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Comment by Brusco_RF | Hacker News Reader

Thanks for mentioning that book. I am trying to decide if it's worth reading. The negative reviews agree with the main premise of the book but say it's short and superficial. Is there information in there worth reading beyond the usual tips ie keeping your phone in another room, avoid news first thing in the morning, no screen time 2 hours before bed, long cardio workouts, etc?

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You should look at Matthew Sweet's responses to that book, it's not pretty: https://twitter.com/DrMatthewSweet/status/147912591249084826...

It's also worth noting that Johann Hari has an extensive history as a liar.

TIL. Thank you

I think he got done once or twice for plagiarism, what's the "extensive history as a liar"?

Ooof, that’s quite serious.

Would be nice if there was a list of self-help/psychology books that are properly based on proper science.

I certainly wouldn't recommend it as a practical title, though there are a few practical tips along the lines you mention, the point of the book is more about the societal problem than the individual. But as someone who gets highly frustrated with my inability to focus on occasion, I would say it's reasonably cathartic.

Thank you. I'm going to pass on this one

It is more about highlighting the issues than it is about outlining specific fixes, honestly. But i thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Short and superficial" is appropriate for a book that discusses shortened attention spans! ;-)

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