Love Stolen Focus? Readers share 100 books like Stolen Focus...

By Johann Hari,

Here are 100 books that Stolen Focus fans have personally recommended if you like Stolen Focus. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters

Stephen Wunker Author Of The Innovative Leader: Step-By-Step Lessons from Top Innovators For You and Your Organization

From my list on passionate innovators.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m an innovator. Iā€™ve been one since I was a kid. Since then, Iā€™ve started a couple of non-profits and four companies, and Iā€™ve advised hundreds of clients on innovation opportunities. Iā€™ve also led the team that created one of the worldā€™s first smartphones. Over the past dozen years, Iā€™ve written four books on the strategy and capabilities of innovation. Innovation is one of the essential characteristics that make us human. It can get the world into trouble, but it does more good than harm on balance. My mission is to make us better at innovation and make the world a better place.

Stephen's book list on passionate innovators

Stephen Wunker Why did Stephen love this book?

As a strategy consultant for over two decades, let me tell you: the world is full of bad strategy. This book lays out so clearly what makes bad strategy bad, as well as what good strategy consists of. Rumelt uses examples from business, of course, but he goes far beyond that realm, too.

The book opens with a description of how Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated Napoleonā€™s forces in the Battle of Trafalgar. Rumelt, a Professor at UCLA, gives recommendations that are specific, tied to examples, and actionable. I walked away with a clear set of takeaways and wonderful stories to back them up.

By Richard Rumelt,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Good Strategy Bad Strategy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Richard Rumelt's Good Strategy/Bad Strategy was published in 2011, it immediately struck a chord, calling out as bad strategy the mish-mash of pop culture, motivational slogans and business buzz speak so often and misleadingly masquerading as the real thing.

Since then, his original and pragmatic ideas have won fans around the world and continue to help readers to recognise and avoid the elements of bad strategy and adopt good, action-oriented strategies that honestly acknowledge the challenges being faced and offer straightforward approaches to overcoming them. Strategy should not be equated with ambition, leadership, vision or planning; rather, it isā€¦


Book cover of Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

Rebeccah Ahmed Author Of The Energy of Success: Power Up Your Productivity, Transform Your Habits, and Maximize Workplace Motivation

From my list on trust, change, and cultivating energy.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was eleven, my then-boyfriendā€™s father asked me what I would be if I could be anything in the world. I told him I would be an author. Over a decade in HR leadership has deepened my understanding of workplace narratives. On April 10th, 2021, my mentor Bobby passed away, inspiring me to write "The Energy of Success." His wisdom fueled my mission to capture the transformative power of human connections and inclusive leadership in the workplace. This book is a testament to those stories that shaped my HR journeyā€”rooted in empathy, purpose, and creating thriving environments for all.

Rebeccah's book list on trust, change, and cultivating energy

Rebeccah Ahmed Why did Rebeccah love this book?

I loved Adam Grant's book because he is a great storyteller who entices me with tantalizing examples of how to think like a scientist and lead with inquisition. The book not only challenged me to think differently but also shared practical tools to empower me to question my initial reactions or beliefs when presented with opposing opinions or challenges.

Grant does a great job of explaining the complex topic of what being open-minded really means. He made it easy for me to read and digest so I could put his lessons into practice and see immediate results.

By Adam Grant,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Think Again as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 New York Times Bestseller

"THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more-it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I've never felt so hopeful about what I don't know."
-Brene Brown, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead

The bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking:ā€¦


Book cover of No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention

Tom Gilb Author Of Competitive Engineering: A Handbook For Systems Engineering, Requirements Engineering, and Software Engineering Using Planguage

From my list on learning successful invention and business methods.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a self-taught guy, having started in my first job at IBM Oslo, when I was 18 years old, as punched card machine operator, and plug-board ā€˜programmer'. I did night studies in sociology/philosophy for 10 years at University of Oslo. I read about 30 books a year, and Iā€™m 82 in 2023. I have spent most of my career as an independent international consultant to corporations and governments, while building up my ideas of useful methods to solve problems. In retirement, I love to spread my ideas, and learn more. I also write about 5 new books a year, when at my Oslofjord Summer cabin. They're all digital and free or free samples. 

