On Browsing

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A defense of the dying art of losing an afternoon—and gaining new appreciation—amidst the bins and shelves of bricks-and-mortar shops. Written during the pandemic, when the world w as marooned at home and consigned to scrolling screens, On Browsing’s essays chronicle what we’ve lost through online shopping, streaming, and the relentless digitization of culture. The latest in the Field Notes series, On Browsing is an elegy for physical media, a polemic in defense of perusing the world in person, and a love letter to the dying practice of scanning bookshelves, combing CD bins, and losing yourself in the stacks. Praise for On Browsing “Browsing is many things: a lifestyle, a relaxation, a revelation if your search finds a long-sought book or a rare recording, and perhaps more importantly a soul-refreshing excursion in a world of instant online search-and-buy options.”—Winnipeg Free Press “‘Our choices are chisels,’ says Jason Guriel. This moving book will fill you with a good kind of sadness and help you understand your own nostalgias.”—Nicholson Baker, author of The Mezzanine “A mall parking lot, a defunct record store, the lingering crease on a book cover—across the all-flattening boundary of the digital age, Guriel recalls what it meant to access the universal one particular, physical piece at a time.”—Tom Scocca, author of Beijing Welcomes You: Unveiling the Capital City of the Future Show more