type of book. Very well done and ideas to help you disconnect. I really enjoyed most of the ideas and tried a few with my family. I would recommend if you feel like technology is taking over your life. Live life not in technology!

This was a truly fascinating and contemplative read. The book starts out by letting the reader know that the average person spends 1400 hours on their phone each other. Then, the author breaks down better ways to improve yourself, and how to better allocate that large chunk of your time. As a millenial myself, I find myself very attached to my phone. I found this book was a nice quick read that really got me thinking about intentions and how I want to use my phone and give my time. This is a great short book that really does help to give tips to for people to reclaim their time and conquer the addictive nature of smartphones. I will definitely be recommending this book in the future.

This was a reminder to not be on your phone so much and to live in the present. I am guilty of being on my own phone a lot so I thought the facts of how much time was wasted on our phones was interesting and helpful. I aIs loved the illustrations!

Paul Greenberg presents an inspiring view on technology as a distraction from real life. Even if you aren't willing to commit to disconnect from tech, the messages are meaningful. Spend more time doing what you love to do with people you love,

Practical tips for mindfulness, conversation, creativity, and well-being in the age of distractions. A interesting and quick read.

This book providing lots of practice advice and feedback. A much needed book in today’s society! I would recommend this to anyone looking for ways to cut back on digital consumption.

An epidemic is silent and generally harmful to masses. It slowly harms from inside leaving many hollow souls.
Digital addiction is such epidemic. No one is spared and people are hopelessly addicted to their smartphones.
This is a beautiful Book. Book formatting is wonderful. A clean and soothing page appears after every page.
Author discusses various things that humans can do to set themselves free.
He himself went to the extent that he bought a flip phone.
A very good book which is easy on mind. It is full of useful insights and free of useless page filling that we generally see in self help books.

‘Goodbye Phone, Hello world’ explains what to do with all those newfound hours you suddenly get when you ditch screen time and why you should do it in the first place.

I am a phone addict, I admit it. I often go through phases in which I reduce phone usage to a minimum, get a a lot done and then slowly bad habits start to creep back in until I feel its too much and I cut down again. ‘Goodbye Phone, hello world’ was useful reminder explaining what you could do if you don’t spend your days glued to the screen and I appreciate it for that. Nevertheless, in terms of books critical of phone usage, I believe there are better options out there, such as ‘Digital minimalism’ by Cal Newport and ‘How to break up with your phone’ by Catherine Price. The author also endorses a very radical approach of getting rid of the smartphone completely when a softer approach might be more feasible for most people.


Thank you to Negalley for granting me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

A really interesting and thought provoking book. The introduction with the number of hours if our own and our childrens lives missed really gripped me and made me want to read the rest if the book. Thought provoking ideas and alternatives to the way phones are used and interesting facts re the negative influence a smartphone can have.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This short and to the point book offers ideas on how to disconnect from your electronic devices and get back to focusing on what really matters in life. The author pulls information from other books and research, which will be beneficial to the average reader. I think I have read too many books on this subject recently so a lot of this was repeat information. Overall, this is a pretty good book.

Amazing book filled with so many cool facts that will make you wake up and begin to change things in your life. This book confronts you with the real truth about tech, backed up with scientific research and useful little and drastic things you can do to improve not only your health but restore the connection with humans you love around you. Even though there were some eastern practices that I'm not in favor of, you can easily implement all the other ones and strife for a tech-free life that will help you see the world with new eyes.
ps. The pic inside the book are so cute, too!

The Amish aside, we’re all way too connected to our smartphones and way too dismissive of the real world. Author Paul Greenberg begins the book with a quote from the Vietnamese Buddhist sage Thich Nhat Hanh, “Life is available only in the present moment.” How many “present moments” do we miss by checking email, tweeting, “liking” on Facebook or becoming more involved with a celebrity’s family on Instagram than our own?

Greenberg confesses that, like the average American, he’d spent a little less than four hours per day on his iPhone — time he regrets not showering on his son. With a smartphone, “Every tick of the clock can be sold. Every minute can be bundled and shopped to a third party. And the power of the moment-merchants has grown apace.”

So Greenberg quit. Cold turkey. In 2019, he switched to a flip phone. Then came the hard part: “What could I do with 4 extra hours a day? Two extra months in a year? How could I change my life? How could I transform my world?”

