Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay AttentionStolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention
What it's about
Johann Hari, a journalist, noticed he couldn't concentrate anymore, and neither could anyone he knew. He traveled the world interviewing scientists to find out why, and argues that our attention is being stolen by forces bigger than ourselves: technology designed to distract us, lack of sleep, stress, poor diets and the pace of modern life, and what we can do about it.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist and a bestseller. It's an engaging, thought-provoking book.
You'll love it if you liked
The Anxious Generation
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big DifferenceGood to know
Some of its scientific claims have been questioned.
By the numbers
- Readers72 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Practical, Thought-provoking
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Is Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist and a bestseller. Its Must-Read Score is 73.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention about?
Johann Hari, a journalist, noticed he couldn't concentrate anymore, and neither could anyone he knew. He traveled the world interviewing scientists to find out why, and argues that our attention is being stolen by forces bigger than ourselves: technology designed to distract us, lack of sleep, stress, poor diets and the pace of modern life, and what we can do about it.
How long does it take to read Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention?
About 9 hours (354 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention?
If you liked it, try The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff or The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.