Home Books Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World

Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World

Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World

by Christian Madsbjerg

Riverhead Books ·2023 ·256 pages
Maybe Someday
Maybe Someday
I Index
26/99
Maybe Someday

27/99

Critics' Rating Index

Bottom of the Pile

24/99

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Scholars' Citation Index

15/99

Volume of Reviews

18/99

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About This Book

A powerful exploration of how we pay attention that will transform the ways we connect with one another – at home, at work, and beyond. Paying attention is a crucial human skill, yet many of us have forgotten how to listen carefully and observe intentionally. Deluged by social media and hobbled by the increasing social isolation it fosters, we need to rediscover the deeply human ways we connect with others. Christian Madsbjerg, a philosopher and entrepreneur, understands this dilemma. To counteract it, he began a course at The New School in New York City called Human Observation, which lays out the ways that we can learn to pay attention more effectively. The course has been hugely popular since its inception, with hundreds of students filling waiting lists. In Look , Madsbjerg sets out the key observational skills needed to show how we can recapture our ability to pay attention. Drawing from philosophy, science, the visual arts, and his own life, he offers both practical insights and a range of tools for experiencing the world with greater richness and texture. The result is a dynamic approach to rethinking observation that helps all of us to see with more empathy, accuracy, and connection to others.


Reviews

"There's a lot here, and a lot of it makes sense, but there are moments when the argument is so diffuse as to feel precarious."

Meghan Cox Gurdon· The Wall Street Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Lots of anecdotes, many of them really cool, but not enough practical guidance."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Near the Top

"While Madsbjerg leans more into cultural influences on perception—drawing heavily on qualitative research and anecdotal evidence—than practical strategies, readers will be inspired by his clear enthusiasm for viewing the world with an open mind."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Near the Top

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