Tom's book list on learning successful invention and business methods

Tom Gilb Why did Tom love this book?

From my notes after I read it, ā€œGreat content and organization. Triggered me to write and plan a 2022 Book.ā€

There was specific practical content like removing vacation policy, removing travel and expenses policy. An opening the books, which showed the practices behind the no rules idea, and their consequent results in the business. As a consultant, these give me a tool for discussion with clients. What if you did the same?

Again a great leader, and successful businessperson, using persistence and imagination to deal with the forces against change.

By Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked No Rules Rules as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Hard work is irrelevant. Be radically honest. Adequate performance gets a generous severance. And never, ever try to please your boss.

These are some of the ground rules if you work at Netflix. They are part of a unique cultural experiment that explains how the company has transformed itself at lightning speed from a DVD mail order service into a streaming superpower - with 125 million fervent subscribers and a market capitalisation bigger than Disney.

Finally Reed Hastings, Netflix Chairman and CEO, is sharing the secrets that have revolutionised the entertainment and tech industries. With INSEAD business school professor Erinā€¦


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Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctorā€”and only womanā€”on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route upā€¦

Book cover of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon

Nektarios Oraiopoulos Author Of From Breakthrough to Blockbuster: The Business of Biotechnology

From my list on bringing new ideas to life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professor of technology management at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. I have interacted and learned from hundreds (or possibly thousands) of students and senior executives on how they develop new products and more broadly how they make better decisions in business and life. I am hoping that the books I shared with you will move you in that direction too. 

Nektarios' book list on bringing new ideas to life

Nektarios Oraiopoulos Why did Nektarios love this book?

I love this book because it gives an insiderā€™s view of Amazonā€™s decision-making processes and culture that enabled all these amazing products to be created.

It shows that Amazonā€™s exponential growth for over two decades was not the outcome of luck, but of excellent management and leadership skills at every step of the way. Even if you are not interested in business, you will learn a lot about thinking in productive ways and making better decisions. 

By Colin Bryar, Bill Carr,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Working Backwards as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Essential for any leader in any industry' - Kim Scott, bestselling author of Radical Candor

Working Backwards gives an insider's account of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership and best practices from two long-time, top-level Amazon executives.

Colin Bryar and Bill Carr joined Amazon in the late 90s. Their time at the company covered a period of unmatched innovation that brought products and services - including Kindle, Amazon Prime, Amazon Echo and Alexa, and Amazon Web Services - to life. Through the story of these innovations they reveal the principles and practices that drive Amazon's success.

Through their wealth of experienceā€¦


Book cover of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

Marcey Rader Author Of Reclaim Your Workday: Sustainable Productivity Strategies for the New World of Work

From my list on boost productivity declutter and reclaim your day.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m passionate about productivity that enhances life, not erodes it. After years of chasing moreā€”more certifications, more races, more promotionsā€”I faced a health crisis that forced me to redefine success. Now, Iā€™m on a mission to help people and companies find real productivity without sacrificing relationships or health. My background as a speaker, trainer, and coach drives me to show others how sustainable habits can declutter not just our workspaces but also our minds and bodies. True productivity isnā€™t about doing more; itā€™s about creating space for what truly matters. 

Marcey's book list on boost productivity declutter and reclaim your day

Marcey Rader Why did Marcey love this book?

As a Cal Newport fan, I find his work indispensable. Deep Work influenced my approach as a productivity coach, and I quickly incorporated his research into my business. With this one, Newport masterfully presents why we need to declutter our digital lives without demanding we go off-grid, which isn't achievable (nor would we want it to be).

The relatable stories of people experimenting with digital restraint brought the strategies to life, showing that anyone can find more solitude and less noise. His realistic, actionable insights make this a go-to for me to recommend to my clients.

