NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Our ability to pay attention is collapsing. From the author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections comes a groundbreaking examination of why this is happening—and how to get our attention back.
“The book the world needs in order to win the war on distraction.”—Adam Grant, author of Think Again
“Read this book to save your mind.”—Susan Cain, author of Quiet
WINNER OF THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Post, Mashable, Mindful
In the United States, teenagers can focus on one task for only sixty-five seconds at a time, and office workers average only three minutes. Like so many of us, Johann Hari was finding that constantly switching from device to device and tab to tab was a diminishing and depressing way to live. He tried all sorts of self-help solutions—even abandoning his phone for three months—but nothing seemed to work. So Hari went on an epic journey across the world to interview the leading experts on human attention—and he discovered that everything we think we know about this crisis is wrong.
We think our inability to focus is a personal failure to exert enough willpower over our devices. The truth is even more disturbing: our focus has been stolen by powerful external forces that have left us uniquely vulnerable to corporations determined to raid our attention for profit. Hari found that there are twelve deep causes of this crisis, from the decline of mind-wandering to rising pollution, all of which have robbed some of our attention. In Stolen Focus, he introduces readers to Silicon Valley dissidents who learned to hack human attention, and veterinarians who diagnose dogs with ADHD. He explores a favela in Rio de Janeiro where everyone lost their attention in a particularly surreal way, and an office in New Zealand that discovered a remarkable technique to restore workers’ productivity.
Crucially, Hari learned how we can reclaim our focus—as individuals, and as a society—if we are determined to fight for it. Stolen Focus will transform the debate about attention and finally show us how to get it back.
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Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again
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Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari is a comprehensive exploration of the reasons behind our collapsing attention span and offers strategies to reclaim focus. The book has been praised for its insightful examination of the external forces affecting our ability to concentrate and provides practical solutions for individuals and society.
"great book and idea on the mass of info and ideas flowing through our minds that make us very unfocused." — Gordon
"An excellent read explaining why its so hard to focus in our modern world." — Melissa
"This was an incredible book." — Dana
Reviews
Must read!
"This is a must read for anyone really but especially for those of us raising the younger generation!"
— Amber R. (5/5)
Highly recommend
"I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it voraciously over a week, and have made changes in my own life as a result of reading it to improve my focus."
— Gilmore G. (5/5)
So enlightening
"He is such a great author. I love everything he does and this read is no exception. He explains things so well and so thoroughly. Highly. recommend this read! So very interesting!"
— Lori (5/5)
Good read
"Good read for those needing an idea on how our focus is being taken away from us"
— Aaliyah (4/5)
Surveillance Capitalism is Ruining Us
"It's a very insightful read and a good start to turning the page on phone addiction. Up until this book I had never really thought much about surveillance capitalism, but now. . . ."
— Mike (5/5)
Exellent!
"Story very well chronicled. Clarity and magnitude of the invasion of social media into our daily, hourly and moment to moment is frighteningly incomprehensible! And to think we pick-up, engage and sustainedly stay conneceted to social media is tragic and toxic."
— AMSolo (5/5)
Great read. 100% Recommend
"Great book to get you thinking about the many changes in society that have led us to expect instant gratification and lose the ability to focus. Came away from it with many changes in my own life I wanted to implement."
— Sydney (5/5)
A must read about how we think, our relationship with technology and each other.
"Johann Hari is enjoyable to read. Easy to pick up and read one or two chapters. It’s written as twelve stories as Hari writes about twelve main causes of how we as a society have loss our ability to focus and the causes were actually quite surprising. It is a thought provoking book that is a call to action through awareness, but still gives us some hope that all is not lost. I am happy I bought it to read."
— Anne (5/5)
The plague of our times - Struggling to maintain attention
"Very interesting book about the plague of our times which is our inability to focus and think deeply. It is written in a very relatable language and using stories which make it an easy read. The research studies mentioned, explain the findings and the causes of why we find it harder and harder to pay and sustain our attention. The information even though something we all suspected intuitively, is presented in a manner which makes it crystal clear to realize fully and understand as well as offers solutions to resolve the issue."
— EmmaStath (5/5)
Stolen Focus Review
"Well written and researched showing varied perspectives, however lacked strong resolutions or methods of resolution"
— Abhi (4/5)
Q&A
Published date: Jan 24, 2023
Language: English
No. of Pages: 368
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 9780593138533
Dimensions:
5.19" W x
0.76" L x
7.95" H
“[A] fresh take on focus and attention . . . You’ll learn a lot from this book, and its well-researched data is presented in a highly readable style laced with stories and personal anecdotes. Which is to say, against all odds, it will hold your attention.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Where other books about our relationship to technology tend to focus on personal responsibility, stressing the importance of self-control, Stolen Focus takes a step back and examines the ecosystem that created the problem. . . . Hari’s writing is incredibly readable.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Big-name websites and apps strive to distract because that’s the key to profitability. When we’re looking at our screens, these companies make money; when we’re not, they don’t. . . . It’s a call to arms, to be sure, and I’m tempted to tell my Twitter followers about it—but I’ve deleted the app from my phone.”—The Washington Post
“If your New Year’s resolution was to be more focused this year, then this is the book for you.[Adam] Grant describes the author as ‘a thoughtful critic of our modern malaise.’”—Inc.
“A gripping analysis of why we’ve lost the capacity to concentrate, and how we might find it again. Stolen Focus . . . will keep you thinking and rethinking long after you’ve finished it.”—Adam Grant
“Johann Hari writes like a dream. He’s both a lyricist and a storyteller—but also an indefatigable investigator of one of the world’s greatest problems: the systematic destruction of our attention. Read this book to save your mind.”—Susan Cain
“I don’t know anyone thinking more deeply, or more holistically, about the crisis of our collective attention than Johann Hari. This book could not be more vital. Please sit with it, and focus.”—Naomi Klein
“Superb . . . Stolen Focus is a beautifully researched and argued exploration of the breakdown of humankind’s ability to pay attention, told with the pace, sparkle, and energy of the best kind of thriller.”—Stephen Fry
“If you want to get your attention and focus back, you need to read this remarkable book. Johann Hari has cracked the code of why we’re in this crisis, and how to get out of it. We all need to hear this message.”—Arianna Huffington
“In his unique voice, Johann Hari tackles the profound dangers facing humanity from information technology and rings the alarm bell for what all of us must do to protect ourselves, our children, and our democracies.”—Hillary Clinton
“A visionary, systemic, revolutionary, and practical guide for creating the new world . . . Through his tireless research and genius insight, Johann Hari certainly snapped me to attention. This is a life-changing book.”—Eve Ensler
“A necessary book, a miracle of clarity and depth, and a resonant, deeply researched warning followed by a truly inspiring clarion call to action . . . Read it and weep, then dry your eyes and join in.”—Emma Thompson
Johann Hari is a writer and journalist. He has written for The New York Times, Le Monde, The Guardian, and other newspapers. His TED Talks have been viewed over 70 million times, and his work has been praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah Winfrey to Noam Chomsky to Joe Rogan.
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