Reviews for Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology

The average rating for Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-02-22 00:00:00 Susan Desiato I really wanted to like this book, but it was painfully written and the author comes across as a jerk. It's a decent premise: A man and woman decide to live off the grid for 18 months: no car, no electricity, no cell phones, and no refrigerator. Eric Brende and his new wife arranged to rent a room in an Amish-type community and adopt an agrarian lifestyle. Generally I enjoy these kinds of project memoirs, but Brende's writing style was too florid, and he is not a good storyteller. He kept skipping around in his narrative and obsessing over minor things, to the point of irritation. He is also arrogant and condescending. At one point he yells at his wife for not having dinner ready on time, when it was mostly his fault for not making sure they had enough food on hand and not allowing her the use of a fridge. So, way to be a jackass. I got so irritated with the narrator that I had to skim to finish this book. Based on other GR reviews, it seems like I'm not alone in my negative reaction. Whew. NOTE A colleague recommended this to me, saying it was his "favorite book ever," so I'm hoping he doesn't read this review. If so, sorry B.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-08-30 00:00:00 Boris Jolin While it had an interesting premise, it didn't come close to living up to my expectations. A naive city boy decides to go "off the grid" for a year, but rather than try it on his own (a la Helen and Scott Nearing), he throws in the kitsch of moving into a community of religious folks akin to the Amish or Mennonites. He drags along some chick he knows (and marries for whatever reason) and spends 200 pages poorly documenting their experience. The style was bland and tedious, though the story could have -- should have -- been intriguing. I read the whole thing, but only because it was short and with simple enough prose that it took almost no time. I recommend The Good Life (Helen & Scott Nearing) or Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Kingsolver) it its place.