Episode · Modern Wisdom · 2022-01-06
Chris Williamson & Johann Hari: books mentioned on Modern Wisdom #418
Why You Can't Pay Attention And Focus - Johann Hari - #418
Johann Hari is a writer & a journalist. You probably struggle to focus on the task you're doing.
Johann Hari discussed Willpower by Roy F. Baumeister and others and Hooked by Nir Eyal. Chris Williamson recommended Stolen Focus by Johann Hari, and discussed Lost Connections by Johann Hari and Indistractable by Nir Eyal.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Willpower
Discussed“He wrote a book called Willpower, right? So, go and interview him, and I say, 'Oh, you know, Professor Baumeister, I'm thinking of writing a book about whether people are struggling to pay attention.'”
Where to get it
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Lost Connections
Discussed“So we had this discussion when we talked about Lost Connections, your last book on depression”
Where to get it
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Indistractable
Discussed“writing the book about a guy called Nir Eyal. Have you had Nir on your podcast? I think you might have done, yeah. I have. And the interesting thing is that you mentioned I haven't listened to the audio bit that you've put on your website. You mentioned the conversation with him got heated. My conversation with him didn't get”
Where to get it
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Hooked
Discussed“And when I spoke to Nir Eyal, what I was trying to draw out was the disjunction between these two books, right? You've got Indistractable which says, 'This is a Push the [ __ ] button, it's an easy thing. You can do it.' And then you've got Hooked which is saying, 'Let's drive them crazy.'”
Where to get it
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Stolen Focus
Recommended“Arnold, you're the governor of California. Like you should Anyway, anyway, Stolen Focus, why you can't pay attention. Johann's new book will be linked in the show notes below. It's awesome, man.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Plugged Stolen Focus
“So, yeah, the the the although I stressed my goal is not that we not be on the internet it's that we have an internet that is not designed to maximally invade or ruin our attention. Um and essentially I'm sure um some people are going to describe my book as anti-tech and it I am not anti-tech at all.”