Engaging and well-researched, with a real focus on what matters now. Very much relevant to contemporary scroll culture.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bloomsbury Publishing UK and Nir Eyal for my copy. This is a really useful, insightful and inspiring book full of advice and support for those wishing to rein in the prevalence of tech and devices in everyday life. The chapters on managing tech addiction in children were particularly useful. Given that most of us spend so much time on our phones, tablets and laptops these days, it is worth taking the time to read this book and take its words of wisdom on board. Recommended reading for everyone.

Completely brilliant, although the irony of becoming distracted and reading other books alongside this one is not lost on me! Includes some really helpful techniques to increase productivity, improve relationships and develop the skill that is within all of us - to do what we say we will do. One I will return to, for sure.

There were some interesting ideas in here but overall I was disappointed. I thought it would go into greater depth, and found the a lot of the book to be simplistic and repetitive. It felt more like an extended blog post than a non-fiction book. However, I am grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Distraction is a huge problem for all of us in 2020. We are constantly surrounded by it: 24/7 group chats, endless social media feeds, open plan offices filled with chatty colleagues, and much more. The ability to focus and tune out these endless distractions is vital to achieving our goals, no matter what they may be, and Indistractable by Nir Eyal aims to help you do just that by providing a tool kit to help.

Divided into four areas, Indistractable helps us “Master Internal Triggers”—understanding the emotions and personal events that make us seek distractions—“Make Time for Traction”—those activities which push us toward our goals rather than pulling us away—“Hack Back External Triggers”—reducing distractions from meetings, our phones, email, etc—and “Prevent Distraction with Pacts”—creating pacts with ourselves, friends, and even apps to help us become the people we want to be. There are also sections dedicated to helping our workplaces, children, and relationships indistractable. Online resources are also linked to help plan your time, with examples of how to use them at the back of the book.

Indistractable is more than a book that simply advises you to put your phone down and get on with life. It acknowledges that the problem of distraction is more than willpower alone can overcome and more complex than simply blaming smartphones. The tools and techniques it suggests have already helped me get more organized and do more with my waking hours this year, and I’m confident it can do the same for you.

A good book bringing together research on distraction and tips and tools particularly useful for the modern always-connected world. Some of it was a bit obvious but it will be useful to have it all in one place.

My full review on my blog https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2020/01/09/book-review-nir-eyal-with-julie-li-indistractable/

I will admit- I first read about ‘Indistractable’ whilst using a mobile phone. I then, like other readers, used a tablet to download an advance copy. So far, so predictable.

Nir Eyal is well aware of this, and in seeking to help us do something about it, has taken a meticulous approach. He has consulted the science and it’s clear that in doing so, has produced an in depth, brilliantly researched text. The problem is, it’s a little too meticulous. It feels as though ‘Indistractable’ could have been condensed into a much, much shorter book and in doing so, been much more effective.

Counter-productively, I found myself switching off and it was something of a task to plough through until the end. Ultimately, this meant a lack of engagement from my perspective- which I suspect is the opposite of what Eyal intended.

At first I found this book interesting and liked the concept, however as it went on I got bored very quickly. And despite the purpose of the book, everything was distracting me as I was just not interested anymore. Maybe that says more about me than the book.

Didn't enjoy and didn't read all of the pages as got bored through some of the chapters

This book is thought provoking and insightful. I was half-expecting a telling off from using technology too much but what I got instead was psychological reasoning, historical metaphors and a true understanding of the root cause of distraction.

I'm hopeful that I am able to successfully implement some new techniques to improve my concentration at work and with my family life.

That being said it wasn't necessarily gripping or page turning and I read it over a very long period of time and struggled sometimes to pick it back up.

This is one of those books that you nod your head while reading and find yourself thinking "I knew that" "this is common sense" while all the time realising that it might be but someone had the idea to write it all down. We are a world absorbed by our smart phones, huge swathes of people no longer interacting "in real life" but through social media. Nir Eyal started researching this and has found the evidence to back up the "common sense" we think we know. But even if you do 'know' it, have you put your phone down recently to have a proper conversation? If you find that difficult, this author can give you the tools.

This is a good read, a relatively easy read and it really does make you realise how little control we have over our attention. We are talking, reading the paper, watching TV and texting our mates all at the same time... This is not good for our relationships and certainly not a good example to those younger.