I thought that Greenberg’s book would be a shallow one. While the book is slender, it certainly isn’t shallow. It served as a wake-up call to me. I’d never realized how much of my life (and sometimes money) has been stolen from me by Angry Birds, Spider Solitaire, Small Town Murders (don’t ask), Twitter and the ubiquitous Facebook. I haven’t quit cold turkey, but I have cut down — way, way down — since reading this. Thank you so much, Paul Greenberg!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Chronicle Books in exchange for an honest review.

Good idea - spend less time on our phones. And I get it. But just don’t think it’s realistic. Maybe I am just pessimistic auger reading this all but I think it’s ridiculous. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was a great reminder to take a break from my phone. It was easy to read and set out well, there was just the right amount of information to make it comfortable to read in one sitting, but not enough to make your eyes glaze over.

Well written and important.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy in exchange for my honest review.

"Goodbye Phone, Hello World" is a short and sweet read aimed to make you question your digital habits, providing practical solutions to put the phone. The book is sprinkled with beautiful illustrations, quotes, scary statistics, and "reality check" moments to provide the research behind statements.

I appreciated the conciseness of the book, and it insinuates the idea that we should spend more time in the natural world. Being an advanced copy, I was reading off a screen which seemed a bit conflicting to the point; though I could imagine myself reading the hard copy outside and enjoying my time connecting with nature and paper.

At times it seemed a bit nihilistic and denies the benefits that smartphones have gifted us, especially during 2020 where face to face communication is a commodity. Smartphones have allowed me to stay in contact with my family and provides safe of mind. Though at the same time I have found myself wanting to limit screen time as we are exposed to so much bad in the world, that it is sometimes good to just have a bit of "time out".

Overall I enjoyed "Goodbye Phone, Hello World" and am feeling inspired to connect more with the world outside my phone screen.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

How often have you questioned the amount of time that you spend glued to your phone?  Is it something that you would like to alter?  If you are even thinking about the role of your phone in your life, this title is well worth a look.


Beautifully illustrated and readable, this book offers alternative ways to use one's time.  The author knows whereof he speaks as he ruefully contemplates the time that he spent on his phone, rather than with his son, with both having entered the world around the same time.  In order to slow down his son's acquisition of a phone,the author takes himself away from all of the "smart" aspects of the phone and returns to flip style where all you can do is talk.  What did he learn?  What did he do instead? What could you do? Read this book to find out.  It may intrigue you.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is a quick and easy read basically walking us step by step through all the reasons why we should let go of our phones and mindless social media cruising - the irony that I read this on my smartphone is not lost on me.

I found many of the exemples a bit of an overreach and slightly demagogic (no, I don’t believe we could hike all over the US/world if we put down our phones) but I felt the book fulfilled its purpose because it made me think twice about some of my actions and what I could do to be more in the moment with myself and my family.

Overall a good book which I think everyone should read to pick up some ideas to live a better life.

Spectacular premise for reflecting on the time sink that is technology/screen or in the palm of our hands. The author brilliantly summarizes and accurately portrays a number of facts that make you rethink the "technology free" life you are living. The prompts to the reader to actively rethink the path you have chosen and the time you have "freely" given to the phone is impactful. I highly recommend my generation this book and I would have liked to see this frame the concern for elderly generations that have not been as aware of the time sink that is technology devices.
The illustrations both visually and factually have made me reconsider the time I hold in my hands.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Within the first section of the book, I was hooked. This book is so important with the time that we're currently living in. It's tough to but down our phones but so necessary. The conversation between Paul and his son broke my heart not just because it's a tough circumstance to find yourself in but it very much could be my story. I loved his advice throughout the book and the pictures were great to include, as well. Hoping to get Paul on my podcast because I think listeners would really benefit from his experience.

Goodbye Phone, Hello World: 60 Ways to Disconnect from Tech and Reconnect to Joy
by Paul Greenberg

No sure what I was expecting from this book but find myself compelled and inspired to try some of his ideas to take myself away from all today’s modern tech.. I think we are all too guilty (I put my hands up) of spending too much time on our smart phones and iPads when we should be doing ‘other’ things . I think everyone with a phone should read this book!

