Is this book for you?
Stolen Focus
Read it if…
- You can't read a few pages or finish a task without reaching for your phone.
- You've tried screen-time limits and willpower, and the distraction always creeps back.
- You worry about how phones and apps are shaping your children's attention.
- You enjoy big ideas told through real people, places and investigations.
- You want to understand why focus feels harder for everyone, not just you.
Watch the summary
What the book is about
Most of us assume that losing focus is a personal failing: not enough willpower, too much phone. Johann Hari argues the opposite. Our attention hasn’t simply collapsed, it has been taken from us by forces much bigger than any one person, including companies that make money from keeping us distracted.
To find out what’s really going on, Hari spent three months away from his phone and the internet, then travelled the world interviewing around 250 experts, from neuroscientists to tech insiders. The result is a lively investigation into twelve causes of our attention crisis, and a hopeful case that we can get our focus back, both on our own and together.
What’s inside
Too much, too fast Constant switching between tasks and tabs drains focus, and the book explains why we’re worse at multitasking than we think.
Finding flow Why deep, absorbed attention feels so good, and what it takes to get into that state more often.
Tired minds How poor sleep chips away at our ability to concentrate, and why a well-rested brain focuses better.
The lost art of reading What happens to our attention when we swap long, slow reading for quick skimming on screens.
Let your mind wander Why daydreaming isn’t wasted time, and how it helps us make sense of our lives.
Designed to distract Silicon Valley insiders explain how apps are built to grab and hold your attention, and why limiting your own screen time only goes so far.
Body and surroundings How stress, diet and pollution all play a part in how well we can focus.
Children and attention What the rise in ADHD diagnoses and the loss of free, outdoor play tell us about the next generation, and what an attention rebellion could look like.
Who wrote it
Johann Hari is a London-based writer and journalist who has written for the New York Times, Le Monde and the Guardian. His TED talks have been viewed more than 70 million times. He is also the author of Chasing the Scream, about the war on drugs, and Lost Connections, about depression and anxiety, and most recently Magic Pill, about the new weight loss drugs.
What readers are saying
What they love: Readers say it reframes distraction in a way that finally makes sense, looking at the whole system around us rather than just telling us to try harder. Many call it gripping and easy to read, and audiobook listeners often mention how much they enjoy Hari’s own passionate narration. Plenty say it gave them practical ways to cut out time-wasting habits.
What well-known names said: Oprah Winfrey called it “exactly what the world needs right now”. Stephen Fry praised it as a beautifully researched and argued exploration of how we lost our attention, and Philippa Perry said it was “a really important book”.
Quick facts
- Author
- Johann Hari
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury
- Length
- 352 pages
- Published
- January 2023 (UK paperback). First published 2022.
- Formats
- Hardback, paperback, ebook and audiobook, read by the author
- Recognition
- Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller. A Spectator and Financial Times best book of 2022.
- Reading time
- Around 8 to 10 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy. Story-led, with no science background needed.
Our verdict
If you feel like your attention has been slipping away and blaming yourself hasn't helped, this book will change how you see the problem. Johann Hari tracks down twelve real causes, from task-switching and poor sleep to apps built to keep you scrolling, and shows what you and society can do about each. It suits anyone who likes a gripping investigation as much as practical advice. The audiobook is read by Hari himself and runs just over ten hours.
WillYouRead.com is independent and not affiliated with the author or publisher. This page is not medical advice. If you're worried about your attention or mental health, please speak to your GP.
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