If you find yourself nodding and saying "uh huh" to your kids or spouse while checking twitter, then you need to read this book. It is timely when you consider how we are being manipulated through social media and how many don't realise it. To regain control of your time and "choose your life", this book is a worthwhile read.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

We live in a world where distractions exist around every corner, and I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes procrastinate. It's a timely and pretty important book as the modern age of technology appears to have become like opium to some. So what can we do to become more productive you ask? Well, Stanford Professor Nir Eyal is about to tell us in an understandable, conversational way how to get more done and there is plenty of technical detail included for those of us who enjoy knowing the ins and outs. Of course, it heavily focuses on social media given it is one of the habits most of us seem to have that takes our attention away from more important issues; I must admit that I rarely use social media as it simply doesn't hold my interest for very long, but I can see that this would help those who have let social sites take over their lives and could be applied to other situations easily too.

Time is a finite resource and that means we should spend it wisely. I liked that Eyal admitted to falling victim to the dreaded time stealing monster himself and shares the solutions that helped him to overcome this. Being interested in psychology I particularly appreciated the parts in which he described the psychology behind the forming of habits, how to break them and how just being free of them will impact our lives for the better. He discusses how to implement the solutions to make use of them in everyday life and I found the book to be extensively-researched with case studies throughout to illustrate some of the points he makes. He also places bullet-point summaries at the end of each chapter to remind us of key points. Overall, it offers a refreshingly different approach to time management than other books on the subject.

Indistractable is a helpful, comprehensive guide that should be on the reading list of all of those who wish to spend their time in a better manner. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC.

When a young academic bought herself a pedometer, she started becoming obsessed with walking. She found herself walking up and down stairs in the middle of the night, playing walking 'games' and even entering competitions. This affected her work and her marriage. Luckily, she began to realise that this was an escape from other problems and started to slowly.overcome her addiction.

Usually, distractions like this are an escape, and it is important to work out what the real problems are. Eyall gives great advice on how to do this in this useful book, especially on how to stop being distracted by the ubiquitous social media. He also provides advice on raising 'Indistractable' kids. I found this very helpful.

I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

This is a well written, accessible guide on how we become distracted and the ways we can avoid it in the future. I found the author’s tone engaging and the anecdotes he provided were relatable. A really useful guide for those wishing to take back control over their lives.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Here is a book that I feel would benefit a lot of people in today’s society. We are all at faulty when it comes to being distracted and this book enlightens us on why.
An easy to follow book that you can read more than once and also a book you can dip in an out of too.

What is surprising about indistractable is that, given the book provides so many techniques on not being distracted, it’s not just a list of to do’s, but is written in a way which makes for an engaging read.

Nor is it a catalogue of quick fixes, which advocates keeping clear of modern technology, but guides you in harnessing it so that you work more effectively.

Essentially indistractable aims to put you in control of your life, rather than your life controlling you.

Explaining the reasons why we become distracted also adds another layer to your methodology.

At the end of each chapter is a summary which not only helps to reiterate the contents of the chapter, but aids in breaking down all the concepts into bite-sized chunks for easy absorption. As this is a book where you need to go back or link one set of ideas to another, the summaries are a great way of pulling everything together.

Having actual case studies made it easy to connect with the techniques, because every reader will recognise something of themselves within the descriptions.

By addressing not only work life, but the importance of quality time with the family, engaging with this book should help in every aspect of a busy person’s world. indistractable gives you permission to step back and create a healthy space in which to live productively.

In the age of the smart phone, it can feel incredibly hard to focus on anything. Even as I write this review, I have my iPad open beside me, my phone buzzing away as I have a conversation with my sister. Focus and attention are rare commodities in the modern world, with so many push notifications, addictive apps and mobile devices vying for them, there's rarely any left for deep work, family time or other constructive hobbies and pursuits.

What I liked about this book is Eyal doesn't try to persuade you that technology is the root of all evil. He recognises the the massive benefits of the computing power we have in our pockets or wear on our wrists, and encourages us to use them in a constructive way, and to recognise the psychological underpinnings of why a push notification is like crack for the brain, and how to change the bad habits formed in the last decade of smart phone use, so that we can have our technology serve us rather than vice versa.

Some of the techniques are your more basic time management strategies - time blocking, single focus etc - while others are more on the meditation and mindfulness end of the spectrum. The broad range of techniques means there's bound to be something that you can apply to your own life. I'm not one for writing lists to myself about how I feel when I get a craving to look at my phone, but I love the idea of time blocking, and the psychology of addiction (or is it addiction?) stuff is fascinating.

