Long Review "Rapt" by Winifred Gallagher:

I am quite interested in psychological topics, but at the same time I do not have a systematic understanding of psychology. My engagement with the field has been more exploratory than structured — much like this blog, where I have been skimming the surface for almost 15 years. I believe that writing book reviews is one of the best strategies for acquiring deeper knowledge in topics that truly interest me. Everyday experience, as well as this book, clearly shows that attention is one of the central topics in psychology, and that it is closely connected to many other aspects of life: relationships, health, and productivity.

More than anything else, this book demonstrates the many facets of attention and how strongly it is interwoven with nearly every dimension of life, both big and small. It argues that one can actively shape one’s life by managing one's attention.

As a quote memorably puts it:

Attention is to the inner life what action is to the outer life.

In the first chapter, the distinction between reactive bottom-up attention and voluntary top-down attention is introduced. In the second chapter, the book explains how positive and negative emotions influence attention, and how attention in turn influences emotional states. It explores the relationship between attention and personality traits such as extraversion and introversion, and examines how attention is connected to executive control. Another question the book addresses is whether attention can be trained — for example through meditation. Deliberate practice is treated in a later chapter, emphasizing the importance of choosing challenges that are neither too easy nor overwhelming.

A life that contains friction and demand is portrayed as more meaningful than one optimized only for comfort and relaxation. Challenge deepens life. It stretches ability. The active search for difficulty often leads to optimal experiences and fosters development of skills and character. The book also invites the reader to rediscover things that have become too familiar to notice — and to approach everyday life with renewed awareness instead of drifting into autopilot.

The book also discusses:

• digital distractions and modern media,

• disorders of attention such as ADHD,

• and the psychological shift from reactive living toward deliberate self-creation.

Three Personal Takeaways

If one wants to train the power of attention, I see three main paths:

1. Choose a Profession That Challenges You (or Professional Responsibilities That Challenge You)

A profession that demands real effort and is not too easy can lead to the development of one’s abilities. Over time, this contributes to a deeper, more meaningful life.

2. Founding a Family Can Sharpen Focus

Starting a family often leads to a radical change in attention and priorities. Many people report becoming more focused, efficient, and emotionally grounded after having children. Parenthood forces attention into reality and responsibility in a way few other experiences do.

3. Commit to Serial Projects

Dedicating oneself to longer-term projects leads to far deeper engagement with topics. A “scatterbrain lifestyle” may be entertaining, but it rarely leads to depth. I myself recently slipped back into scattered consumption for weeks.

These are the three core personal lessons I took away from this book.

At the same time, Rapt emphasizes a broader mindset shift:

We should learn to see effort and sustained tension not as flaws of life, but as signs of a life that is truly being lived.

This naturally leads me to my next possible book project.

I am currently considering reading and reviewing The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal. The book argues for a revaluation of stress — not as an enemy, but as a positive source. Many of the most valuable things in life arise precisely from demand, pressure, and stretching one’s limits.

In addition to The Upside of Stress, I am considering two other books as potential candidates for future reviews. I will add them as alternatives here once I settle on a choice.