Nonfiction

The Quiet Zone: Unraveling the Mystery of a Town Suspended in Silence

The Quiet Zone: Unraveling the Mystery of a Town Suspended in Silence

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-08-09 11:21:48
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Stephen Kurczy
  • ISBN：1665100680
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Sara “Girl in Tiny Hat” ，

Thank you so much William Morrow for sending this to me！⠀I don’t usually request non fiction but I just couldn’t resist this one after seeing that title。 I’m so glad I ended up reading it。 It really was a very well done piece of journalism。 Stephen Kurczy is a really good journalist and his writing is immersive and objective all at the same time。 I enjoyed the way he was able to weave the story with a personal touch and while still telling us the facts。⠀While this wasn’t quite what I had expecte Thank you so much William Morrow for sending this to me！⠀I don’t usually request non fiction but I just couldn’t resist this one after seeing that title。 I’m so glad I ended up reading it。 It really was a very well done piece of journalism。 Stephen Kurczy is a really good journalist and his writing is immersive and objective all at the same time。 I enjoyed the way he was able to weave the story with a personal touch and while still telling us the facts。⠀While this wasn’t quite what I had expected it to be， but of course nothing is ever as it seems on the surface， I still enjoyed it quite a bit。 It was interesting reading the history of this small town in West Virginia that has attracted everyone from government scientists to hippies to white supremacists。 Green Bank， West Virginia is a small town that attracts all types and it was fascinating to read about them all living side by side。⠀This is more of a journalistic history of a town than anything else and while it was fascinating it felt a little dry here and there。 I don’t usually read much non fiction so I am no expert but for me it tended to drag here and there。 But I was still hooked into learning about this small town。⠀If you enjoy non fiction history about small towns or just good journalism I say pick this up！⠀TW/CW: talk of and interviews with white supremacists， talk of Timothy McVeigh， talk of hunting， talk of murder， talk of cave exploring， talk of drinking， talk of Trump⠀ 。。。more

Bam cooks the books ;-） ，

*3-3。5 stars Stephen Kurczy has to be one of very few Americans with no cellphone in his possession。 And he hasn't had one for the past ten years。 Are you shaking yet？？ Going into withdrawal？ Or does that sound like an attractive idea？ Shades of Henry David Thoreau？ If so， you might like Green Bank， West Virginia， where the nation's oldest radio astronomy observatory is located。 To detect signs of life from outer space coming to earth in radio waves， the observatory was built back in 1956 and th *3-3。5 stars Stephen Kurczy has to be one of very few Americans with no cellphone in his possession。 And he hasn't had one for the past ten years。 Are you shaking yet？？ Going into withdrawal？ Or does that sound like an attractive idea？ Shades of Henry David Thoreau？ If so， you might like Green Bank， West Virginia， where the nation's oldest radio astronomy observatory is located。 To detect signs of life from outer space coming to earth in radio waves， the observatory was built back in 1956 and there they have tried to maintain a 'quiet zone，' restricting the use of things that emit electronic noise by people in the surrounding area。 Nowadays it's becoming a great deal harder to control that usage with residents， schools and businesses clamoring to have access to cellphones and WiFi。 And the local economy is largely supported by tourism with popular places like Snowshoe Mountain Resort about nine miles from the observatory。 Their guests expect the usual amenities。 Kurczy， a journalist， has gone to this area many times and gotten to know the residents well， spending quite a bit of time interviewing them， doing research and digging into local history in order to write this book。 He says he came to Green Bank presuming that the less connected life would be richer， and it is。 But he also discovered some surprising things there too。 Humans are humans， wherever you go。 We each have to decide how much we are going to allow electronics to take over our lives and even more importantly， our children's。 Will we someday rue the day when we got our first cellphone？ Kurczy makes a good case against its use。 He quotes a 2017 study in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research about the negative side effects of the use of smartphones in schools: "The devices cause a 'brain drain，' diminishing 'learning， logical reasoning， abstract thought， problem solving， and creativity。'" Something to consider as you send your kids back to school。 I received an arc of this work of nonfiction from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion。 Many thanks for the opportunity。 We traveled to the Green Bank area in 2009 and were fascinated by the observatory and found the area breathtakingly beautiful。 I can understand the attraction to live there。 。。。more

