Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I really enjoyed reading this book, it flowed very easily. Nothing was majorly new, and some was quite obvious, but it served as a great reminder and motivation to act - for example the section on lack of sleep.
The author discusses modern technology, social media, and our diet, and tells us about his own experiences as well as his experiment with a technology detox. It is definitely worth a read if you feel like your focus is being stolen from you - and in fact, a worth while read even if you don't, because you probably just don't realise that it is.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early review copy.

Johann Hari's Stolen Focus is a thought-provoking and timely analysis of our modern attention crisis. In this book, Hari delves into the many ways in which our ability to focus and concentrate is being undermined by the demands of our digital age.

I found this book to be well-written and incredibly engaging, and was encouraged by the wealth of research and real-world examples. Whilst I was reading about the ways in which social media, smartphones, and other digital distractions are impacting our ability to think deeply and critically about the world around us, it became more evident that there are no simple solutions, even though the author provides some within the book.

Overall, Stolen Focus is a must-read for anyone who is concerned about the impact of digital distractions on our ability to think deeply and engage with the world around us. My hope is that sufficient people stay focussed when reading the book to make changes to their own lives.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not really what I was expecting from the outline on the site. It seemed to take a long time to get to the part that I felt might be the most interesting and most useful.

I thoroughly enjoyed Hari's previous book, "Lost Connections," which explores mental health, and I appreciate his journalistic style and focus, which is once again on display in his latest work.

In this book, Hari delves into the underlying reasons behind our struggles with focus, particularly in light of recent events. Rather than simply blaming phones and social media, he takes a deeper look at various societal problems, such as environmental collapse, pollution, political instability, growing anxiety, and food deserts, which contribute to the issue.

While Hari does examine the role of phones and social media in our distraction, he does so in a nuanced manner that acknowledges their status as tools, albeit ones that are designed to mine data and promote addiction.

The real highlight of the book, however, is the concluding section, where Hari draws together the various strands and conclusions from earlier in the book and provides practical guidance on how readers can regain control of their focus.

I found it hard to begin with, to get on with Hari's personality as it emerged through his writing. However, as it went on i found more and more resonating with me and still think about the book, months on. Its a fascinating story of focus and distraction, more important now than ever.

Truly fascinating, enlightening, and engaging. Never patronising or overly-complicated, Hari opens our eyes to the world that we have created, that is systematically destroying our focus without us even really noticing. Somewhat terrifying, it's also uplifting and hopeful - we can make the change, we can help ourselves, and we can push for the corporations ruling our world to make those changes too. A must-read.

Johann Hari has a friend who is a magician, who showed him a trick involving cards. Even Johann, a highly intelligent writer, couldn’t work out how the magic was done, but it was easily explained. The secret of magic is all about distraction. Unfortunately, magicians have taken over the world! They are not the usual kind, however, but those who actually design ways to keep you hooked on the Internet and social media! This is collectively destroying the world’s attention, and making it a more dangerous place.

Hari suggests various ways to overcome this, but, unfortunately, he thinks that it may need a collective approach. It is too hard for most individuals to stop being ‘hooked’ themselves.

This is a really scary book, but one that everyone should read. He writes in a lively, interesting way, so it isn’t hard to read.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review

Stolen Focus is clearly a book by a journalist. I’m tempted to say that at times it felt not so much like a book, but instead a sequence of interviews and discussions with various experts, strung together by Hari’s rather understandable concerns about what technology seems to be doing to our minds (not least his own), and the way in which many of us - if not everyone - are struggling to focus less effectively than we (believe we) used to be able to. (Sorry, my phone just lit up with some notifications and I got distracted). Much of what Hari writes doesn’t feel entirely new, not least because at least some of it isn’t, but he’s a clear communicator and the book is written in an extremely accessible style. Which, I suppose, brings me back to my first point about the fact he’s a journalist; the book is absorbing and stimulating, and the overall effect of his arguments is pretty effective at leaving you extremely worried about where we might end up. I was already fairly alarmed beforehand, so much of what he has written could be seen to be him preaching to the converted in my case; I suppose to some extent one’s view of the value of this book might depend on your relationship to technology and whether you are broadly optimistic or pessimistic about the future. Hari is a bit of a divisive figure here in the UK - not entirely without reason, given some of his youthful professional misdemeanours - but I’m always slightly surprised how keen some people seem to be to mock him or take him down. (He’s had better luck in the US, where he arrived, one presumes, with his baggage less visible or well-known). Anyway, upshot of all it, is that Stolen Focus makes numerous salient points and is yet another screeching ‘smoke alarm’ - an analogy he makes use of right near the end - regarding the massive inferno(s) which is/are coming our way. Recommended overall.

With thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC. Another brilliant exploration by Johann Hart, walking through the story of ADHD, childhood and our attention. A fascinating and well written account that's thought-provoking and encouraging.

This book is overall informative, interesting, and a little depressing at times. I had never heard of the term surveillance capitalism, but I now agree that it should be banned. Social media companies will never employ a subscription model, so I think regulations are necessary. I had also read Nir Ayal's Indistractable before this book. It always nagged at me that he was the author of Hooked, and this book just reaffirmed that. It felt like a drug dealer was running a rehab program

I thought this would be more of a focus on studies and research into focus and how more and more people are struggling to focus, instead it was more about the authors journey and impressions of situations to the point its a bit like reading a fictional story with peoples reactions to a converstation instead of the facts and studies. Ironicaly enough the way the book is written made it harder for me to read and focus and the small amount of scientific research baised insite is punctuated every ten lines with the authors opinion or view of a situation.

I have to confess that I failed to finish this book which is extremely unusual for me. The author presents a learned explanation of how modern communication technology has destroyed our ability to focus and backs this up with statistics. The problem is we all know this and a large part of the book did not teach me anything new.. As a teacher with an Advanced Dip Ed in SEN I found some of the links to ADHD both controversial and at odds with my own experience. I felt I was being preached at which did not encourage me to continue reading.

I found this book quite hard to read as there were so many references to other sources I wondered if I should look at them and thereby was distracted from reading it.
I could some parts may be of some use but not a writing style that I could learn from especially the beginning chapter. I’m not sure if I learnt how to improve my focus at all

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury

I found the premise of this book particularly intriguing, as like many of my generation I have a habit of being exceptionally easily distracted by the ping of notifications or incoming information. Hari’s writing style is engaging and the narrative is easy to get swept up in. However, the evidence to support his hypothesis is tenuous at times and studies used to underpin key points have been taken out of context. Overall ‘Stolen Focus’ is an enjoyable read, but unfortunately it lacks substance and the well-evidenced arguments I would expect from a non-fiction book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a free reading copy in return for an unbiased review.

This book is an absolute gem. I loved the mix of science and real experience to help understand why we have lost focus. Some really great tips and ideas and thoughts generally on how to improve our focus. Ideas and thoughts I’ve actually implemented into my own life.

It's not new information that our ability to concentrate seems to have been dramatically hindered by our modern use of technology, but this is an impeccably researched and very well written exploration of the issue, and it resonated with me a lot. As well as exploring studies and speaking to experts, Hari shares his own experiences, which in turn encourages you to reflect on yours and think about your use of things like mobile devices and social media. I personally found the first third of the book the most interesting and engaging, but his later discussion of things like the increase in ADHD diagnoses is still very interesting and relevant. It may not be ground breaking, but it's definitely thought-provoking, and he's succeeded in writing in a way that really stays with you.

Holy cow I was not prepared for how much this book would crack my mind wide open!! After reading this, Hari has captured my focus and made me realise how much time I waste on social media. I would urge everyone to read this book as it enable you to realign your focus and choose how to use your most valuable asset, your time.

I am so grateful I was gifted this advanced copy from Bloomsbury UK and Netgalley. It has genuinely changed my life, I have ordered copies for close friends and told many people in work about it.

I was excited to see this on Netgalley after reading an article on the book in The Guardian newspaper. The author writes very well, with human insight, intelligence and humor. The book is el researched in a balanced way, and I think is enlightening to read a more balanced analysis of why we struggle to focus.

Beautifully researched. I haven't read anything on this subject before and found this book to be both fascinating and terrifying at the same time.