Bestselling author Daniel Goleman returns with a groundbreaking look at the secret to high performance and fulfillment: attention.
'A highly readable manifesto for turning our smartphones off once in a while' Financial Times
For more than two decades, psychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman has been scouting the leading edge of the human sciences for what's new, surprising and important. In Focus, Goleman delves into the science of attention in all its varieties, presenting a long overdue discussion of this little-noticed and underrated mental asset that matters enormously for how we navigate life.
Goleman boils down attention research into a three parts: inner, other, and outer focus. Goleman shows why high-achievers need all three kinds of focus, as demonstrated by rich case studies from fields as diverse as competitive sports, education, the arts, and business. Those who excel rely on what Goleman calls 'Smart Practices' such as mindfulness meditation, focused preparation and recovery, positive emotions and connections, and mental 'prosthetics' which help them improve habits, add new skills, and sustain excellence. Combining cutting-edge research with practical findings, Focus reveals what distinguishes experts from amateurs and stars from average performers.
'A highly readable manifesto for turning our smartphones off once in a while' Financial Times
For more than two decades, psychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman has been scouting the leading edge of the human sciences for what's new, surprising and important. In Focus, Goleman delves into the science of attention in all its varieties, presenting a long overdue discussion of this little-noticed and underrated mental asset that matters enormously for how we navigate life.
Goleman boils down attention research into a three parts: inner, other, and outer focus. Goleman shows why high-achievers need all three kinds of focus, as demonstrated by rich case studies from fields as diverse as competitive sports, education, the arts, and business. Those who excel rely on what Goleman calls 'Smart Practices' such as mindfulness meditation, focused preparation and recovery, positive emotions and connections, and mental 'prosthetics' which help them improve habits, add new skills, and sustain excellence. Combining cutting-edge research with practical findings, Focus reveals what distinguishes experts from amateurs and stars from average performers.
Goleman appears to have the measure of his readers. In Focus, he cleverly employs short chapters littered with case studies to engage professionals swimming against a tide of electronic correspondence ... A highly readable manifesto for turning our smartphones off once in a while Financial Times
"Daniel Goleman has surpassed himself in the breadth, depth, and readability of this fascinating meditation on what is most important for human, organizational, and planetary flourishing. Focusshows us how to go about paying attention in all the ways that really matter." - John Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction and author of Mindfulness for Beginners
"With compelling insights, wide-ranging examples, and cutting-edge science, Daniel Goleman makes the convincing case that the ability to focus is a key to excellence, in both our personal and professional lives-and also explains how to boost that focus." - Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project
"Daniel Goleman has written the perfect prescription for today's deficit of attention in business and life....Highly recommended!" - Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality and author of Peak and Emotional Equations
"Goleman has provided a highly readable manifestofor turning our smartphones off once in a while." - Financial Times
"I've been studying attention for more than a decade, but I learned something new on every page of Focus. It is a powerful guide for taking control of our attention and will lead you to nothing less than taking control of your life." - Tony Schwartz, author of The Power of Full Engagement and CEO of The Energy Project
"Attention is so important that ordinary people take it for granted, while scientists subject it to microanalysis. Steering deftly between these extremes, Dan Goleman synthesizes what is known and what we need to know." - Howard Gardner, John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
"With compelling insights, wide-ranging examples, and cutting-edge science, Daniel Goleman makes the convincing case that the ability to focus is a key to excellence, in both our personal and professional lives-and also explains how to boost that focus." - Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project
"Daniel Goleman has written the perfect prescription for today's deficit of attention in business and life....Highly recommended!" - Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality and author of Peak and Emotional Equations
"Goleman has provided a highly readable manifestofor turning our smartphones off once in a while." - Financial Times
"I've been studying attention for more than a decade, but I learned something new on every page of Focus. It is a powerful guide for taking control of our attention and will lead you to nothing less than taking control of your life." - Tony Schwartz, author of The Power of Full Engagement and CEO of The Energy Project
"Attention is so important that ordinary people take it for granted, while scientists subject it to microanalysis. Steering deftly between these extremes, Dan Goleman synthesizes what is known and what we need to know." - Howard Gardner, John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education