29 Books like The Shallows

Future Minds

by Richard Watson • 2010

Every screen you own is quietly rewiring your brain. Deep thinking is the hidden casualty.

3.77

162

🔌 Attention Economy 📱 Screen Culture 🧘 Digital Detox 📵 Digital Overload 🎯 Sustained Focus

Future Minds 98%

Every screen you own is quietly rewiring your brain. Deep thinking is the hidden casualty.

by Richard Watson 2010

3.77

162 ratings

🔌 Attention Economy 📱 Screen Culture 🧘 Digital Detox 📵 Digital Overload 🎯 Sustained Focus

Stolen Focus

by Johann Hari • 2022

You touch your phone 2,617 times a day. That's not a habit. It's a business model.

4.22

80k+

📊 Attention Economy 🕵️ Surveillance Capitalism 📨 Information Overload 📱 Digital Distraction 🧠 Screen Time Effects

Stolen Focus 98%

You touch your phone 2,617 times a day. That's not a habit. It's a business model.

by Johann Hari 2022

4.22

80k+ ratings

📊 Attention Economy 🕵️ Surveillance Capitalism 📨 Information Overload 📱 Digital Distraction 🧠 Screen Time Effects

How to Thrive in the Digital Age

by Tom Chatfield • 2012

Your phone rewired your brain. The repair is a humanist reset, not a detox.

3.08

598

🧘 Digital Wellbeing 🧠 Attention Management 📖 Digital Literacy 📥 Information Overload 🌐 Technology And Society

How to Thrive in the Digital Age Summary

How to Thrive in the Digital Age 97%

Your phone rewired your brain. The repair is a humanist reset, not a detox.

by Tom Chatfield 2012

3.08

598 ratings

🧘 Digital Wellbeing 🧠 Attention Management 📖 Digital Literacy 📥 Information Overload 🌐 Technology And Society

The Information Diet

by Clay A. Johnson • 2011

Information overload is a myth. Affirmation outsells truth, and your attention is the product.

3.50

2k+

📚 Information Literacy 👁️ Attention Economy 🌿 Digital Wellness 📰 Media Literacy 🌐 Media Ecology

The Information Diet 97%

Information overload is a myth. Affirmation outsells truth, and your attention is the product.

by Clay A. Johnson 2011

3.50

2k+ ratings

📚 Information Literacy 👁️ Attention Economy 🌿 Digital Wellness 📰 Media Literacy 🌐 Media Ecology

The End of Absence

by Michael Harris • 2014

The last generation to know life before the internet reveals what constant connection has hidden.

3.63

2k+

🌐 Internet Criticism 📺 Media Ecology 🧠 Attention Economy 📵 Digital Detox 🧘 Digital Solitude

The End of Absence 97%

The last generation to know life before the internet reveals what constant connection has hidden.

by Michael Harris 2014

3.63

2k+ ratings

🌐 Internet Criticism 📺 Media Ecology 🧠 Attention Economy 📵 Digital Detox 🧘 Digital Solitude

Stop Reading the News

by Rolf Dobelli • 2019

You are not informed. You are addicted. The case for quitting news entirely.

3.71

4k+

📰 Media Criticism 📵 Digital Minimalism 🧠 Attention Management 🔄 Behavioral Addiction 🎯 Cognitive Bias

Stop Reading the News 97%

You are not informed. You are addicted. The case for quitting news entirely.

by Rolf Dobelli 2019

3.71

4k+ ratings

📰 Media Criticism 📵 Digital Minimalism 🧠 Attention Management 🔄 Behavioral Addiction 🎯 Cognitive Bias

Reader, Come Home

by Maryanne Wolf • 2018

Your reading brain is only a few thousand years old. Screens are now undoing it.

3.89

5k+

🧒 Early Literacy 💻 Digital Reading 📖 Deep Reading 📱 Tech And Attention 🧠 Neuroplasticity

Reader, Come Home 97%

Your reading brain is only a few thousand years old. Screens are now undoing it.

by Maryanne Wolf 2018

3.89

5k+ ratings

🧒 Early Literacy 💻 Digital Reading 📖 Deep Reading 📱 Tech And Attention 🧠 Neuroplasticity

The Art of Bitfulness

by Nandan Nilekani • 2022

Phones exploit your psychology by design. Three modes that make deep focus the easy choice.