📚 R E V I E W 📚
.
Goodbye Phone, Hello World | Paul Greenberg
.
.
.
Hands up if you're addicted to your smartphone? ✋
.
My new phone has a wellbeing report on it and it tells me how many times I unlock my phone. How many hours I spent on Instagram. Yesterday alone it was 90 and almost three hours respectively. Which is kind of embarrassing.
.
Admittedly, the unlocks were a little above average because ironically I was reading this book on my phone (it's an ARC courtesy of @netgalley and only downloadable as a PDF!)
.
This book is packed full of facts with a few tips thrown in. It gives you a real wake-up call about your smartphone usage. It's a really quick read too with beautiful illustrations. It's really easy to digest and feels like the kind of book you'd pick back up again if you realise your phone habits are getting out of hand.
.
📱 The average person uses their phone for four hours a day. This equates to 1400 wasted hours a year. Or two whole months.
.
📱 I read at a pace of roughly 50 pages an hour. So a 350 page book takes me 7 hours to read. If I reduced my phone time to just two hours a day, I'd be able to read an extra 9 books a month. Which is an extra 100 ish books a year.
.
📱 If you decide to pick up knitting as a new habit to replace your phone time, you could knit a scarf in a few days. Once you've mastered the basics, the average knitter can make a 4ft scarf in about 8 hours. That would be Christmas sorted!
.
.
This book is fab and something in an age of device addiction and text-neck, we could all probably do with reading. My only call out on it, is I was expecting 60 explicit tips on how to reduce my smartphone usage. You know - set app usage limits, don't use your phone before lunch time, declutter your phone etc. This book wasn't that. It had a few tips like that throughout, but it's aim was to make you realise that that wasted time could be so much better spent. And actually, in so many ways that's far more powerful.
.
I give this ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5

What a fabulous little book! I enjoy books on minimalism and I read Cal Newport's book, Digital Minimalism, that the author of this book refers to several times. Smartphones and other screens are becoming a huge problem in today's society; I see it everyday in myself, my kids, my husband, and my friends. I love how this book is organized. The introduction explains why he wrote the book, the stolen moments between him and his son due to smartphones. I loved reading his reflections on this. The pages are short and simple. I also loved the eye catching art on the pages. There wasn't new information I've hadn't heard before, but I appreciated the book as a whole. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy. I must say, though, that experiencing this book as an e-galley when it so frequently extolls the virtues of paper and hard copy, feels off.

The author has structured this book as a bit of a laundry list, and it's up to the reader to see what will resonate and stick. There are some true soundbites that give one reason to pause, reflect, or research - and then a lot that just feels like a regurgitation of facts and quotes from elsewhere.

The introduction where the author talked about all of the time he’s spent on his phone instead of with his son grabbed at my heart, as well as his decision to change that when his son wanted a phone of his own and he was explaining the importance of placing limits. It’s a good book for when you don’t have a lot of attention to devote, but I’m not sure how much of it I’ll really take with me other than the idea that we spend a lot of time on our phones that could better be used elsewhere. For me I found Catherine Price’s ‘How to Break Up with Your Phone’ to be more useful, which he actually mentions a few times in this book. But if you haven’t yet realized the hold your phone might have on your life, it might be a good introduction.

A fast read discussing an important topic nowadays. The false busy we deceive ourselves with and the mad need to be always connected depriving ourselves from privacy and precious real time living.

One of my goals for 2020 was reducing the amount of time I spent on my smartphone = something which has been increasingly hard in the past few months with the current state of the world. I've read a few articles on reducing smart phone usage/etc. - but I was really hoping for a more concise book/collection of ideas to help me achieve my goal and this book did just that.

Overall, it does a great job of outlining different ways to reduce our interactions with smart phones (timers, how to improve your sleep, etc.) and the author keeps it interesting by inserting different quotes and anecdotal stories so that it doesn't just read like a guidebook or list of tips. It's an easy read and I finished it quickly - and definitely learned a few new tips. I wouldn't say all of the information in the book is revolutionary (e.g. stop looking at devices 2 hours before bed has been said many times) - but it served as a nice reminder and did include some tips I hadn't thought of.

If you're looking to change your relationship with your phone or examine your tech habits - this book is a concise and easy way to start doing just that!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

This was such an informative, inspiring and easy read. Paul Greenberg opens the book with a strong opening about how he came to quit his smartphone and then continued on with evidence from various resources supporting the suggestion to drop the smartphone.

The practices at the end of every segment were amazing and easy to practice. The formatting of the beginning of each chapter was clever. Overall an enjoyable read!

I was sure I'd like this book. Because I never expect it to be.. what it is. I was expecting an actual list with interesting stuff to do rather than pick up the phone. But the book tries to go deeper and more philosophical than the shallow list I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, this is not bad. But when presenting its topics, it ends up actually being... shallow. All it has is some quotes and concepts from other books and essays. But guess what? Nowadays there are apps like deepstash or blinkist that do exactly what this book does: summarize and present snippets from other books, articles and essays.

