Journal 1

Before we chose this book all of us looked into the summaries and reviews of the book. The book is about a married couple, the man being an M.I.T. graduate, who decide to leave a life filled with technology, and move into a society that uses less electricity than the Amish. The main purpose of them moving into the different lifestyle is to see if technology really does make life easier or if it actually complicates life more. In this world we live in, technology is everywhere and part of almost everything we do. Most people couldn’t imagine living without it, and that is one reason we chose to read this book, and find out the difficulties they have to go through.
Some common biases of people who choose not to use technology are usually given negative labels. Some include hippie or environmentalists, and consider the people crazy or very odd. Whenever someone tries to do something that goes against the norm in this country, many stereotypes are thrown out there about the person. For a lot of us, it is hard to understand why some people would decide to ditch the life of technology, and start a lifestyle as simple as possible.
From this book, we want to learn about the difficulties that the couple face. Also, whether they feel that technology actually makes life easier, or if it makes life more difficult and advanced. This book seemed interesting to us because this is a lifestyle most of us wouldn’t ever consider living and it is a way for us to understand how much we actually do rely on technology. We feel it would be very interesting to cut back on the use of technology, and have a life that is possibly more rewarding for all the things we accomplish. This topic is significant to us because we are constantly using technology to try and make life “easier.”

Graphic pg.1-29

Eric Brende’s adventure starts out by taking a course in the history of technology. This course is an eye opener for him. It teaches him about the development of technologies and conditions in nineteenth century factories. For Brende, the course raised more questions than it answered. After Brende graduated college, he found out about a course at MIT, “Science, Technology, and Society,” that provided an overview of the social effects of machines on human life. It wasn’t until a trip back to Kansas that he meets an Amish looking man and gets an idea. That idea is the base of the book; to see what it is like to live without modern day machinery.

1 - Quiz

1. Have you ever noticed human dependence on technology and felt the way that Brende felt? Write about your experience(s).
I have felt disdain for technology many times before. Whenever I go on a long trip and have been away from my computer, I feel more at peace because I have not been checking my email and facebook for many days or weeks. I have always wanted to live with less technology, although at this point in my life, it would be very difficult to make the change. As a child I thought it would be fun to go back in time and live in a more simple society.

2. Do you think it was difficult for Brende to express his ideas while at a university like M.I.T.? What would you have done in his situation?
It would have been very difficult for Brende to express his ideas at M.I.T. . I would feel as if I would be offending these people, because they work so hard on improving technology. I would not be able to criticize their work and even way of life. He would have had much opposition to his opinions.

3. Would you ever consider living in a community like this? Would you even give up some of the technology that you use daily? Why?
I would definitely consider living in a community like this. It would be an interesting experience that would build character. I think that everything would feel like more of an accomplishment. Even when performing simple tasks, the tools that we use make things so much easier. At the end of the day, I think that I would feel like I had actually done work.

4. How long do you think you would last in Brende’s situation? Would you follow through with your goal to live in this community?
I hope that I would be able to stay for as long as I would want to. After the initial withdrawal from technology, I think it would become easier and much more enjoyable. I have been in situations where I am away from much technology, and I have enjoyed them immensely. This summer I went on a two-week backpacking trip in the mountains of New Mexico, and I would love to go back or even work as a guide.

Vocabulary Builder

Wearied- impatient or dissatisfied with something, fatiqued. Prologue
Undertow-A tendency, when in thought, to be contrary to what seems the strongest. Page #5
Besetting- constantly obsessing. Page #7
Avuncular- characteristics of an uncle, treat in benevolence or tolerance. Page #9
Beckoning- to make an inviting gesture, wave. Page 13
Liturgy- form of public worship or ritual. Page #19
Palpable- Capable of being handled Page #22
Deft- skillful or clever. Page #26
Nonnative- Person born in another area or country than where they live. Page #28
Moorings- to anchor, or end. “Our technological moorings were served” Page #23

Section 1 Summary

Eric Brende grew up in the Midwest and had a somewhat normal, yet boring childhood. He remembers being a normal kid that watched tv and did most of the normal things that children do. He also recalls many details that frustrated him or made him think. He mentions that the later he got into his childhood, the less people could be found outside. The number of cars increased on the roads and children stopped playing stickball in the street. He also mentions his father spending all of his time over their first word-processor and seeing him very little. Brende went to a university and graduated with good standing. He wrote a paper there that first made him realize his dislike for machines that did work for humans. He attended MIT where he took a course called S.T.S. (Science, Technology, and Society) which made him question the use of this machinery even more. He got into trouble because of his opinions on technology and it’s affect on humans. He began to be disgusted with the college in many ways. People there seemed to love technology. He mentions becoming interested in the Amish while on a bus-ride home to Topeka. After being hit by a car, he meets his future wife and marries. They leave their jobs behind and move to a farm community with no electricity or motors. They moved into an Amish community. Brende and his wife begin living in the community and learning all that there is to know, such as washing clothes and dishes without machines as well as cooking with no electricity or natural gas. They are helped by their neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Miller. Brende learns much about farming and gardening from Mr. Miller and learns that these are extremely knowledgeable people.

Introduction

This group chose to read Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that we are all curious about how life can go on without technology. We are all products of modern technology and we wanted to see what life may have been like 100 years ago. We use technology throughout the day, every day. It would be unfathomable for us to live without the conveniences of the computer, cell phone, and others. I enjoy reading this kind of book for those reasons. Even though I could not imagine living like the Brendes, it still is fascinating to read about.
Matt was interested in seeing whether or not technology complicated the Brende’s lives or made them simpler. He wanted to understand the purpose for living without the technology. I don’t think I could live in a community that focuses on the minimizing the use of technology. Through the Brende’s account, we can see what hardships they face and in turn, we saw what that Minimite way of life is.
These are Eric’s thoughts:
I have read the book about Chris Mccandless, Into the Wild and thought it was interesting. Once I read the Better Off description, I was interested. I was interested in it because it was somewhat similar to Into the Wild, but not as extreme. It’s something that more people would be able to do. I was also interested because I wanted to get an idea of what it would be like to live with less or no technology. Because of who I am – more interested in the outdoors, likes technology, but not tech savvy or obsessed with it – I think I will enjoy this book.
James’ thoughts:
I enjoy this kind of book because I enjoy reading about things involved with history. I think it is admirable for any one to live without technology. I certainly could not do it. Much of this assignment could not be completed without it. When I read a description of the book online, I figured I would enjoy reading this account of the Brende’s lives. I always enjoy learning about something through a person’s eyes.