Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again

Can't focus? Can't pay attention to complex concepts for more than a few minutes? Here's why.

This is one of those books that you want to run around getting everyone to read, because if everyone did it would save the world.  With clarity, compassion, and wit, Hari details how Big Tech, social and environmental factors are creating a world where meaningful concentration is a quaint anachronism.  If you miss balanced journalism, this is the book for you; Hari is aiming toward a conclusion, but he's careful to distinguish between research that's widely accepted, research that's still controversial (and what the opposing views are), and real-world examples or opinions.  You'll probably come out at the end horrified about where we've let ourselves get to, but you'll also come out with some direction for how we can reclaim our ability to pay attention and use the brains we've got to make the lives we actually want to live.