A review by maddys
Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive & Creative Self by Manoush Zomorodi

informative inspiring medium-paced

3.75

This is a solid book on the consequences of our hyper-plugged in world and the benefits of stepping back, mindfully disengaging from these distractions, and giving yourself regular opportunities to be 'bored'. In the absence of a phone or distraction, we allow our brains to wonder, to search for stimulation in our thoughts and surroundings. This can be beneficial to our emotional wellbeing and mental health, creativity, and productivity. 

Zomorodi provides a plethora of studies and quotes to support her central argument for detaching from the constant need to use our phones. As an avid reader of productivity, behaviour change, digital minimalism, and the like, much of the content in this book has been written about before and this book felt more like a meta-analysis of existing literature rather than new and innovative ideas or thoughts, though Zomorodi does provide a 7-day challenge for readers to try out. There were some really interesting tidbits in here, like the value of in-person conversations versus texting and how to effectively use technology as a distraction or stress-reliever (and avoid getting sucked in).