Kimberlee （reading。wanderwoman） ，

This book was fascinating！ It was also much more than I expected it to be。 From learning about the quiet zone in Green Bank， West Virginia to the secrets that can be kept in a quiet town。 On the outside it seems to be an idyllic place allowing the observatory to use the telescopes without interruption from radio waves and other electronic interruption。 Where electrosensitives can go to be （at least） a little further from all the noise and frequencies of smart devices。 However， there seems to be This book was fascinating！ It was also much more than I expected it to be。 From learning about the quiet zone in Green Bank， West Virginia to the secrets that can be kept in a quiet town。 On the outside it seems to be an idyllic place allowing the observatory to use the telescopes without interruption from radio waves and other electronic interruption。 Where electrosensitives can go to be （at least） a little further from all the noise and frequencies of smart devices。 However， there seems to be far more going on in the quiet zone than meets the eye。 How disconnected are they？ And who else is there？ Secret government work？ Neo Nazi groups？ A place where missing persons are never found？ It's a place I'd love to visit， more for the science and astronomy aspect but also because of intrigue。 Though after reading this there's a sense of unease and knowing that outsiders aren't always welcome。 Or maybe it's that outsiders aren't always welcome to stay long-term。 Either way， a fascinating read for my nonfiction fans！ 。。。more

JanB ，

Imagine living in a place where wi-fi is not just unavailable， it’s banned， along with cellphone signals。 Some people would consider this a nightmare while others would consider it an idyllic time warp。 The truth is somewhat more complicated。The near radio silence is a requirement for those living in Green Bank， WV， close to the Green Bank Observatory， with the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope。 To protect the sensitive equipment from interference， the federal government in 1958 es Imagine living in a place where wi-fi is not just unavailable， it’s banned， along with cellphone signals。 Some people would consider this a nightmare while others would consider it an idyllic time warp。 The truth is somewhat more complicated。The near radio silence is a requirement for those living in Green Bank， WV， close to the Green Bank Observatory， with the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope。 To protect the sensitive equipment from interference， the federal government in 1958 established the National Radio Quiet Zone， a 13，000-square-mile area in WV。 For the young people， there are none of the negative consequences of social media。 Families spend more time outdoors appreciating nature， and fostering real-life connections。 Those who live here must depend on the kindness of neighbors when an emergency arises。 They use land lines， phone booths， and ham radios， to communicate。 The residents do have computers but only with sluggish broadband。The area has attracted people looking for a digital detox， unplugging to escape from modern life， and for those seeking refuge for a controversial condition called electromagnetic hypersensitivity （think Chuck in Better Call Saul）。Investigative journalist， Stephen Kurczy， embedded himself in the area， to give us a first-hand account of what it’s like to live there。 Unfortunately， the area has also attracted Neo-Nazis and other extremist groups。 I was hoping there would be more information about the Observatory and what it was like to truly live in the area from the regular residents。 Instead， the book’s focus zeroed in on the fringe groups， and I began to lose interest。I appreciated learning about the “quiet zone”， which I didn’t know existed。 It’s fascinating， and sent me to the internet to learn more （ha！）。 The irony of using my iPhone to text my reading buddy， googling， using Bluetooth to listen to the book with my AirPods， then typing and posting this review using my laptop is not lost on me。 Maybe I need to take a vacation in Green Bank， WV。*tI received a digital copy of the book via Netgalley。 All opinions are my own。* Published August 3rd 2021 by Dey Street Books* This was a buddy read with my friend Marialyce。 Do check out her review！ 。。。more

