Why you can't pay attention

Introducing Rewild Book Club

I was not a veracious reader as a kid. In fact, I was one of the few outcasts who never read more than a chapter of Harry Potter (I know, gasp). In my twenties I read a lot for work, and tended to view reading as a means to an end as far as my personal reading habit was concerned. I would inhale a self-help book to try to work out my problems but rarely (if ever) sit down to read for pleasure.

Since I gave up social media I find myself with a lot more time - and, critically, attention - on my hands. Not only have I found myself gravitating towards reading more but, to my surprise, mostly fiction. In my down time, when I’m not working, enveloping myself in another’s stories is when the chaotic thoughts in my mind become muted.

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Rewild is a reader-supported newsletter for humans finding their way discussing selfhood, healing, creativity, rest, neurodivergence, digital minimalism, and the messiness it is to be human. Both free and paid subscriptions are available. If you want to support my work, the best way is by taking out a paid subscription.

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Happily, my interest in reading non-fiction continues, but in lieu of self-help books I read about my interests and topics I enjoy writing about. At the moment, my main focus is our ability, as individuals, to pay attention. I have written several essays on this recently including ‘Why I’m becoming a digital minimalist in 2024’, ‘Three insights from week one of my social media detox’, ‘25 learnings from short-form social media’ and ‘I think I’m addicted to YouTube’. Each time I publish another essay on this topic I am inundated with messages from you telling me how similarly you feel - so I want to dive deeper with you.

Enter Rewild Book Club - a non-fiction book club for readers of this newsletter to use as an accountability tool and discuss interesting ideas with fellow readers and thinkers. I want to keep this casual - no deadlines, no pressure to read the book within a certain time period or at a certain rate - so I will simply pop into your inbox every now and again as I personally make my way through the book. I’ll share my reflections, favourite quotes, ideas that challenge me, areas I want to know more about - anything, really - and I encourage you to do the same if you choose to read along at your own pace.

Our first book is Stolen Focus: Why We Can’t Pay Attention by Johann Hari - so grab yourself a copy, invite a friend to join us, and I’ll catch up with you soon for a discussion of the first few chapters!

‘I don’t know anyone thinking more deeply, or more holistically, about the crisis of our collective attention than Johann Hari. And this is a crisis that we must address if we are to meet any of the other pressing emergencies we face as a species, whether ecological or social. Which means that this book could not be more vital. Please sit with it, and focus.’ - Naomi Klein