The printing press was once called the biggest source of distraction, but technology has come a long way since then, and made sure that it is extremely difficult to not get distracted! Nir Eyal provides a systematic guide, keeping things simple, to navigate our personal and professional lives and become “indistractable”.
Scott Galloway is famous for his “roasts” of tech companies and unicorns. This is obviously a different topic, but if you like the tone – blunt towards abrasive – you should enjoy this book too. Though his life has not really been a benchmark for happiness (as he admits), the experience has given him perspectives on what happiness could be. It’s not a typical “happiness” book, but profundity and the profanity coexist to make an interesting read.
I found this book a refreshing perspective, when compared to the other books that I have read on the subject. From the system of the brain and the construction of emotions to the subject of free will, there are a bunch of interesting lines of thought. The understanding of emotions, and our ability/inability to control them have implications on a lot of things from our own daily behaviour to how we deliver justice as a society. While the topics are complex, the book has an excellent narrative style and is very accessible.
The title of the book caught my attention because it signalled a scientific approach. And somewhere in the book, the author does offer a formula that does seem logical. Somewhere in the book, the author shifts to meaning without a clear explanation. But barring that, it’s a very interesting book that introduced me to new concepts, nuances and ways of framing.
Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is a subject that continues to fascinate me, and that’s largely why I picked up this book. The author does start off well, pitching cephalopods as an independent experiment by nature in the evolution of large brains, and there are some very interesting bits – subjective experience, sentience and consciousness. But the detours on octopus and cuttlefish are likely to put you off unless you’re an ardent fan of the creatures.