Rethinking Life in Stolen Focus | Book Review

【 STOLEN FOCUS 】

This was an unexpectedly brilliant find.

Genre: Non-fiction
Author: Johann Hari
Published: January 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 352 (paperback)

I ended up reading this because it was offered for free on Audible and I’m so glad I did! The premise of this hooked me in, because who doesn’t feel worried about reducing attention spans?! This book was part-awe inspiring and part-terrifying with the intimidating realities facing us.

I found there were honestly so many interesting and useful things in this book that I want to reflect on in my own life. I loved that this wasn’t just about phone addiction but looking at bigger, broader systematic issues that are hard to fight back against as an individual.

It was super enlightening hearing from all the experts the author interviewed – particularly those who were ex-workers at Google or Facebook – to understand the manipulative intentions behind these huge machines.

I highly recommend reading this to gain a perspective you desperately need and probably already want. This answered so many questions I’ve quietly had about our own behaviours, the role of AI and the potential capabilities of big tech.

It’s a scary read, but I think it’s an important one. If you’ve read Atomic Habits, in particular, then this is a must-read to go on your list.