“A book that will change the online (and offline) you.”
Author: zrosen
Rewire
“[IRL] is erudite yet highly readable, a deeply confessional memoir that mixes philosophy with pop culture and media studies.”
Life After God
“Much of the time, [Stedman] says, we don’t think of our time on the internet as real, and therefore we don’t approach it with the same critical analysis that we might a different kind of engagement. How much thought do you put into an activity that you don’t think is real? [Stedman] argues that while our lives online are different, [the internet] is no less real. As such he invites us to think deeply and critically about how we engage with the internet, how it is shaping us, and what it’s telling us about what is real and what is important.”
The Loft
“In Stedman’s new book, IRL, he cements his position as a powerful cultural critic and gifted author.”
Library Journal
“Stedman remains accessible as he places himself into this technological yet jargon-free narrative; anyone looking to learn more about digital culture and its impact on society will be interested in and able to follow the concepts the author puts forth.”
The Society Pages
“In IRL, Chris [Stedman] tackles big questions about what it means to be authentic in a world where so much of our social interaction is now taking place online. The book goes to deep places, but it doesn’t burden the reader with an overly-serious tone. Instead, [Stedman] brings a lightness by blending memoir, interviews, and social science, all arranged in vignettes so that reading feels like scrolling through a carefully curated Instagram feed. . . A glowing example of what it means to think relationally about our own lives and the lives of others.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Can online platforms help us find true connection? Stedman is a natural guide to the complex world of digital tools that can help us map out our lives and teach us how to be human. . . A relevant investigation into what it means to be ‘real’ in virtual space [and] a handy user’s manual for leading an online life full of meaning and connection.”
Reza Aslan
“What does it mean to be real? This is the question that launches author and activist Chris Stedman on a personal and philosophical journey through the ways one which social media has changed our very sense of self. For the many out there who are perfectly comfortable with their curated identities online, but who have no idea who they are offline, this is the book for you.”
Cole Escola
“This is not some tired, shallow think piece about ‘How we’re on our phones too much.’ Chris Stedman writes from a very personal, empathetic place of genuine curiosity which inspired me to reflect on my own life online in ways I hadn’t thought about before.”
Eboo Patel
“Chris Stedman has done it again. This is a book of warmth and wisdom, a book about what it means to be human. It will expand your mind and comfort your spirit. I loved it.”