The Attention Spectrum (How Attention Really Works and How to Make It Work for You)

It’s become a truism to say that attention is an endangered resource. But what if focus isn’t everything, tech isn’t eroding our long-term cognitive capacity, and there’s actually no such thing as “attention span”? Rising above the chorus of alarmist claims, The Attention Spectrum challenges conventional wisdom by offering a new paradigm for understanding attention—one that’s more accurate, more positive, and more hopeful.

Drawing on cutting-edge research, cognitive scientist Michelle Miller shows that attention is much more than sustained concentration, and that each of us has our own “attentional profile”—none of which is inherently better than another. She illuminates how we can work with our different attentional strengths and weaknesses, what truly threatens attention, and how to safeguard it. As optimistic as it is pragmatic, The Attention Spectrum is a refreshing guide to becoming a more empowered, compassionate steward of your mind in a distracted world.