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Leave Your Smartphone at the Door: The Joy of OFFLINE

Howard Lewis

The virtues of randomness and serendipity

In a world increasingly overwhelmed by the demands of social media, "Leave Your Smartphone at the Door: The Joy of OFFLINE" reaffirms the value of enduring and meaningful personal relationships and how to make the most of them.

  Personal Growth & Self-Improvement   40,000 words   50% complete   Published by Radius Book Group
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409 preorders
$7,930.00 funded

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Synopsis

"Leave Your Smartphone at the Door: The Joy of OFFLINE" is the 21st c heir to “How To Make Friends And Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and represents the intersection of networking and mindfulness.

The essence of "Leave Your Smartphone at the Door" is twofold. On the one hand, it is simply the antithesis of online. Not that online is all bad. On the contrary, online is rather good but what is not good at all is this latter day obsession with it, whereby all those skills you learned at your mother’s knee, like reading and writing and talking, are all becoming dying arts. Yet the curious thing about it is that man, and for that matter woman, is a social animal by nature and that physical interaction is a pretty fundamental part of our being. But there is another dimension to "Leave Your Smartphone at the Door" that is arguably even more important than that. Most people follow a fairly straight path through life - commercial exigencies, the demands of parenthood, all the usual suspects play their part - but what typically occurs is that we fall into a sort of comfort zone, an area densely populated by straightforwardness, by convenience, by familiarity and, I dare say, a hint of laziness. As a result, I believe it is very valuable and, indeed, very necessary, as you pursue that straight path through life, that you periodically veer OFFLINE. You can veer back on it, of course, but sometimes that deviation of mind, body and soul can yield some surprising consequences! This book reinvigorates the undervalued art of building meaningful and enduring relationships, all too often overlooked by society’s shift to an online world, and acts as a manifesto to lead a truly connected and fulfilled life.

We all communicated perfectly well face to face for thousands of years before digital media ever showed up and, although personal technology has its merits, it is not so transformational that everything else should be thrown out of the window. Yet a significant swathe of the population struggle with the very notion of direct contact and its consequences. There is an overriding fear about what may go wrong and this suspicion and negativity pervades other aspects of our lives. OFFLINE ethos is far more concerned with what may go right and acknowledges that the endless pursuit of perfection and excellence is overrated and potentially destructive. The book will embrace themes as diverse as The Charms Of Imperfection, Winning Kindly, The Joy Of Randomness, The Courtesies Of Life, Travels Of The Unexpected, The Art Of Sharing, How To Write So You Are Remembered, LOMO and Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone. I will share stories and anecdotes that reveal how our idiosyncrasies and frailties best define our individuality and should be celebrated as an accompaniment rather than an impediment to an enriched and satisfying life. OFFLINE will help readers to maximise their personal currency in both a business and social context, as the ability to develop empathy and rapport will be critical in a world dominated by algorithms and AI. The irony of social media is that it is deeply anti social and OFFLINE will enable those strangled by its grip to successfully reengage with real people in real time and real life.

Over many years, I have written numerous features on the vagaries of the human condition and the OFFLINE formula has been profiled by publications such as Forbes, Thrive Global and Meeting Professionals International. Although "Leave Your Smartphone At The Door" is principally focused on nurturing great relationships, I have also composed articles on behaviour, attitudes, codes of conduct and cultural taboos. It has been partly informed by the OFFLINE dinners I have hosted over the past five years which always draw an eclectic audience, all ages, all backgrounds, boys and girls. I share a bunch of stories over the evening that touch upon aspects of the OFFLINE philosophy but it is all about the people. I watch entirely disparate attendees find points of convergence, often in the most surprising ways, and it is a constant reminder that there is far more that connects rather than separates us. Consequently, I have a keen appreciation of the quirks and sensitivities of life, honed by experience and observation. As I also have a background in the art world, I will share my insights on ways of looking, building trust and confidence in your counterparts and being prepared to change your mind. These themes are also relevant to my travels from Mexico City to Marrakech where I will demonstrate that, wherever you may live, we are all the same but different!

Sales arguments

  • Constant online communication is creating loneliness, isolation, fear of failure, peer group pressure, need for conformity and anxiety. There is abundant evidence that people are scared of causing offence, acting inappropriately, being ostracised, marginalised or excluded and OFFLINE will strip away the veneer of propriety that stops them being themselves.
  • The book will take away the mystique of likeability and show how you are equipped to develop great relationships.
  • My network encompasses c 1,350 people in my address book, almost 1,500 on LinkedIn, at least 500 past attendees of the OFFLINE dinner, plus numerous connections in the art world and beyond.
  • I know a number of writers in business and beyond who I believe would endorse the book. I may ask the philosopher Robert Rowland Smith, author of Breakfast With Socrates and a very good friend of mine, to write the foreword.
  • I can offer various incentives to encourage pre ordering such as attendance as my guest at an OFFLINE dinner or spending an afternoon in an art gallery or museum. There are endless possibilities.

