A Deadly Wandering

A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention

By: Matt Richtel

Narrated by: Fred Berman

From Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Matt Richtel, a brilliant, narrative-driven exploration of technology’s vast influence on the human mind and society, dramatically-told through the lens of a tragic “texting-while-driving” car crash that claimed the lives of two rocket scientists in 2006.

In this ambitious, compelling, and beautifully written book, Matt Richtel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times, 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 filled with fascinating, accessible detail, riveting narrative tension, and emotional depth, 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.

Worth Listening To!

What a story! I enjoyed most of the book, however, I feel like parts of it dragged on, especially when the author focused on the abuse in one family. I feel like it could have had better editing. That being said, it is a moving and worthwhile listen. It sure makes one cognizant of the dangers of texting and driving!

Everyone should read this book!

Truly enjoyed the author's account of what happened. A compelling story with excellent character development. Highly recommend it to anyone.

Pronunciation Matters

Who was your favorite character and why?

Terryl Warner — She is an amazing human.

What didn’t you like about Fred Berman’s performance?

I don't know if it's the producer or the performer who should have done it, but somebody surely should have found out how to correctly pronounce the places in the book (i.e. Tremonton &Wasatch) . Ask the author. Or call the city or county offices and ask. That's all it would take. Sloppy and lazy work. I'm not likely to listen to his narrations again.

Outstanding

Essential and excellent. A must read for everyone. I loved this book and it has changed how I look at technology.

Riveting

This book is a true story of tragedy that will ultimately be a huge positive in the life of all who take the time to read it! It changed my own foolish belief that I could safely handle a phone while driving. Therefore, it may have saved my life too.

Not only is this book useful to our everyday lives; it is also a riveting read that you don't want to put down!