Book details

280 Pages
Publication date: October 2019
Imprint: ecoWing
Vivien Suchert

The Quantified Self

On Self-Control, the Obsession with Optimization, and Digital Doppelgängers

MORE THAN THE SUM OF OUR DATA?

Whether it’s the number of calories or steps, blood or mood levels: Latest gadgets like fitness wristbands and their apps measure our daily behavior precisely—our digital footprint reveals more than some of us might think. But what does it mean when numbers are said to describe us better than we could describe ourselves? The young scientist Vivien Suchert shows in a substantiated and entertaining way what the constant measuring of our bodies and our lives is doing to us.

Nowadays, humans can be measured to an extent that never existed before: Millions of people analyze their life in minute detail according to the motto »self-knowledge by numbers«. But how far can our reality even be portrayed with zeros and ones and how positive and useful is this development for our society? Because whether it’s voluntary or unknowingly—we leave behind a great amount of data about ourselves on the internet everyday, reveal our consumer behavior, political preferences or our exercise and sleeping habits. Psychologist Vivien Suchert traces the trend of self-measuring—as a critical scientist and technologically adept exercise enthusiast.


»In an entertaining way the author shows what the permanent measurement of our body and life does to us.«
Ostsee-Zeitung – Rostocker Zeitung

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Author

Vivien Suchert

Dr. Vivien Suchert, born in 1990, is a psychologist and a licensed fitness instructor, public speaker, academic coach and is interested in everything that makes up a healthy life.