Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology.

BETTER OFF: Flipping the Switch on Technology ERIC BRENDE

For his master's degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brende turned in an antithesis, at least by MIT standards. He researched how technology makes our lives more challenging and how much or how little technology we really need to maintain convenience, comfort, and sociability. His primary source of information was an 18-month-long stint, along with his wife, among a group of unidentified Amish and Mennonite peoples whom he clubs "Minimites" for the sake of their privacy. These people are entirely off the grid. They have no electricity or running water. They use no appliances, telephones, or cars. After a brief transition, the couple began to see improvements in their lives. They got exercise during the course of daily activities--before, they had sat in traffic to get to the gym, if they could find time to go. The stress of their previous lives dissipated. Their slower lifestyle afforded them more time with each other and newfound friends. In recounting his experience with the Minimites and the results of some further research, Brende suggests how we can minimize our use of and dependence on technology. HarpC, 2004, 233 p., hardcover, $24.95.