To Mihaly, seemed like a bleak and limited view of human psychology… he belived it was missing most of what it means to be human… Mihaly began to wonder if these people were in fact describing a fundamental human instinct that had not been studied by scientists before. Mihaly, was interested in what Skinner’s ideas were lacking: So, I won’t go into detail, other than to say that Skinner’s concepts are still very much felt today – and some would argue more than ever since school closures due to the pandemic. He was highly influential in education thought and practices as well. At his height, he was on Television, on Government committees, and magazines. This is not a personal, self-help book, though that may be a part of it rather, this is an exacting exploration into history, industry and economics and our society.Īs educators we all know BF Skinner, but perhaps not how influential he was to forming our current education system, and how we think of motivation. It is this personal experience that makes this book very readable, even as he draws upon in-depth research and interviews with experts in their field. The book begins, and has a thread throughout, of Hari’s personal realization of the impact of the systems and structures in our society that are tugging at our attention and focus. You would be interested in this book if you are:ġ) Looking to explore personal and systemic causes of our inability to focusĢ) Curious about the pace and speed of the world and its implications to education and raising childrenģ) Embroiled already in a debate / argument / challenge with social media and digital devicesĤ) Wanting to take back your focus and attention in a world that is trying to steal it Is this book hopeful? Ultimately, yes – and encouraging.

Is this book interesting? Yes, it is fascinating. This book explores the patterns and trends over time of humanity’s actions that have worked against our focus and attention abilities and skills. It captures the tension, the friction, the challenge, opportunity and hope that faces education in the face of diminishing ability to think deeply, pay mindful attention, and to learn deeply. Stolen Focus, Why you Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again, by Johann Hari, is a game-changer for me. Book Review: “Stolen Focus” (Johann Hari)

Johann hari stolen focus review