Marialyce （absltmom， yaya） ，

Imagine a world without cell phones ， WiFi， internet connections， and all the assorted distractions that often take one from the joys of just being quiet。 It's an interesting concept for those of us who had once lived in just an era of radio and TV。 （which wasn't allowed on school days） Even those everyday needed necessities are banned in a town in western Appalachia， called Green Bank in West Virginia。Many of us would be appalled at being without their electronic buddies， but there is a certain Imagine a world without cell phones ， WiFi， internet connections， and all the assorted distractions that often take one from the joys of just being quiet。 It's an interesting concept for those of us who had once lived in just an era of radio and TV。 （which wasn't allowed on school days） Even those everyday needed necessities are banned in a town in western Appalachia， called Green Bank in West Virginia。Many of us would be appalled at being without their electronic buddies， but there is a certain allure to being totally quiet and alone with one's own thoughts。 Stephen Kurczy has written an account of the town， its people， and the Green Bank Observatory that sits so close that all radio frequencies are banned。 It's an interesting story partly because of the way in which these people live and the mysteries that surround the Conservatory。 The question is one that plagues the author and perhaps the reader。 It this conservatory one whose sole purpose is to contact alien life or perhaps there is a chance that this observatory's purpose might have another reason for its existence， that of spying on all Americans？ It's a scary thought but one we now know is a true one。Stephen lives among the people， he gets to know them， and what might for some feel like an idyllic existence might have some flaws indeed。Unfortunately， the book did have some flaws as it seemed to overly concentrate on the crazies that were drawn to this place of peace and quiet。 I wanted more about the telescope and while the book seemed to include some tantalizing ideas， I felt it missed the mark here。 I am also not a fan when an author refers to groups as to their political bent。 It intrudes on the book's authenticity I believeThere is quite a bit of detail， and of course many questions， the author does raise。 Is living in a quiet zone exactly what we need to do， or does it too， offer flaws and foibles that we might not welcome？Thank you to Steven Kurczy， Dey Street Books， and NetGalley for a copy of this book。Jan and I had similar feelings about this book。 。。。more

Lauren Archer ，

Stephen Kurczy writes of his journey to a West Virginia town where any radio waves are not allowed。 This town is surrounded by an Observatory that believes radio waves can hinder the performance of their telescopes。 When you sign on to come here， know you can not use your cell phone unless on airplane mode。 Laptops have a much similar protocol。As Kurczy explores this town and the people who live there he learns more about the Quiet Zone。 People who come here for health reasons， politicians who w Stephen Kurczy writes of his journey to a West Virginia town where any radio waves are not allowed。 This town is surrounded by an Observatory that believes radio waves can hinder the performance of their telescopes。 When you sign on to come here， know you can not use your cell phone unless on airplane mode。 Laptops have a much similar protocol。As Kurczy explores this town and the people who live there he learns more about the Quiet Zone。 People who come here for health reasons， politicians who want to come here for peace and the hunting is just sublime。However， the longer Kurczy stays here， he learns that there is a lot of holes to this story and maybe not everything is as quiet as he expected。This was an interesting read。 I am not sure I would have picked this up on my own， but it came recommended by a source I trust。 I am not sure this will be of interest to everyone， but there was a lot of good points and it is extremely readable。Thank you NetGalley and Dey Street Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Ejs ，

This is a clear， honest record of conversations in a county the size of Rhode Island in West Virginia。 It is well researched and a book about various folks living in a （now-defunct） Radio Quiet Zone due to the Green Bank Observatory - SCIENCE。 You read this and make your own decisions about "too much noise" in the world or maybe not。 I enjoyed Stephen's writing style and appreciate the research that he put into this book。 Well done！ This is a clear， honest record of conversations in a county the size of Rhode Island in West Virginia。 It is well researched and a book about various folks living in a （now-defunct） Radio Quiet Zone due to the Green Bank Observatory - SCIENCE。 You read this and make your own decisions about "too much noise" in the world or maybe not。 I enjoyed Stephen's writing style and appreciate the research that he put into this book。 Well done！ 。。。more

Ady ，

First， a disclaimer: I received this e-book in advance of publishing in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed are my own opinions。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book。 I REALLY liked this book。 It is narrative nonfiction and is exceptionally well-written。 It does go on a lot of tangents， but those tangents are organized， and the structure makes sense。 There is a LOT going on in this book。 Spy organization， invisible illnesses， conspiracy theories， white suprema First， a disclaimer: I received this e-book in advance of publishing in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed are my own opinions。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book。 I REALLY liked this book。 It is narrative nonfiction and is exceptionally well-written。 It does go on a lot of tangents， but those tangents are organized， and the structure makes sense。 There is a LOT going on in this book。 Spy organization， invisible illnesses， conspiracy theories， white supremacists， hippies， a cult， a famous doctor who is actually a con artist （Patch Adams） … it’s all in here。 But they are all connected under the Radio Free zone。 I think that one of my favorite aspects of this book is the in depth look from the author at this area。 I， like most people， have heard of this area and have even thought about how nice it was pre-cell phone and Wi-Fi and constant connectedness。 This author spent a significant amount of time here though。 He didn’t just write an article to sell a magazine or newspaper or get a headline。 He interjected his own thoughts and experiences into it and really took a hard look at all that is in this area。 This is not my normal style of book， but I enjoyed it so much that I want to find more nonfiction of this ilk。 CAWPILE Score: NAStar Rating: NAPages: 336Read on E-Book 。。。more

