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The title of this book, "Focus", surely must be ironic. It's not just unfocused, it's so unfocused that I'm not really sure what it's supposed to be about (and yes, I did read the entire thing). It's as if the author just tried to jumble together all the things he's interested in - global warming, empathy, Daniel Kahneman-esque behavioral theory, business management, etc. The problem is there's no theme that really ties everything together. I mean, obviously the theme is supposed to be focus (he...
"Understandably, we focus on the people we value most. If you are poor, you depend on good relationships with friends and family whom you may need to turn to for help--say, when you need someone to look after your four-year-old until you get home from work. Those with few resources and a fragile perch on stability "need to lean on people," says Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley."So the poor are particularly attentive to other people and their needs."The wea...
Daniel Goleman returned to Berkeley not long ago to speak to a large and enthusiastic audience at International House about the themes in his new book, Focus. Though he’d spent only his junior year as an undergraduate at Cal, his quips and asides quickly showed him to be fully in synch with Berkeley’s humane values. Though he never stated the point explicitly, it was also clear that Goleman saw the roots of the community’s concerns in the chemistry of our brains.You may remember Goleman as the a...
Probably one of the most ironic books ever made.Mostly because I had a hard time focusing while reading this.But on a more serious note, it was okay. There are some good points and nuggets to take away from this book. Some would seem like common sense (putting your phone away), but there were a few gems that definitely help - it's one of those tricks where you would know all of them, or used to know and somehow have lost them.Overall though, it felt really drawn out for the few learning points o...
This book is all about how we ... Oh look! Some interesting facts about Apple's business strategy!
I bought this book because I need help focusing, and I have a lot of respect for Daniel Goleman's important work on emotional intelligence. I finished it a little bit disappointed, feeling like I knew some interesting facts about how focus works and can work, but without much in the way of useful information about how to increase my own focus. I already knew that mindfulness is a good and valuable skill to train. I already knew that certain video games targeted at brain functions could train the...
From Amazon: Having been a fan of Goleman since reading "Emotional Intelligence" in the 90's, I was excited to dive into "Focus".Goleman does not disappoint. He begins by outlining our general condition in society today as being inattentive. Our minds are in a constant state of overload and what passes for 'multi-tasking' is described as a huge productivity barrier. Finding time to decompress, or be 'fully in the moment', requires a level of Self Awareness covered in Part II. Goleman goes into b...
Really good book,but it's not for everybody. You should have either read other books concerning cognitive psychology or you should have studied some kind of social studies. In other words it's not an easy book but i recommend it if you want to expand your knowledge in cognitive psychology and neuroscience and how they can be aplied through right behaviours in society (even reach the goal to become the right type of leader)
While I was reading the book, I had doubt if I wasn't focusing with the book or it is an unfocus book despite the title and the essence of the book! after skimming through previous reviews, I saw that others too had the same impression.The book has some useful information regarding types of focus (inner,outer,and other), and how it relates to the brain, how it relates to early childhood, focus in leadership, and other "random" information that the author tries to relate to the subject of the boo...
Turning off our smartphones once in a while. Giving our full attention when someone is talking to us. Letting the other person complete her sentence and not finishing it for her. Asking questions to show interest. Look her in the eyes. Really listen. No to multitasking. Focus on what's more important. I thought I knew all of these or maybe I used to know but somehow lost them. So, I picked up this book one Sunday afternoon from Fullybooked The Block while waiting for my wife and daughter to arri...
Wow. This book is a mishmash of ideas, jettisoning from preschool kids to million-dollar executives, supposedly linking all with the focus of focus. It didn't work for me. To me, the only focus was on the author, how knowledgeable he feels he is, and how amazing his family is. Would not recommend unless you have insomnia.
One of the top 10 most useful books I've ever read. Mr Goleman's Social Intelligence is another on that same list. A succinct, and yet detailed overview of how and why focus builds a better brain. It has revolutionised my view and motivation for meditation over and over again, more so than any Buddhist treatise or words by one of a number of meditation teachers. This book or at least its content should be taught to every schoolgoer, and esp, every business school graduate. And anybody who cannot...
Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman was chosen by Soundview Executive Book Summaries as one of the Top 30 Business Books of 2014.THE SOUNDVIEW REVIEW:When a pioneer in any field returns with a new piece of thought leadership, whether written or spoken, the eyes and ears of the business world instinctively turn to see and hear. Daniel Goleman, former New York Times science reporter and multiple-bestselling author, changed the landscape of management with his book Emotional In...
In a shocking plot twist, this book is kind of all over the place.Goleman broadly interprets 'focus,' starting off describing what you think he is going to be talking about, and gradually going down all sorts of tangents as he approaches the end of the book. Possibly, he realized he wasn't going to hit his length requirement and just started roping things in. Much of what's here is of great interest--especially if you haven't already read about it in other books. But it's found among a lot of......
DNF at 50%Book did not have enough "focus" to hold my interest. Onward.
If you are looking for strategies to improve your own focus, skip this.Everything in this review is accurate.
How can a book entitled Focus be so unfocused?Goleman doesn't seem to have anyplace he's intentionally going with his latest book. Instead, he's just cobbling together a layman's interpretation of research on attention. He clusters his topics into broader categories, but even these categories don't really seem all that meaningful. You really can't walk away with any single idea more complex than, "Attention is important," since there isn't a through-line, no particular thing he's trying to prove...
I have to agree with some of the other reviews; for a book that's called "focus" it's terribly unfocused. It felt like the author did a Google Search for the word "focus" and then tried to write a book about everything he found. Also, I'm pretty allergic to people who try to put up a scientific or authorative facade but don't really back it up in any way. For instance, he writes "muscle builders know you won't get a six-pack belly by lifting free weights - you need to do a particular set of crun...
"FOCUS" Lacks Focus (A Review of the Audiobook)Published in 2013 by HarperCollins.Read by the author, Daniel Goleman.Duration: 8 hours, 8 minutes.Dr. Daniel Goleman is best known as the author of Emotional Intelligence . In many ways this book is less of a book about the importance of focus and more of a sequel to Emotional Intelligence . It is also a anti-global warming manifesto, an education reform book, a self-help book for business leaders who want to be the real leaders in their offi...
“Focus – The Hidden Driver of Excellence” by Dr Daniel Goleman (Author of the Bestselling Books on Emotional Intelligence/Psychologist)“The big shock: statistical analysis found that a child’s level of self-control is every bit as powerful a predictor of her adult financial success and health (and criminal record, for that matter) as are social class, wealth of family of origin, or IQ. Willpower emerged as a completely independent force in life success – in fact, for financial success, self-cont...