Don't distract me!.

Now, in the information age, the importance of these words is undeniable, but we rarely dare to say them to the people around us, as, indeed, to our thoughts and habits. This is the title of the book of the American psychiatrist, an expert on attention deficit disorder Edward Hallowwell.

Edward M. Hallowell

Who is this book for

Don't Distract Me (originally titled Driven to Distraction at Work: How to Focus and Be More Productive ") from Mann, Ivanov and Ferber aims to help people make more progress at work and in their personal life by eliminating the problems that prevent them from flexibly managing their attention. By and large, this book is for each of us, because anyone can somehow recognize themselves in one of those characters that Dr. Hallowell cites as an example.

What this book is about

The book consists of two parts. The first part describes the main distractions that prevent you from maintaining high concentration:

  • dependence on computers and electronic devices (for those who like to constantly visit news sites, surf social networks, or check their mail every half hour);
  • multitasking (many “successful managers” pride themselves on their ability to solve many problems simultaneously, but are unable to delve deeply into any of them);
  • jumping from one idea to another (such people spew a fountain of ideas, but cannot realize any of them);
  • anxiety (it is difficult to imagine anything more paralyzing than constant anxiety);
  • playing the hero (a shoemaker without boots, he helps everyone around, but is completely unable to take care of himself).

Each of these factors has its own chapter, and each chapter describes a piece of the life of one person with attention deficit disorder. We will find out how his psychological state manifests itself, why it arose and how best to deal with it. The author does not limit himself to superficial reasoning, but studies the deep causes of ailments - that is why the book will be of interest not only to ordinary readers, but also to psychologists and psychotherapists, who, by the nature of their work, often have to deal with the cases given in the book. At the same time, the presence in each chapter of his character with his problems and experiences allows the ordinary reader to recognize himself in any of the heroes.

Having understood our difficulties and realizing that we need to do something with them, we move on to the second part of the book, which offers us solutions.

It is worth noting that publications to improve concentration and increase productivity are no longer a rarity on the shelves of bookstores. "Don't distract me!" It stands out from them in that its author does not provide any super-detailed recommendations, such as methods for working with e-mail or rules for prioritizing a to-do list. The advice offered in the book is intuitive, but for some reason they are the first to be neglected. If we don't do simple things like talking to people, walking the dog in the fresh air, sound and healthy sleep every day; if we do not ask our friends for help and do not do what we love, then all popular applied self-organization methods only mask the problem, without removing its root cause.

Conclusion

This book should certainly add to the collection of those who have decided that it is time to change something in life, or who are seriously thinking about increasing their own efficiency. And it will be more correct to start your journey with it, and only then proceed to study, for example, the principles of time management.

Link to the book on the website of the publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber": http://www.mann-ivanov-ferber.ru/books/ne-otvlekajte-menja/

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