sbtbkb ，

This book was we'll written。 I didn't expect so many tangents into different social movements， political pork， and neo Nazis but the book was able to tie everything together。 I also liked how the author was relatable and included his beliefs， doubts， and scepticism。 I'd always just believed news reports of a dead zone town so it was fascinating to read how the town isn't just stuck in a time warp。 This book was we'll written。 I didn't expect so many tangents into different social movements， political pork， and neo Nazis but the book was able to tie everything together。 I also liked how the author was relatable and included his beliefs， doubts， and scepticism。 I'd always just believed news reports of a dead zone town so it was fascinating to read how the town isn't just stuck in a time warp。 。。。more

Amy Phelps ，

Not my usual kind of book， but it was super interesting and written well。 There is so much going on here - invisible illness， a hate group， a cult， hippies， a “doctor” who sounds like a con artist， a spy organization or a way to talk to aliens and a hard look at cell phone and WiFi and our dependence on technology。

Becky ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 There's a small town in Appalachia where cell phones are banned。 WiFi is against the rules。 Even radios， light bulbs， and car electronics are policed。 It's the very definition of being "off the grid。" At least， that's how it's supposed to be in Green Bank， West Virginia。 It's located in the National Radio Quiet Zone， due to the presence of a giant radio telescope in the town。 Scientists are literally listening to the universe with it， but the signals from cell phones， microwaves， and other commo There's a small town in Appalachia where cell phones are banned。 WiFi is against the rules。 Even radios， light bulbs， and car electronics are policed。 It's the very definition of being "off the grid。" At least， that's how it's supposed to be in Green Bank， West Virginia。 It's located in the National Radio Quiet Zone， due to the presence of a giant radio telescope in the town。 Scientists are literally listening to the universe with it， but the signals from cell phones， microwaves， and other common electronics disturb the research。 As part of the Quiet Zone， technically cell phones and WiFi are against the rules for area residents。 But， how do you regulate that？The Quiet Zone is more than a book about the town with a telescope。 Author Stephen Kurczy examines what drives people to - and from - Green Bank。 The nearest Walmart is hours away。 The town convenience store boasts that if they don't sell it， you don't need it。 Some see it as a way to escape the connected life。 After all， no cell phone means not getting work emails or calls past 5 p。m。， not having to tell the kids to put their phones away during family meals， and an escape from the "noise" of connected， city life。 Some people believe they're "electrosensitive" - meaning they have medical issues caused by exposure to certain light bulbs， WiFi signals， and more。 Green Bank is an escape for them。 Or is it？Why is the town also a sort of safe haven for the white nationalist movement？ Why is it so hard to get medical care？ What does the area's most famous resident， Dr。 "Patch" Adams - portrayed by Robin Williams in a feature film - say about that？ He's been collecting millions of dollars in donations to build a free hospital for years。 But where's the hospital？ （Spoiler alert: "Patch" Adams is a fraudster and a dick。） How does the town newspaper stay connected to the town when there aren't supposed to be any ways to stay connected？This work on non-fiction really examines what it means to be a "quiet zone" and what it means when all the local teens are still carrying iPhones to class。 The neo-Nazi movement has a presence in a town that's supposed to be disconnected from ways to be monitored by the authorities。I found this book fascinating。 Even though I'd never want to live in a place as remote as Green Bank， I'm interested in people who do want a life like that， and the rationale behind that desire。 Journalist Kurczy immersed himself in the town for years， making many trips between his home in New York City and the isolated Appalachian town。 I was immersed in the people who believe the wrong type of light bulb can make them medically ill， and the white nationalists exploring local underground tunnels。 I highly recommend this to anyone who wonders what life would be like without 24/7 connectivity， and to anyone who is glad they have that ability to stay in touch and stay connected constantly。FTC disclosure: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more