The Shallows
Examines the influences computer-delivered information may have on human cognition using Marshall McLuhan as the hook, the history of communication as the trajectory, and brain science as the tool.
Where The Shallows keeps showing up
Two of our editors' lists feature this novel.
What you might want to know about The Shallows
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Building on his 2008 Atlantic essay Is Google Making Us Stupid, Nicholas Carr argues sustained internet use is rewiring the brain to skim and scroll rather than read deeply. He walks through neuroscience studies and the long history of reading technology, from the alphabet to the printing press.
The Shallows argues that the internet is rewiring our brains for shallow attention and fragmented thinking, with measurable cognitive consequences. Nicholas Carr was a Pulitzer finalist for the book in 2011.
Yes. Despite being published in 2010, The Shallows remains widely cited in conversations about technology and attention. Newer books like Stolen Focus (2022) and Slow Productivity (2024) build on its framework.
The Shallows was written by Nicholas G. Carr, published in 2010 by Norton & Company, Incorporated, W. W..
The Shallows is 320 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Shallows takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
The Shallows is a standalone novel by Nicholas G. Carr, not part of a series.
The Shallows is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
