The Distraction Addiction

By: Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Narrated by: Walter Dixon

Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Getting the Information You Need and the Communication You Want, Without Enraging Your Family, Annoying Your Colleagues, and Destroying Your Soul

The question of our time: Can we reclaim our lives in an age that feels busier and more distracting by the day?

We've all found ourselves checking email at the dinner table, holding our breath while waiting for Outlook to load, or sitting hunched in front of a screen for an hour longer than we intended.

Mobile devices and the web have invaded our lives, and this is a big idea book that addresses one of the biggest questions of our age: Can we stay connected without diminishing our intelligence, attention spans, and ability to really live? Can we have it all?

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, a renowned Stanford technology guru, says yes. The Distraction Addiction is packed with fascinating studies, compelling research, and crucial takeaways. Whether it's breathing while Facebook refreshes, or finding creative ways to take a few hours away from the digital crush, this audiobook is about the ways to tune in without tuning out.

©2013 Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (P)2013 Gildan Media LLC

Critic reviews

"An elegant tour through current neuroscience and an examination of the nature of attention. Pang's tome is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to take control of his or her digital life, and it's a great primer on the interplay between mind and tech." ( Publishers Weekly)

Narrator Made This a Hard Listen

I was almost surprised to see the name of a person listed as the narrator for this book. I could have sworn this book was read by a computer. Maybe it's bad editing, but the voice was monotone, words were awkwardly strung together or mispronounced, and the narrator sometimes raced through the text. (I even double-checked the app to make sure I hadn't accidentally sped up the narration.) I really struggled to focus on the content of this book, because I was so distracted by how painful the narration was.

very horrible book

What disappointed you about The Distraction Addiction?

The book was very boring and lame and constantly harping on lot of old stuff totally not related to the title

What was most disappointing about Alex Soojung-Kim Pang’s story?

abjectly boring book and very distracting itself. If Alex listens to the book then he will know how much distracted he was while writing the book. The book has no meat and keeps wandering to and fro

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Walter Dixon?

Walter is good

Bait and Switch

Would you try another book from Alex Soojung-Kim Pang and/or Walter Dixon?

No

Has The Distraction Addiction turned you off from other books in this genre?

That is the problem, I am not sure what genre this book is supossed to be in. I was expecting a book about brain science and technology. I might actually choose and enjoy a book about Zen Buddhism, meditation, and the benefits of contemplative environments. While the long walks of Charles Darwin and author's geo tagging photographs is mildly interesting, I was expecting a book actually about the latest science regarding the psychological effect on humans from the increasing distraction of modern technology. An amendment to the Publisher's Summary and the sample audio section is needed to at least mention that this is primarily a book advocating a contemplative Buddhist worldview.