This is a fabulous little book that gives ideas, examples and inspiration for how to spend time that would other wise be spent scrolling on our devices.

The opening pages where the author adds up the time spent on our phones and the equivalent that we have lost really hits hard, especially where he talks about the time he has missed out on with his son. As a parent, I am guilty of sneaking a peek at social media when my son is occupied with something but seeing the time added up like that really made me think and will affect my use of devices in future.

This book makes a convincing argument and useful tool for anyone looking to reduce use of their phone. Not only does it include many helpful hints to get you started but refers to other works that would be of use for anyone wanting to take their reading further.

Greenberg’s words are accompanied in this book by beautiful illustrations throughout.

Every single word is so true. We give so much time to our phones and fail to connect with the world around us. All of these practices should be sought out by us renditioning it to each of our needs accordingly. In a few words, the moral of this book is PUT YOUR PHONES DOWN AND CONNECT WITH THE ONES AROUND YOU. Incorporate your passion and love into your life and your loved ones’ life around you.

Coming out in November. Glad for this review copy by the publishers and Netgalley.

A quick “read” to be sure, but there’s a ton of value in there and it will take time to apply the lessons.

I really appreciated the way the books layout worked with the content to keep me engaged. Great quotes through out which lead me to other materials to read.

I personally would have left the short political section out as it might turn off some readers, but it’s still very much worth consideration regardless of your views.

I loved this book. I always enjoy books that are little chunks of wisdom as I don't always want to be preached to with 30 pages of why I should eat this or not eat that or why I should disconnect from my phone. I thought it was really well written and insightful and particularly liked the part about apps tracking fitness. I kind of love having an Apple Watch tell me I've done all my steps but then wonder how accurate it is. The author's suggestion to really lean into the reality of working out resonated. Thanks for this handy little guide!

In this thoughtful read, Greenberg places digestible food for thought in front of the average smartphone user. His concise persuasions may be best suited for those in the contemplation stage of change, who are ambivalent but willing to entertain a new perspective. Major props for citing Catherine Price's "How to Break Up with Your Phone," which I personally think is an excellent, logical next step for those moving into the preparation and action stages.

Good, commonsense advice on putting down your phone and picking up your life. Lovely, soothing illustrations were a fun edition to the book.

The book talks about the way in which technology has engulfed our lives on a large scale. It does so by providing scientific basis in a lucid format does making us realise its enormity. This is followed by numerous, simple yet effective tools for utilising the time which we will get at our hands if we stop using our phones the amounts we do currently. The phone addiction is increasing tremendously and the numbers are staggering. It's important to do something for getting over it but isn't that easy, thanks to the huge amount of our lives being dependent on the smartphones. Nevertheless, it isn't impossible to be the master of your phone and not vice versa and this book definitely is a good point to start!!

It was funny to be reading this book on my smartphone. Very insightful, and relatable. Such a good read. Not overly long or wordy, very good use of the words used. I’m glad to have read this and would recommend it to any parent or otherwise.

This is a good book for anyone that has been contemplating cutting their screen time and phone usage. I think it’s a great entry point into the whole concept, with easy to read pages, interesting images, and practical tips. There are great resources quoted throughout this book as well, making it easy to dig deeper into the topic.

As someone who has read other books on this topic, I still learned new information throughout and after seeing some of the concepts and other texts referenced, I was inspired to get back into reading more and scrolling less, both learning about stepping away from my phone and embracing my hobbies.

A necessary book. I wish it were available in a small leaflet format and distributed in schools, universities and office spaces - we are all slaves to our phones and, despite various research and scary data, we are not willing to break up with our smartphones, social media, internet browsing until early hours of the morning.

This book could be read in one sitting and really brings your attention to the inevitable - we are all wasting the precious hours of our life doing what?.. Exactly. To think... we could learn new languages and travel the world and instead we choose to stare into the abyss which is our personal smartphone.

Recommended.

"Goodbye Phone, Hello World" by Paul Greenberg is both an honest account of the author's realization about how his smartphone was, in essence, consuming his life, and a bundle of insightful and actionable ways in which we can become more connected to the real world and less attached to these devices.

I really enjoyed this book and made several annotations on tips which I will implement in my own life. The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous as well and made the book even more enjoyable to read.

