Stolen Focus cover art

Stolen Focus

Why You Can't Pay Attention

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Stolen Focus

By: Johann Hari
Narrated by: Johann Hari
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Bloomsbury presents Stolen Focus written and read by Johann Hari.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS GUILD AUDIO AWARD
THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A SPECTATOR AND FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022
A WATERSTONES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH

‘If you read just one book about how the modern world is driving us crazy, read this one’ TELEGRAPH
‘This book is exactly what the world needs right now’ OPRAH WINFREY
‘A beautifully researched and argued exploration of the breakdown of humankind's ability to pay attention’ STEPHEN FRY
‘A really important book . . . Everyone should read it’ PHILIPPA PERRY

—-

Is your ability to focus and pay attention in free fall?

You are not alone. The average office worker now focuses on any one task for just three minutes. But it’s not your fault. Your attention didn’t collapse. It has been stolen.

Internationally bestselling author Johann Hari shows twelve deep factors harming our focus. Once we understand them, together, we can take back our minds.

©2022 Johann Hari (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Attention Deficit Disorders Mental Health Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Inspiring Health

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Lost Connections cover art
Chasing the Scream cover art
The Psychology of Money cover art
Disconnected cover art
My Year of Living Mindfully cover art
Just One Thing cover art
24/6 cover art
The Loop cover art
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism cover art
The Distraction Addiction cover art
Bored and Brilliant cover art
What's Our Problem? cover art
ADHD cover art
All stars
Most relevant
Interesting book, with nice reference points to give it credibility. I’ve recommended it to a few friends already

Great listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed this audiobook so much. So well researched and diverse and so much food for thought. Terrifying and fascinating in equal measure, it’s a must read!

Excellent!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
For context, I’m a product designer in tech with ADHD. There’s chapters and topics in this book that I didn’t expect, topics I knew belonged but wasn’t sure how much ground would be covered.

Topics like Big Tech and how design (yes the design I take part in) can be a master thief of not only your attention but your emotions as well.

Hari covers it all from front to back with brilliant oration and analytical detail without missing the key stories underpinning each chapter.

As someone diagnosed with ADHD as an adult this gave me a lot to think about and anyone who is curious about tech, productivity, the mind, humans, read or listen to this book.

I really hope this book clicks with the toxic productivity bros of the world.

One of the best books I’ve listened to in tue last few years.

All the key battlegrounds laid bare in the future war for attention.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I came for some focus tips and reassurance, I got a vivid insight into attention as capitalist currency, catalysed by lockdown, and an understanding that the individual can only do so much without collective pressure to reform. Important words, worth reading.

An important perspective on a huge problem

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Johann Hari is a trustworthy voice for change and clear thinking that we should all be aware of and listen to.

Fascinating and Important

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews