A Deadly Wandering by Matt Richtel

In this book, Richtel examines the impact of technology on our lives through the story of Utah college student Reggie Shaw, who killed two scientists while texting and driving. Richtel follows Reggie through the tragedy, the police investigation, his prosecution, and ultimately his redemption.

In the wake of his experience, Reggie has become a leading advocate against “distracted driving.” Richtel interweaves Reggie’s story with cutting-edge scientific findings regarding human attention and the impact of technology on our brains, proposing solid, practical, and actionable solutions to help manage this crisis individually and as a society.

A propulsive read, A Deadly Wandering explores one of the biggest questions of our time--what is all of our technology doing to us?--and provides unsettling and important answers and information we all need.

The book wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, not entirely. I expected the retelling of the investigation, and how the deaths of the two men affected their families, not to mention the young man who caused those deaths. But it expands to take in the lives of those who pushed through that investigation, going so far as to retell the harrowing childhood of one of those people.

The science covered, the studies being done regarding how the brain works, or doesn't work when distracted, is especially intriguing. It's disconcerting to learn just how much we all fool ourselves when it comes to how many things we think we can do at the same time.

But the book has a flaw, at least for me. The writing. I really don't need to know what color shirt a person is wearing, or a detailed description of someone's living room. The book appears to be padded, or maybe could have used better editing. I ran across one place where the same paragraph is printed twice.

I was also taken somewhat aback by the redemption angle, especially when it practically turned into preaching, the author putting forward his own brand of religiosity. It was a small distraction, but one that loomed larger because of the book's other problem.

Still, all in all, it's a book worth reading. It delves into an issue that affects all of us. Too easily I could see something like this happening to myself or to someone I care for. And with car makers adding even more distractions to the "cockpit" that used to be a dashboard, It's an alarming thought that's not outside the realm of possibility.