I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone, especially people looking for simple ways to improve their lives and find more joy in their day-to-day, while finding release from the myriad of negative effects that excessive digital consumption has on all of us.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

It's an easy and quick read for when you want ideas on what to do, without being a superficial list of random activities. It has story snippets and quotes while talking about how much time we spend on our phones, and what we could do with that time.

An interesting take on how to get yourself away from your phone more. Easy ways to get off your phone along with research showing why you should get/stay off your phone throughout the day. Along with that its broken into mind/body and relationships as to why you should distance yourself from your phone more. The illustrations to coincide were interesting as well.

*** Special Thanks to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review***

In this episode, I listened to a charming argument for unplugging...

Friends, friends, friends.

Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress.

I’ll admit that I have not been the biggest fan of the idea of less technology. I love new gadgets and the idea of a quote-unquote “detox” or an unplugging never really appealed to me.

After all, this past year has been made infinitely better with the intentional usage of social media. I’ve made friends and felt less alone as we deal with the repercussions of a global pandemic that restricts our freedom of movement.

However, with that being said, I have to admit that we all may be taking technology too far. Last year I read a couple of books that focused on the benefits of disconnecting from tech, but they got very detailed. Invariably, I’d find myself questioning the author’s perspective and I’d become skeptical of the whole exercise.

I was surprised, then, to discover a more holistic and human argument in Paul Greenberg’s delightful little book titled Goodbye Phone, Hello World.

Greenberg made the concept of technology addiction a personal one by connecting it to his own relationship with his son and it made me interested in continuing forward. It was a very effective way to get me invested in his little adventure.

Goodbye Phone, Hello World was so much fun primarily because it focused on the positive benefits that disconnection or unplugging can have on a person’s life, not to mention the lives in a larger community.

I was particularly struck by the reframing of exercise as an extension of meditation, and the minimization of tracking and documenting progress. I still can’t let go of the idea of having a bike that can generate electricity in the home. That just sounds magnificent and fun.

At the end of the day, I still like my phone, I still like my podcasts, and I still like my video games. What I did take from this book was a new dedication to my intentions.

Why do I turn to technology? What am I actually doing with the said gadget and why does it matter?

So ultimately this book didn’t cause a seismic, overnight shift in my life and my habits, but it did something quieter and potentially more impactful in the long run.

It made me think, and that’s why I can recommend it so completely.

That’s all for today. Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.

Peace, Love, Pages.

I was a little skeptical of whether or not this book would actually provide me with useful insights that. could apply but I ended up being pleasantly surprised throughout the entire book. There are plenty of books have been written on the subject of mindfulness as it relates to the attention economy and technology -- from Cal Newport's "Digital Minimalism", to Jenny Odelll's "How To Do Nothing", but ironically enough, I could never bring myself to finish any of them. But I was able to read this book on a lunch break.

This book's straight-forward writing style, use of gorgeous illustrations, and balance among science, personal experience, and spirituality made it a home run for me. Additionally, I really enjoyed the moments where the author took time to zoom out and consider the holistic perspective of how our mindless behavior affects our environment (e.g. with car idling).

If you have to browse social media, you have time to read this book.

"Good-by Phone, Hello World" is a quick, easy, enjoyable guide to enhancing your life by giving up some of your tech usage time. The goal of this book is to show tech users some ways in which technology affects their lives, and also presents some ways to lessen the pull of that technology and use the time for something else that is more meaningful and enjoyable. The book is divided into sections that deal with creativity, health, relationships, well-being, and the environment. Each section can easily be read in one sitting. The artwork forms the best part of the book and leads the reader into a more mindful state, even without the advice and suggestions. The book is well-researched and includes extensive end notes and bibliography.

If you are a frequent user of technology, you might have thought about greatly reducing your tech use. Maybe you even felt as if you are a servant to your cell phone.If you long to reduce your tech usage, check out this beautifully illustrated book. You might just find some ideas that appeal to you!

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This book gave lots of insightful tips and facts about why people should try to disconnect from their phones more often. It was very eye-opening and made me re-evaluate how much I use my cell phone on a daily basis. I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks they want to cut down on the amount of screen time that have every day.

In this digital, virtual age, we are seeing the negative effects that too much screen time has on children and teens. Greenberg tackles this issue in an easy to read and informative style that offers busy parents practical solutions. . I will definitely be purchasing copies for our school library for parents to borrow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy.

A very impactful book for this day and age! Backed by research and full of great ideas about how to take a step back from our phone addictions and truly engage and connect in life.