Virtually Amish

“The first sentences of this book draw you into a world of seeming contradictions—an older Amish entrepreneur who is a self-described 'technology buff.' What Ems deftly shows us by the conclusion of Virtually Amish is that it is our assumptions, not how people tend the boundaries and meaning of their shared lives, that we should reconsider. Written with crisp prose detailing how Amish families and religious leaders constitute the meaning of 'traditional ways of life,' Ems makes it clear that what matters most about technologies isn't their absence or presence. Ems smartly pushes beyond facile debates about the digital divide, focusing instead on how the Amish illustrate that even those who seem furthest from the center of technological innovation are always creatively remaking them through strategies of connection and disconnection in their everyday lives.”

Mary Gray, Senior Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research; Faculty Associate, Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society

“The Amish—unlikely to be digital influencers—show us one way to draw on culture to regain control over our digital future. This compelling account of Amish resistance to digitization provides a surprising model for the rest of us.”

Adam Fish, Scientia Associate Professor, University of New South Wales

“Rooted in extensive ethnographic evidence, Virtually Amish makes an important empirical and conceptual contribution to our understanding of the relationship between digital technologies and society. It is a touchstone text for understanding how the Amish view and use technologies.”

Rob Kitchin, National University of Ireland Maynooth

“Ems's research offers a fascinating window into what an incremental and thoughtful approach could begin to look like for non-Amish and how to navigate ongoing digital technology pressure—reminding us that we do, in fact, have a choice.”

Mennonite Quarterly Review

“Well-researched and engagingly narrated.”

Technology and Culture

“Virtually Amish offers a detailed and insightful exploration of how digital technology has already made its presence—and its perils—known in Amish communities.... Informative, well-researched, and entertaining.”

Nova Religio