Similar titles

  • How To Make Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. This is a timeless classic and many of its themes and ideas resonate today. However, the language and tone is redolent of a very different era so OFFLINE takes its best principles and adapts them for the modern age.
  • Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jason Lanier (Vintage 2019). This is really a polemic decrying the insidious influence of social media and its addictive qualities. Although I agree with the broad thrust of his message, OFFLINE seeks to create solutions for those lost online and in life more generally.
  • The Wisdom And Teachings Of Stephen Covey (Simon & Schuster 2012) This is a thoughtful and measured book but focuses on leading a decent and upright life. OFFLINE does not pretend to offer spiritual guidance but a road map to negotiate the scourge of online mania and that straight path through life.

Audience

This book is accessible to everyone but especially addresses those in business and professional communities who struggle to achieve success through an inability to communicate face to face, cannot connect with those outside their immediate circle, can’t maintain a conversation or overwhelmed by the digital universe and wish to revisit and relearn the simpler pleasures of life. OFFLINE will hold the hand of even the most seasoned executives who wish to capture attention for all the right reasons!

Advance praise

I have received a wide range of testimonials from attendees at OFFLINE dinners and other events I have hosted and will review these in due course.

Howard Lewis

About the author

I am extremely openminded, read and travel widely and can draw upon a very diverse network globally. This book is the first collation of ideas expressed over many years and I believe it will cut through much of the nonsense imposed in public life by the excessive application of protocol, etiquette and political correctness. One of the reasons behind the success of the OFFLINE dinners is that I allow participants to be vulnerable and release their inhibitions. Nobody stands on ceremony there and nor should they routinely do so in everyday life. I don’t much care where attendees come from or what they may do but I care very much that they are givers, open to fresh ideas and perspectives, curious about the world around them and, most importantly, interested in the lives of others. Live life, live OFFLINE!

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Rewards

$20

Just For You!

226 readers

1 signed copy of "Leave Your Smartphone At The Door" plus an invitation to the book launch. (Value $50)

Includes:

  • 1 physical copy
Free shipping 74 of 300 left

$50

For You And Your Friends!

25 readers

3 signed copies of "Leave Your Smartphone At The Door" plus an invitation to the book launch. They will come in very handy when you are scrabbling around for an original birthday present. As a bonus, bring your friends to meet me for an hour over a coffee and a sticky bun so I can share the background to the OFFLINE story in person. (Value $200)

Includes:

  • 3 physical copies
Free shipping 125 of 150 left

$120

Personal Attention!

8 readers

6 signed copies of "Leave Your Smartphone At The Door" plus an invitation to the book launch. If you buy 6 copies, I will invite you to the fabled OFFLINE dinner as my guest and seat you next to me.(Value $400)

Includes:

  • 6 physical copies
Free shipping 42 of 50 left

$200

Join The OFFLINE Dinner!

6 readers

10 signed copies of "Leave Your Smartphone At The Door" plus an invitation to the book launch. If you buy 10 copies, I will invite you and a friend to the fabled OFFLINE dinner as my guests. (Value $600)

Includes:

  • 10 physical copies
Free shipping 19 of 25 left

$750

Plus A Free Consultation!

0 readers

25 signed copies of "Leave Your Smartphone At The Door" plus an invitation to the book launch. Not only will I invite two friends with you as my guests at the OFFLINE dinner but I will throw in a half day consultation so you can learn how applying the OFFLINE philosophy can enhance your business. (Value $1,500)

Includes:

  • 25 physical copies
Free shipping 10 of 10 left

$2500

Charitable Support!

0 readers

50 signed copies of "Leave Your Smartphone At The Door" plus an invitation to the book launch. Take this option and you will be gracing the OFFLINE dinner with four friends as my guests. Additionally, I will provide a half day consultation and speak for free at a charity event of your choice to share the OFFLINE philosophy. (Value $4,500)

Includes:

  • 50 physical copies
Free shipping 5 of 5 left

$5000

The Icing On The Cake!

0 readers

100 signed copies of"Leave Your Smartphone At The Door" plus an invitation to the book launch. One of the key elements of the OFFLINE philosophy is to demonstrate a generosity of spirit so, if you take this package, you can bring six friends as my guests to the OFFLINE dinner, obtain a free half day consultation, invite me to speak at a charity event of your choice and, last but not least, spend a day with me wandering around art museums, combined with lunch at my club. (Value $7,500)

Includes:

  • 100 physical copies
Free shipping 3 of 3 left