First published 2009
Behavioral science writer Winifred Gallagher argues that life quality depends on where you direct your attention and how you focus it. She examines whether people can train their focus, explores how creative minds pay attention differently, and investigates why we often concentrate on the wrong factors when making major decisions like choosing where to live. Gallagher moves past surface discussions of BlackBerries and childhood ADD to examine neuroscience discoveries and psychological research. She reveals that attention operates through a biological either-or selection process, with humans able to process only 173 billion bits of information across an average lifetime. Despite this limitation, people possess more control over their focus than they realize. Gallagher profiles artists, ranchers, birders, and scientists who have mastered the skill of wise attention investment. She demonstrates that regardless of wealth, appearance, intelligence, or status, greater satisfaction comes from focusing on genuine interests rather than distractions.
Genres: psychology, non-fiction, biography-memoir, academic
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: non-fiction
256 pages · Hardcover · Penguin Press