A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention

From Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Richtel, a brilliant, narrative-driven exploration of technology’s vast influence on the human mind and society, a compelling work of narrative nonfiction 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 true 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 findings from attention science regarding 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 from the world of neuroscience, 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.

• A Landmark Case on Distracted Driving: Follow the full story of Reggie Shaw, from the tragic accident on a Utah highway to the groundbreaking prosecution that set a new legal precedent for texting-while-driving cases.
• The Science of Technology and the Brain: Richtel weaves in fascinating, accessible findings from leading neuroscientists to explain why our devices are so irresistible and how they fundamentally impact our attention.
• The Myth of Multitasking: Explore the compelling research that dismantles the idea of multitasking, revealing the cognitive costs of switching our focus, both on the road and in our daily lives.
• A Powerful Story of Redemption: Witness an unforgettable journey from a moment of devastating error to Reggie Shaw’s emergence as a leading, and unlikely, advocate for driver safety.

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

One of the year's most original and masterfully reported books, A Deadly Wandering by Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist 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 Richtel's beautifully constructed narrative, a complex and far-reaching topic becomes intimate and urgent—an 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 along a majestic stretch of highway bordering the Rocky Mountains. Richtel follows Reggie from the moment of the tragedy, through the police investigation, the state's groundbreaking prosecution (at the time there was little precedent to guide the court), and ultimately, Reggie's wrenching admission of responsibility. Richtel parallels Reggie's journey with leading-edge scientific findings regarding human attention and the impact of technology on our brains—showing 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 Wandering is a book that can change—and save—lives.

“Richtel weaves in the latest research into the neuroscience of attention, distraction and addiction to create a portrait of our digital age that will deeply frighten you and cause you to re-evaluate many common aspects of your ‘connected’ life. Not only is this an extraordinarily important book that everyone–and I mean everyone–should read, but it is also a gripping and moving story, beautifully researched and written. I simply could not put this book down. What a tour de force.” - DOUGLAS PRESTON, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Monster of Florence

“Matt Richtel’s riveting book is narrative nonfiction at its finest. A well-written true life account of tragedy, redemption and the public policy challenges of keeping pace with the march of technology. This book should be placed in every school and legislative chamber in the country.” - JON HUNTSMAN, former Governor of Utah

” This is a gripping book about a young man, his torment and redemption, after a distracted driving disaster. If you are young, you’ll want to read this story braced by science that will make you an attentive driver or else … And all drivers can be assured that they will learn more about themselves and any addictive online behavior they may exhibit. This is human drama and the latest knowledge about obsessive technology woven together in memorable style.” - RALPH NADER, author of Unsafe at Any Speed

“A Deadly Wandering is the perfect companion to Matt Richtel’s Pulitzer-prize winning reporting on how technology impacts our attention, decisions, and daily lives. What’s more, this book does that most amazing of feats: it makes cutting-edge scientific research feel relevant to the choices we make every time we get in a car, sit at a desk or talk to our friends and family.” - CHARLES DUHIGG, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit

"Fabulously well-researched and brilliantly told. ... Moving and interesting." - Paula Poundstone

“Matt Richtel’s riveting book is narrative nonfiction at its finest. ... This book should be placed in every school and legislative chamber in the country.” - Jon Huntsman, former governor of Utah

“This book does that most amazing of feats: it makes cutting-edge scientific research feel relevant to the choices we make every time we get in a car, sit at a desk, or talk to our friends and family.” - Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit

“A gripping book. ... This is human drama and the latest knowledge about obsessive technology woven together in memorable style.” - Ralph Nader, author of Unsafe at Any Speed

“Each page is... irresistible. ... A richly detailed and compellingly readable exploration of the ‘clash’ between our brains and the electronic devices that, for many of us, have become essential to ‘every facet of life.’” - Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Americans are addicted to their technology, putting us on a modern day collision course with very real consequences. Matt Richtel brilliantly tells the story of the aftermath of a deadly distracted driving crash. His portrait is riveting. I could not stop reading, and neither will you.” - Ray LaHood, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation

“A portrait of our digital age that will deeply frighten you and cause you to reevaluate many common aspects of your ‘connected’ life. ... An extraordinarily important book that everyone—and I mean everyone—should read.” - Douglas Preston, co-author of The Monster of Florence

“A masterpiece of reporting, insight, and empathy. ... A beautiful, cautionary tale that reads like a novel, and that we disregard at our risk.” - Robert Kurson, author of Shadow Divers

“A Deadly Wandering is more than a page-turner. It’s a book that can save lives.” - Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows

Intensely gripping, compelling, and sobering... A Deadly Wandering gives the potentially lethal risks of the digital age a very human face -- one which we can, if we’re honest, readily see in the mirror.” - Winnipeg Free Press (A Best Book of the Year)

“Exhaustively researched. ... Richtel brings a novelist’s knack for unspooling narrative conflict to bear on Shaw’s real-life drama.” - San Francisco Chronicle (A Best Book of the Year)

“Through an elemental story of death and atonement, Matt Richtel explores the sometimes lethal tension that exists between our multitasking gadgets and our uni-tasking minds. A Deadly Wandering is more than a page-turner. It’s a book that can save lives.” - NICHOLAS CARR, author of The Shallows

“A masterpiece of reporting, insight, and empathy. A Deadly Wandering is a journey into our onrushing everyday world, where technology is colliding with the limits of the human brain. In writing it, Matt Richtel has given us a beautiful, cautionary tale that reads like a novel, and that we disregard at our risk.” - ROBERT KURSON, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers

“Keen and elegantly raw. ... Not just a morality tale but a probe sent into the world of technology. ... Richtel draws all the characters with a fine brush, a delicacy that treats misery both respectfully and front-on.” - Christian Science Monitor (One of the 10 Best Nonfiction Books of the Year)

“Richtel’s compassionate and persuasive book deserves a spot next to Fast Food Nation and To Kill a Mockingbird in America’s high school curriculums. To say it may save lives is self-evident.” - New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice)

“A compelling, highly emotional, and profoundly important story.” - Kirkus Reviews (Starred; a Best Book of the Year)

“Illuminates the perils of information overload... Raises fascinating and troubling issues about the cognitive impact of our technology.” - Publishers Weekly