416 pages | Paperback

New York TimesBestseller
A landmark exploration of the vast and expanding impact of technology, rivetingly told through the lens of a deadly collision

Richtels compassionate and persuasive book deserves a spot next toFast Food NationandTo Kill a Mockingbirdin Americas high school curriculums. To say it may save lives is self-evident.
New York Times Book Review

One of the years most original and masterfully reported books,A Deadly Wanderingby Pulitzer Prize-winningNew York Timesjournalist Matt Richtel interweaves the cutting-edge science of attention with the tensely plotted story of a mysterious car accident and its aftermath to answer some of the defining questions of our time: What is technology doing to us? Can our minds keep up with the pace of change? How can we find balance? Through Richtels beautifully constructed narrative, a complex and far-reaching topic becomes intimate and urgentan important call to reexamine our own lives.

On the last day of summer, an ordinary Utah college student named Reggie Shaw fatally struck two rocket scientists while texting and driving. Richtel follows Reggie from the moment of the tragedy, through the police investigation, the states groundbreaking prosecution, and ultimately, Reggies wrenching admission of responsibility. Richtel parallels Reggies journey with leading-edge scientific findings regarding human attention and the impact of technology on our brainsshowing how these devices, now thoroughly embedded into all aspects of our lives, play to our deepest social instincts and prey on parts of the brain that crave stimulation, creating loops of compulsion, even addiction.

Remarkably, today Reggie is a leading advocate who has helped spark a national effort targeting distracted driving, and the arc of his story provides a window through which Richtel pursues actionable solutions to help manage this crisis individually and as a society. A propulsive read filled with fascinating scientific detail, riveting narrative tension, and rare emotional depth,A Deadly Wanderingis a book that can changeand savelives.