Stolen Focus

In "Stolen Focus," Johann Hari confronts a pervasive modern crisis: the collapse of human attention. Hari embarks on a global journey, interviewing leading experts, Silicon Valley dissidents, and even veterinarians, to uncover the true causes behind our diminishing ability to concentrate. He challenges the common belief that our distraction is merely a personal failure of willpower, revealing instead that powerful external forces are systematically raiding our attention for profit. Hari identifies twelve profound causes, ranging from the decline of mind-wandering to environmental pollution, all contributing to this collective vulnerability. Through engaging narratives, from a favela in Rio to an innovative New Zealand office, Hari illustrates how our focus has been hijacked and, more importantly, how it can be reclaimed. The book serves as a vital call to action, offering strategies for individuals and society to fight for and restore our precious cognitive resources, ultimately aiming to transform the public discourse on attention and productivity.