Reviews

Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

chalambra's review against another edition

4.0

Agree that corporations and social media are driving us to shorter periods of focus. Agree that pandemic likely exacerbated this trend given our isolation and connecting online.

Also, good point that an individual can’t solely remediate this issue when it is systemic. Agree that systemic issue requires systemic solution for full effect.

Other topics and claims were a bit stretched, at best. He had a good theme and decent data for the central premise but went a bit too far with the claims and research interpretations at times (Malcolm Gladwell, clean up on aisle 5).

sadierain_'s review against another edition

dark informative fast-paced

3.75

eule42's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

sueyackabible's review against another edition

informative

5.0

hyperchemical's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

silksteel's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

jejiii's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

neverminding's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

doxiemutti4's review against another edition

5.0

A lot of information and different ideas.

tanyak0203's review against another edition

4.0

I would say there isn't much new in this book if you've watched The Social Dilemma and are aware that our devices and the internet are making us all more distracted. But it's a good summary all in one place, and for me, it was a good "pep talk" reminding us why these things are a problem and as motivation to stick with implementing changes in our lives.

I also can never resist a "this is how I disconnected from my phone/the internet and what it did to my life" story, and this delivered on that.