By Cal Newport,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Digital Minimalism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Learn how to switch off and find calm - from the New York Times bestselling author of A World Without Email

'Digital Minimalism is the Marie Kondo of technology' Evening Standard

'An eloquent, powerful and enjoyably practical guide to cutting back on screen time' The Times

'An urgent call to action for anyone serious about being in command of their own life' Ryan Holiday

'What a timely and useful book' Naomi Alderman, author of The Power

Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through social media or the news while your anxiety rises? Are you feeling frazzled after a long dayā€¦


Book cover of What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

Shari Botwin Author Of Stolen Childhoods: Thriving After Abuse

From my list on healing after surviving past abuse experiences.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a childhood abuse survivor, author, and therapist, and I am always looking for books to help me better understand the crazy healing process. I have done over two decades of therapy and have been working with clients for over twenty-eight years. In addition, I serve as an expert witness on behalf of plaintiffs who have experienced different types of trauma. Educating myself and getting the perspective from other clinicians and experts has helped me be a better therapist and expedited my therapy process!

Shari's book list on healing after surviving past abuse experiences

Shari Botwin Why did Shari love this book?

This book, by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry (Bluebird, April 22, 2022) is still a number one best-seller on Amazon. People who experience childhood abuse are at higher risk for physical and mental health disorders in adulthood. Dr. Perry shares scientific insights into the patterns of behavior in adulthood that so many struggle to understand.

Dr. Perry and Ms. Winfrey share numerous examples of how the lingering shame from the past keeps them stuck in their lives as adults. The part I loved the most in this book was how Ms. Winfrey offered how shame debilitates us and holds us back from living full lives in adulthood.

By Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked What Happened to You? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand.

ā€œThrough this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives.ā€ā€•Oprah Winfrey

This book is going to change the way you see your life.

Have you ever wondered "Why did I do that?" or "Why can't I just control myā€¦


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Book cover of Who Is a Worthy Mother?: An Intimate History of Adoption

Who Is a Worthy Mother? by Rebecca Wellington,

I grew up thinking that being adopted didnā€™t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courtā€™s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over womenā€™s reproductive rights placesā€¦

Book cover of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Havard Mela Author Of Digital Discipline: Choosing Life in the Digital Age of Excess

From my list on how we get distracted and how to reclaim your attention.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who has felt the consequences of spending too much time online on distractions, I am compelled to share how much better life can be when we are conscious of the time we spend online. In my early twenties, I experienced digital addiction. I managed to turn things around by cultivating discipline and finding purpose in life. In the process, I developed a deep interest in neuroscience and psychology. My book explains how you can take conscious control of your life in a practical way based on my experience backed up by research.

Havard's book list on how we get distracted and how to reclaim your attention

Havard Mela Why did Havard love this book?

Deep Work is an excellent book for realizing how detrimental the typical employeeā€™s work habits of checking email every 5 minutes, constant meetings, and other distractions are to their ability to perform high-quality work. Newport also shares good suggestions for reclaiming your focus and doing what he calls ā€œdeep work.ā€ 

The book strongly advocates for the importance of having as much time as possible without distractions to achieve flow and perform optimally. This book helped me become much more conscious about how I work.

By Cal Newport,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Deep Work as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Many modern knowledge workers now spend most of their brain power battling distraction and interruption, whether because of the incessant pinging of devices, noisy open-plan offices or the difficulty of deciding what deserves your attention the most. When Cal Newport coined the term 'deep work' on his popular blog, Study Hacks, in 2012, he found the concept quickly hit a nerve. Most of us, after all, are excruciatingly familiar with shallow work instead - distractedly skimming the surface of our workload and never getting to the important part. Newport began exploring the methods and mindset that foster a practice ofā€¦


Book cover of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Havard Mela Author Of How to Thrive in the 21st Century: By Avoiding Porn and Other Distractions

From my list on porn addiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who has felt the consequences of spending too much time online on distractions, I am compelled to share how much better life can be when we are conscious of the time we spend online. In my early twenties, I experienced digital addiction. I managed to turn things around by cultivating discipline and finding purpose in life. In the process, I developed a deep interest in neuroscience and psychology. My book explains how you can take conscious control of your life in a practical way based on my experience backed up by research.

Havard's book list on porn addiction

Havard Mela Why did Havard love this book?

Lembke explains very well how the modern, technological environment we find ourselves in gives us too easy access to high-stimuli activities like gambling, social media, porn, and junk food.

With all the distractions and easy rewards we have around us, we need to be conscious in order to find balance and thrive. Otherwise, we will be very vulnerable to overconsumption, which has real consequences for our happiness and drive.

