The Attention Spectrum
How Attention Really Works and How to Make It Work for You
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Pub Date Feb 16 2027 | Archive Date Jan 31 2027
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Description
A myth-busting examination of the science of attention, beyond alarmist narratives and a myopic focus on “focus.”
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.
About the Author:
Michelle D. Miller is a professor of psychological sciences at Northern Arizona University and is the author of Minds Online and Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology. Her work has been featured in The Conversation, Inside Higher Ed, and Chronicle of Higher Education. She lives in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Advance Praise
"In The Attention Spectrum, Dr. Michelle Miller cuts brilliantly through the typical fearmongering about modern attention spans to illuminate the science of how human focus actually works. Essential reading for any educator, parent, student, or curious person who wants to develop a greater sense of agency in an increasingly distracting world." -Andrew Cohen, CEO, Brainscape
"Drawing upon years of professional and personal experience, in The Attention Spectrum Michelle Miller clearly and compellingly explains the multifaceted concept of attention and how it influences all of our lives. This entertaining and myth-busting book will help you better understand your own complex attention system, including the ways your distinct ‘attentional profile’ may differ from others. With nuance and talent, Miller tells a much more positive story about attention in today’s fast-paced society.
" -Martyn Rady, author of The Habsburgs
"Full of vivid examples and practical insights, this profoundly important book dispels many popular myths about focus, memory, distraction, and multitasking—ones that even those of us who have read a lot about thinking and the brain have internalized. If you really want to understand and apply the science of attention to your life, business, problem-solving, creativity, or classroom, here is the most clear, humane, memorable, and nuanced guide you will find." -José Antonio Bowen, former president of Goucher College and author of Teaching with AI
"The Attention Spectrum is a generous and empathetic invitation to understand our attention and become responsible stewards of this precious resource. Michelle Miller illuminates not only its inner workings but also how it shapes everything we experience, feel, and remember. I began making changes to my personal and professional habits related to attention even before finishing the book." -James Lang, author of Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781324079309 |
| PRICE | $29.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 272 |