Book Titles

To say we check email too often is an understatement; the reality is that we’re using these tools constantly.

We take for granted our ability to pay attention.

…part of what distinguishes us from our primate ancestors is the ability of our prefrontal cortex to operate as a kind of traffic cop for our attention…

…only humans can decide to focus on something not actually happening around them at the moment…

Why is it hard to do our work? Because our brains were never designed to maintain parallel tracks of attention.

For many different knowledge work positions – if not most – the ability to slow down, tackle things sequentially, and give each task uninterrupted attention is crucial…

If we can somehow create space between communication and execution, people in these roles [minders] would find the tasks before them more easily dispatched.

…once you know what pain you’re trying to avoid and what benefits you’re trying to amplify, other approaches emerge.

…researchers… found that when stressed, people answer emails faster, but not better…

There’s something uniquely deranging about digital messaging.