The book is also broken down into different sections relating to different parts of your life. Indistractable work, relationships, parenting - it's not just about being a super productive working machine, it's about an all round approach to your life that will improve the quality of your day to day experiences and reduce the amount of time spent mindlessly scrolling on your phone.

My favourite section was the 'Hack Back' ideas, where you take the features of your phone or other devices that have been causing the bad behavioural patterns and hack them to work for you in a positive way. There are a couple of apps I'm definitely going to download and start using. And once they've embedded in my routine, I might come back to this for a second read through, to see what else I pick up.

I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly just to mention I haven't read all of this book yet. I have read more than half and will definitely be finishing it at some point soon, just maybe not in time for publication date. I hasten to add that my failure to finish this book is in no way a reflection on the book itself, it's just that it is always more tempting to put a non fiction book aside in order to finish the fiction books.

I have found what I’ve read so far really interesting. It’s an easy to read book, not too dry. There are plenty of real life situations given as examples to prove points and theories. Like all books of this type research is cited often. That is the only part of non fictional self help books that I’m not too keen on, the constant reference to who said what in which research paper and from which educational institution they worked at the time. That for me is distracting but I accept that if you’re using someone else’s research to give as an example you have to credit them properly. I just wish all the credits could be at the end of the book, out of the way.

Once the author moves on to the subject of distraction in the workplace, this tends to be where I’ve given up reading. Maybe I’m a little out of touch but there seems to be a cavernous difference between office culture in the UK and the US. Apparently ten million people log on to Slack every day – I’ve heard of it, but that’s about as far as my knowledge, let alone experience of this (app?) goes. I think I’m probably going to skip this section as I found it doesn't really apply to my situation.

As you read through the book you are advised to download additional materials to help you get yourself organised and less distracted. If you buy the book, there is a code for you to enter onto the website for the book so that you can freely download the additional resources. However as this is a proof copy for review I wasn’t privy to this.

I have also been pointed in the direction of a few mobile apps that I’ve tried out. They’re really good and I have enjoyed using them.

Towards the end of the book there is a section headed How To Raise Indistractable Children. “What? where’s that, let me see that” goes the cry of every harassed parent and teacher in the land. I’ve had a quick speed read of it as I write this review and it does appear to give some fascinating insights. Perhaps a reason to buy this book based on this section alone.

All in all it is quite a good book with lots of helpful tips along the way. At the end of each chapter there are key points bulleted and in bold for you to remember and perhaps jot down as you work your way through the book. Like all self help books though, at the end of the day, you can read it as much as you like but until you put some of the ideas into action and practice on a daily basis you aren’t going to change your distractable little ways without some hard work and a will to change.

I think quite possibly I’m going to go back to the beginning of the book, take my own advice and work through each chapter relevant to me and start putting the advice and tips into practice.

Where has this book been all my life?! Full of practical advice in how to be present in the world, choose what you want & feel better about ignoring the rest. Even better it’s all backed up by science. Read it & take control of you life.

A non-fiction self-help style book on tips to reduce and manage distractions in modern life.
It's written in a chatty informal style and has key points repeated in bullets at the end of each chapter.

I was a bit disappointed as I had expected more content regarding formal research aspects of psychology and behavioural science in managing digital information.

Instead it was more simple - recommending apps that can help limit interruptions, digital 'do not disturb' features and the importance of scheduling. It does discuss assessing the deeper cause of distraction rather than blaming technology, and evaluating personal values and goals to invest time in things that align with these.

I think the book makes very reasonable points but most of these are basic common sense, and for me it wasn't particularly useful.

I've given 3 stars as it seems like a generally friendly book that others might find useful, and has links to other resources to help. Overall I found it a bit reminiscent of a TED-talk.

2019 has been a year of benefitting from a number of sage books on focusing and dealing with modern information overload. "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life" is a welcome addition to this congo line. Employing a smooth, helpful prose style and a comprehensive, logical structure, Nir Eyland addresses first the roots of distractibility, highlighting the new triggers of social media and email, before sensibly recommending internal analysis, trigger research, and time blocking as the fundamental steps in taking time back from our distractions. He then offers plenty of useful ways of “hacking back” time, including two that intrigued me: finding online work stint buddies and setting out challenging self-pacts. If you’ve known for ages that something is wrong with how you spend your time, this is the book for you.