The Scattered Mind: Ancient Minds in a High-Tech World

“Our brains have incredible information processing systems and the most complex structure known to humanity. But we still forget to buy milk on the way home. So how can this happen?

Starting from this simple question, Adam Gazzaley and Larry Rosen address the problem of mind wandering, which almost all of us suffer from today, from the perspective of a neuroscientist and a psychologist. In the first part of the book, the authors explain the cognitive control mechanism of the human brain and answer questions such as: Why are we easily distracted when we are focused on a goal? What is the evolutionary basis for our tendency to move on from one task to another without completing it? What happens when we try to divide our attention between several things? How does our attention capacity change at various stages of our lives? In the second part, the disruptive effects of conditions in the high-tech world on our cognitive control mechanism are discussed: How does accessing all kinds of information at any time in the information age affect our scattered minds? How do devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones feed our tendency to constantly jump from branch to branch? Why can't we resist the temptation of our high-tech devices even when they threaten our safety, health and relationships? How does our addiction to technology increase internal factors like boredom and anxiety? In the last part of the book, the authors offer practical tips and advice to help us take control of our minds.
The Messy Mind is a sobering book that reveals the importance of using technology more consciously in these times when we are collectively enslaved by bright screens.

(From the Promotional Bulletin)

Dough Type: 2nd Dough

Number of Pages: 336

Size: 13.5 x 19.5

First Print Year: 2019

Number of Printings: 1st Edition