Multitasking is Overrated

In this chapter, “The Unitasker”, the author AJ Jacobs talks entirely about his personal experience with trying to focus one activity at a time instead of diverting his attention between multiple situations. He begins the chapter with him describing the scene of him working on this story, and then delves deeper into why he is trying to put his attention in one thing he is working on. He then includes dialogue, descriptions and the characters around him to bring his experiment alive when telling it to the reader. He also includes his thoughts along the way to add a more personal touch to the story.

Even though this chapter in his book seems more story-like, almost like creative fiction, he is still able to add factual details that validate his point of conducting the experiment on himself. By referencing credible sources such as The Times and books by Maggie Jackson and Nicholas Carr, Jacobs proves the ethos perspective of his writing. Additionally, by quoting those sources he mentions indisputable facts that explains why he wants to stop multitasking and prevent himself from getting distracted constantly. Some of the facts say that multitasking reduces long term memory and learning which alarms the reader and writer that he is making the right decision by conducting this experiment.

            Despite how specific his experiment is, he seems to make his problem relatable for the reader through the experiences he describes. His choice of words when he describes the conversations he has with mother on the phone and wife Julia are carefully chosen, and almost poetic in the way one dialogue leads into another. Not only are the situations with other characters, but also when he with himself shows how Jacobs incorporated vivid descriptions to make the story flow more. For example, he includes an instance of himself when he is in the shower, describing the pain yet beauty of being drizzled with water in complete silence, without any music in the background. Jacobs was able to transform such a simple moment into something so vital that illustrates his struggle to stick to following his experiment.