Even though this book covers other addictions as well, it is a great book to understand more about compulsive behavior and our dopamine system.

By Anna Lembke,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Dopamine Nation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER
ā€œBrilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.ā€ā€”Beth Macy, author of Dopesick,
as heard on Fresh Air

This book is about pleasure. Itā€™s also about pain. Most important, itā€™s about how to find the delicate balance between the two, and why now more than ever finding balance is essential. Weā€™re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting . . . The increased numbers, variety, and potency is staggering. The smartphone is the modern-dayā€¦


Book cover of Stillness is the Key

Havard Mela Author Of Digital Discipline: Choosing Life in the Digital Age of Excess

From my list on how we get distracted and how to reclaim your attention.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who has felt the consequences of spending too much time online on distractions, I am compelled to share how much better life can be when we are conscious of the time we spend online. In my early twenties, I experienced digital addiction. I managed to turn things around by cultivating discipline and finding purpose in life. In the process, I developed a deep interest in neuroscience and psychology. My book explains how you can take conscious control of your life in a practical way based on my experience backed up by research.

Havard's book list on how we get distracted and how to reclaim your attention

Havard Mela Why did Havard love this book?

Holiday explains how finding time for quiet or stillness, as he calls it, is the key to conquering your temper, avoiding distractions, and discovering great insights. Slowing down is the balancing mechanism everybody needs when living a busy life.

The book shows how historical people such as Churchill needed stillness through activities like bricklaying to balance his busy life. The book is very engaging and offers an inspirational and practical way for us to recharge and find self-mastery and discipline in our busy lives filled with distractions.

By Ryan Holiday,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stillness is the Key as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times Bestseller that shows why slowing down is the key to getting ahead

'Choose the focused inner stillness that Ryan champions' - Mark Manson #1 Bestselling author The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

'Some authors give advice. Ryan Holiday distills wisdom. This book is a must read.' Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author, Digital Minimalism

'A life-changing idea: that in order to move forward, we must learn to be still.' - Sophia Amoruso, cofounder and CEO, Girlboss

Throughout history, there has been one quality that great leaders, makers, artists and fighters have shared.ā€¦


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Book cover of Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

Traumatization and Its Aftermath by Antonieta Contreras,

A fresh take on the difference between trauma and hardship in order to help accurately spot the difference and avoid over-generalizations.

The book integrates the latest findings in brain science, child development, psycho-social context, theory, and clinical experiences to make the case that trauma is much more than a clusterā€¦

Book cover of Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data

Martin Sternstein Author Of Barron's AP Statistics

From my list on statistical insights into social issues.

Why am I passionate about this?

I taught for 45 years at Ithaca College broken by two years as Fulbright Professor in West Africa at the University of Liberia. During my years in academia, I developed several new courses including a popular ā€œMath in Africaā€ class and the first U.S. course for college credit in chess theory. Iā€™ve always had a passion for and continue to have strong interests in (1) national educational and social issues concerning equal access to math education for all and (2) teaching others about the power of mathematics and statistics to help one more deeply understand social issues.

Martin's book list on statistical insights into social issues

Martin Sternstein Why did Martin love this book?

Statistics is shown to be anything but dry in this book, as using wit, intuition, and clarity, the author shows how statistical concepts relate to everyday life.

He is able to separate important ideas from overly technical details, hence the title, Naked Statistics. I took many of his approaches to heart in my teaching. Wheelan gives many examples of how using readily available data yields deep inferences about the world we live in.

By Charles Wheelan,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Naked Statistics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Once considered tedious, the field of statistics is rapidly evolving into a discipline Hal Varian, chief economist at Google, has actually called "sexy." From batting averages and political polls to game shows and medical research, the real-world application of statistics continues to grow by leaps and bounds. How can we catch schools that cheat on standardized tests? How does Netflix know which movies you'll like? What is causing the rising incidence of autism? As best-selling author Charles Wheelan shows us in Naked Statistics, the right data and a few well-chosen statistical tools can help us answer these questions and more.ā€¦


Book cover of Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters
Book cover of Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
Book cover of No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention

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