Books Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again  by Johann Hari (Author)

Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari explores the modern crisis of attention, arguing that our ability to focus isn't fading due to personal failure but is being actively stolen by powerful social, technological, and environmental forces. Hari examines twelve interconnected causes, including the rise of digital distractions, the decline of deep reading and mind-wandering, increasing stress and exhaustion, worsening diets and pollution, and the effects of ADHD diagnoses rising.

Hari’s investigation is rooted in his personal struggle with distraction and his global research involving experts and communities, revealing how attention has been hijacked for profit, especially by social media and tech companies. He shows that this crisis is not just individual but societal, hampering collective problem-solving and meaningful engagement with life.