Highly recommend! I learned a lot from this book and am excited to implement ideas from it. Very useful and well researched ( )

I am not a causal identification maniac, and I find descriptive stuff interesting, but I am frustrated by presentation of statistical associations followed by suggestive or explicit causal language, even if occasionally accompanied by acknowledging other possibilities and selection issues. Susan Pinker is not the worst offender in this regard that I have come across, but a pretty serious offender she is. In particular with all the talk about "the female effect" and the effects of marriage , but often also casually, as with "the effect of eating dinner together". I accept much of her message that face-to-face social interactions are important and perhaps undervalued in today's society, the problem is that this is almost lost in hyperbole and one-sided interpretation. Not recommended. ( )

Face-to-face interactions matter. That is the conclusion Susan Pinker draws from her extensive review of the research conducted in the fields of social cognition and neuroscience. Live interactions with people promote health, happiness, and learning. The same effects are not obtained through electronic contact with others. The many examples and research results included in the book and Pinker’s engaging writing style make for fascinating reading. Those interested in business, health care, education, and parenting will find in the book much that is interesting and useful. The extensive research Pinker cites supports the argument that screen time is not a substitute for face time. ( )