ravenclawomanistcyborgwitch's review
3.0
Good information and research presented but not a lot of practical solutions. I did learn a lot about neural pathways and how the mind works and will apply it to the next book with better advice about focusing.
tabithar's review
3.0
The first 1/3 of this book was so good I started talking about it with a friend. I spoke too soon. I have 3 key criticism of this book: 1) loss of focus after the first third 2) lack of practical/executable methods to improve one's personal focus 3) ironic solutions to helping focus in schools.
Ironically, slightly after the first 1/3 the organization and writing seemed to lose focus. The author bounced around seemingly erratically to the point that it made it difficult to force myself to finish. NORMALLY, books I force myself to finish get 2 stars. However, the first 1/3 was really good, hence the 3 star rating.
Based on the text's lack of focus after the introductory portions, it should not come as a surprise that while there are many stories about benefits of focus, there is no clear practical content regarding methods to optimize one's focus. It is vaguely suggested that some video games are in the works and that the practice of memorization can improve focus but that pretty much covers the points made with many less words.
The most cringe worthy of these problems culminated in methods presently being tried in school systems to help children's focus improve. School schedules from the past incorporated shorter periods of class time with more breaks. Additionally, schools used to require memorization of passages of text, multiplication tables, addition facts, etc. These standards have been dismissed in recent years. Based on the text, the expected outcome would be decreased focus for the students that propagated throughout their lives and culture. While the author observes from research that students are struggling more with focus, he seems to miss that there may not be a need to reinvent the wheel to help students focus. Rather than incorporating in more standards and ADDING things to be taught, the solutions might be simply going back to prior methods in which students had breaks worked in with natural changes in curriculum and memorized useful information (rather than adding new tablet based games to their curriculum).
I suggest either reading the first 1/3 and stopping (it definitely goes downhill from there to seemingly like a person chasing rabbit trails with focus as a topic but not an execution) OR...finding a different book to read.
Ironically, slightly after the first 1/3 the organization and writing seemed to lose focus. The author bounced around seemingly erratically to the point that it made it difficult to force myself to finish. NORMALLY, books I force myself to finish get 2 stars. However, the first 1/3 was really good, hence the 3 star rating.
Based on the text's lack of focus after the introductory portions, it should not come as a surprise that while there are many stories about benefits of focus, there is no clear practical content regarding methods to optimize one's focus. It is vaguely suggested that some video games are in the works and that the practice of memorization can improve focus but that pretty much covers the points made with many less words.
The most cringe worthy of these problems culminated in methods presently being tried in school systems to help children's focus improve. School schedules from the past incorporated shorter periods of class time with more breaks. Additionally, schools used to require memorization of passages of text, multiplication tables, addition facts, etc. These standards have been dismissed in recent years. Based on the text, the expected outcome would be decreased focus for the students that propagated throughout their lives and culture. While the author observes from research that students are struggling more with focus, he seems to miss that there may not be a need to reinvent the wheel to help students focus. Rather than incorporating in more standards and ADDING things to be taught, the solutions might be simply going back to prior methods in which students had breaks worked in with natural changes in curriculum and memorized useful information (rather than adding new tablet based games to their curriculum).
I suggest either reading the first 1/3 and stopping (it definitely goes downhill from there to seemingly like a person chasing rabbit trails with focus as a topic but not an execution) OR...finding a different book to read.
theonionboy's review
3.0
As many other said, this book on focus lacked focus. He talked about a lot of interesting concepts around the idea of focus, but gave little specifically about it. I was hoping for more concrete methods of improving focus, not a discussion of the topic of focus. The fault is more mine for expecting something from this book that it is not. Not a bad book, just lacking practical application for me.
caroparr's review
3.0
I think your reaction to this depends on how many other books like it you've read before, by Goleman himself as well as by Malcolm Gladwell and other popularizers of this kind of research. Always good to hear about being in the moment, of course.
phidaq's review against another edition
2.0
To echo other reviewers here, this book ironically lacks its titular virtue. Seems more like a collection of articles than a cohesive examination of focus/attention. I felt excitement at the outset with his discussion of the brain science behind focus, but his reach really strayed after that. Sharp writing in this vein, but unfortunately also awfully vague.
complinguophile's review
2.0
دیشب توی خواب و بیداری به خلاصهش روی پادکست بیپلاس گوش دادم و الان هرکار میکنم یاد نمیاد که آیا نکتهای هم به گوشم اومد یا نه :|
خلاصه اینکه سعی کنین متمرکز باشین عزیزان :))
خلاصه اینکه سعی کنین متمرکز باشین عزیزان :))
maximilianoo's review against another edition
3.0
I think it's a good book on the general subject of how the human mind works for some situations.
But for the subject of the book itself (Focus), it fails to explain and teach what was of promised in the cover: How to focus on the important things and ignore the daily interruptions of our life.
It also fails to have focus, going from subject to subject but rarely touch the one he should.
But for the subject of the book itself (Focus), it fails to explain and teach what was of promised in the cover: How to focus on the important things and ignore the daily interruptions of our life.
It also fails to have focus, going from subject to subject but rarely touch the one he should.