The Next Story by Tim Challies

The Next Story: Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY REVIEW:

So many times I am find myself wondering how I managed without a cell phone...or how I would contact people without Facebook...or how inconvenient it would be without wifi in our home...and sometimes I even wonder how I learned without twitter. And this is exactly what - and so much more! - Tim Cahllies deals with in this book: The Next Story.

I "read" the audio version of this book and because it was not a book that I wanted to read but rather knew I should read. The audio format was best for me and was easy to listen to.

This is a book that will challenge you, make you think, and give you lots to continue to think about. However, while being deep and probing, I still felt that it was easy to understand and digest the message.

Tim is both gifted and knowledgeable as a communicator on the subject of technology and he brings to the table some very thought-provoking ideas and ways of determining the place for technology in the life of a Christian. I appreciate that, in my opinion, he is balanced - not willing to throw out technology but not glossing over it either - and looks at things from a realistic, and most importantly, Biblical view point. Now I don't mean that I agree with everything he said...er' I mean wrote but I definitely walked away understanding technology better and the desire to make it serve me, not I serve it. This book was both personally and "parentally" beneficial.

I would highly recommend anyone - adult or teen - read this book (or listen to it!) as it will help you figure out the place for technology in your life.

BOOK OVERVIEW:

Even the least technical among us are being pressed from all sides by advances in digital technology. We rely upon computers, cell phones, and the Internet for communication, commerce, and entertainment. Yet even though we live in this ‘instant message’ culture, many of us feel disconnected, and we question if all this technology is really good for our souls. In a manner that attempts to be accessible, thoughtful, and biblical, I address questions such as:

How has life—and faith—changed now that everyone is available all the time through mobile phones?
How does our constant connection to these digital devices affect our families and our church communities?
What does it mean that almost two billion humans are connected by the Internet … with hundreds of millions more coming online each year?

Providing the reader with a framework they can apply to any technology, I explain how and why our society has become reliant on digital technology, what it means for our lives, and how it impacts the Christian faith.

So it’s a book not just for the young and digital, but for all of us.