What about this book worked for me:
The author takes a broad approach characterizing and explaining just how we are losing our grip on our focus ranging from technologic distractions, lifestyles and environment. He attempts to shift the blame from an individual’s weakness of character to a more complex set of factors, ones that often exploit our psychological vulnerabilities. The author also provides some helpful suggestions, some that an individual can adopt and others that require a greater societal effort like education reform and government legislation.
What about this book was problematic for me:
I find the scale of the problem troubling, especially understanding that I have to work hard to recognize the sources that rob my attention, before they have negative results. While I did not always agree on some of his analysis, I often saw myself or other close friends in the author’s examples, which served as a wakeup call to be more thoughtful and aware. There were moments when I felt a sense of despair and hoped that solutions were offered sooner by the author.
Favorite Quotes:
"The truth is that you are living in a system that is pouring acid on your attention every day, and then you are being told to blame yourself and to fiddle with your own habits while the world's attention burns".
"The skimming and scanning we do on screens become our go-to reading strategy. This makes books less enjoyable because they're not set up for skimming and scanning. Over time, we become less able to process long texts and complex information".
Top Takeaway:
Even if you disagree with some of the author’s theories and analysis, this book forces you to ask the question about your own ability to focus and offers hope that there are ways to safeguard your attention, your most precious resource.
Rating: 3.5/5