Is Stolen Focus Worth Reading?
Why You Can't Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again
by Johann Hari
Ada’s Score
Johann Hari travelled the world interviewing scientists, technologists, and thinkers to investigate why our collective attention is collapsing — and discovered the causes run far deeper than phones and social media. From sleep deprivation to ultra-processed food to the surveillance capitalism of Silicon Valley, Hari maps twelve interconnected forces dismantling our ability to focus. Sharp, urgent, and often surprising, the book challenges readers to see attention not as a personal failing but as a political issue. It is a natural companion to Cal Newport and Oliver Burkeman's work, but more systemically radical.
Episode 3“Hari makes you furious and hopeful at once — your distraction isn't your fault, but here's what to do.”
It's Not You — Your Attention Was Taken
Johann Hari went searching for his own lost focus and came back with something far bigger — a meticulous investigation into the systems, corporations, and cultural forces that have quietly dismantled our ability to think deeply. This isn't a productivity book; it's a political one, and a compassionate one, that insists your distraction is not a personal failure. Read it slowly, which is partly the point.
Ada Brief
AI reading intelligence“Hari makes you furious and hopeful at once — your distraction isn't your fault, but here's what to do.”
It's Not You — Your Attention Was Taken
Johann Hari went searching for his own lost focus and came back with something far bigger — a meticulous investigation into the systems, corporations, and cultural forces that have quietly dismantled our ability to think deeply. This isn't a productivity book; it's a political one, and a compassionate one, that insists your distraction is not a personal failure. Read it slowly, which is partly the point.
Book Details
- Publisher
- Nijgh & Van Ditmar
- Published
- January 1, 2022
- Pages
- 352
- Language
- English
Get This Book
Affiliate linksISBN: 9780593138533
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Ada’s Score
4.1
Ada’s editorial score — not an aggregate of reader reviews.
Common Questions About Stolen Focus
- Is Stolen Focus worth reading?
- Hari makes you furious and hopeful at once — your distraction isn't your fault, but here's what to do. Ada rates it 4.1 out of 5.
- How many pages is Stolen Focus?
- Stolen Focus is 352 pages long — around 6–7 hours at an average reading pace.
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