Acclaimed behavioral science writer Winifred Gallagher's Rapt makes the radical argument that much of the quality of your life depends not on fame or fortune, beauty or brains, fate or coincidence, but on what you choose to pay attention to. Rapt introduces a diverse cast of characters, from researchers to artists to ranchers, to illustrate the art of living the interested life. As their stories show, by focusing on the most positive and productive elements of any situation, you can shape your inner experience and expand your world. By learning to focus, you can improve your concentration, broaden your inner horizons, and most important, feel what it means to be fully alive.
Rapt is a masterful analysis on all bridges of attention and how it impacts our lives. Published in 2009, the book is reaching its teen years, but offers a relevant and fresh outlook on the importance of living a focused life.
Drawing research from multiple renowned scientists, professionals and peak performers, Gallagher synthesizes the role of attention in our lives with comprehension and clarity. Citing a personal tragedy that would demand attention, Gallagher realizes that what you pay attention to ultimately determines the quality of your life and went on the pursuit of research to support this hypothesis. Gallagher’s work shows the role of attention on all aspects of lives including work, leisure, relationships, friendships, and family. She shows that turning your attention the right way can greatly improve the way you live.
More than 10 years after it’s been published, the ideas portrayed in Rapt hold true today. Much has changed throughout the past decade, and being able to pay attention for longer periods of time seems to be becoming a forgotten art. This is a book for those looking to understand attention, or those simply looking to improve their lives. It is a captivating read that will leave you wanting to pay attention in a more deliberate, positive, and reflective way.
All day long, you are selectively paying attention to something, and much more often than you may suspect, you can take charge of this process to good effect. Indeed, your ability to focus on this and suppress that is the key to controlling your experience and, ultimately, your well-being.
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