Johann Hari on finding focus in the modern world
Explicit
Are you finding it harder and harder to focus? If so, it’s not your fault—and you’re certainly not alone. When we’re striving for positive change, whether in our personal lives or on social issues, being able to remain focused on our goals is key. But a multitude of factors in our modern world are making it ever more challenging for us to do so. In this week’s episode, New York Times best-selling author Johann Hari joins Melanie to discuss his own personal journey to find his focus, what he discovered when he investigated the causes of the issue for his book Stolen Focus, and the steps we can all take toward regaining control of our own attention.
Johann Hari is the author of three New York Times best-selling books and is the executive producer of an Oscar-nominated movie and an eight-part TV series starring Samuel L. Jackson. His books have been translated into 38 languages and been praised by a broad range of people, including Oprah, Noam Chomsky, Elton John, and Naomi Klein.
His latest book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention, received rave reviews everywhere from The Washington Post to The Irish Times and The Sydney Morning Herald. It has been a best-seller on three continents.
Johann’s TED talks have been viewed more than 80 million times, and over the past decade, he has written for some of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Spectator, Le Monde diplomatique, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Politico. He has appeared on NPR’s All Thing Considered, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, The Joe Rogan Experience, the BBC’s Question Time, and many other popular shows.
Johann studied social and political science at King’s College, Cambridge, and has twice been named National Newspaper Journalist of the Year by Amnesty International. He has also been named Cultural Commentator of the Year and Environmental Commentator of the Year at the Comment Awards.
Learn more about Johann Hari’s book Stolen Focus at stolenfocusbook.com.
Discover his other work at johannhari.com.
Check out the work of the Center for Humane Technology at humanetech.com.
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This episode was edited by Andrew Sims.