4.21

128

🧘 Digital Wellness 📉 Attention Economy 🔄 Habit Design ⏰ Time Management 🔒 Privacy And Data

The Art of Bitfulness 96%

Phones exploit your psychology by design. Three modes that make deep focus the easy choice.

by Nandan Nilekani 2022

4.21

128 ratings

🧘 Digital Wellness 📉 Attention Economy 🔄 Habit Design ⏰ Time Management 🔒 Privacy And Data

Reclaiming Conversation

by Sherry Turkle • 2015

Texts and posts replaced real conversation, and we lost something irreplaceable in the trade.

3.80

5k+

🛑 Techno Skepticism 🌐 Media Ecology 📱 Attention Crisis 🗣️ Meaningful Conversation 👨‍👩‍👧 Digital Parenting

Reclaiming Conversation 96%

Texts and posts replaced real conversation, and we lost something irreplaceable in the trade.

by Sherry Turkle 2015

3.80

5k+ ratings

🛑 Techno Skepticism 🌐 Media Ecology 📱 Attention Crisis 🗣️ Meaningful Conversation 👨‍👩‍👧 Digital Parenting

Attention Span

by Gloria Mark • 2023

Screen attention spans dropped from 150 seconds to 47. Why, and how to restore them.

3.52

2k+

🖥️ Digital Attention ⚡ Interruption Management 📱 Screen Habits 💰 Attention Economics 💼 Knowledge Workers

Attention Span 96%

Screen attention spans dropped from 150 seconds to 47. Why, and how to restore them.

by Gloria Mark 2023

3.52

2k+ ratings

🖥️ Digital Attention ⚡ Interruption Management 📱 Screen Habits 💰 Attention Economics 💼 Knowledge Workers

The World Beyond Your Head

by Matthew B. Crawford • 2015

Your attention is being strip-mined by design. The way out is physical, skilled, and shared.

3.79

3k+

💰 Attention Economy 🔍 Phenomenology 👤 Embodied Cognition ⚙️ Critique Of Technology 🎯 Attention Management

The World Beyond Your Head 96%

Your attention is being strip-mined by design. The way out is physical, skilled, and shared.

by Matthew B. Crawford 2015

3.79

3k+ ratings

💰 Attention Economy 🔍 Phenomenology 👤 Embodied Cognition ⚙️ Critique Of Technology 🎯 Attention Management

The Distraction Addiction

by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang • 2013

Digital detox is a dead end. Real focus starts with breathing, not unplugging.

3.52

641

🧘 Digital Mindfulness ⚖️ Tech-Life Balance 🎯 Attention Management 🧠 Extended Mind 🧹 Digital Minimalism

The Distraction Addiction 96%

Digital detox is a dead end. Real focus starts with breathing, not unplugging.

by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang 2013

3.52

641 ratings

🧘 Digital Mindfulness ⚖️ Tech-Life Balance 🎯 Attention Management 🧠 Extended Mind 🧹 Digital Minimalism

The Sirens' Call

by Christopher L. Hayes • 2025

Attention is finite, information is not; that imbalance fuels a hidden war for your mind.

3.94

9k+

💰 Attention Economy 📊 Information Overload 📱 Digital Distraction 💬 Social Media Critique 😶 Modern Alienation

The Sirens' Call 96%

Attention is finite, information is not; that imbalance fuels a hidden war for your mind.

by Christopher L. Hayes 2025

3.94

9k+ ratings

💰 Attention Economy 📊 Information Overload 📱 Digital Distraction 💬 Social Media Critique 😶 Modern Alienation

Bored and Brilliant

by Manoush Zomorodi • 2017

Boredom fuels creative breakthroughs. Your phone erased it. A week-long experiment to get it back.

3.71

5k+

🧹 Digital Minimalism 🎨 Creative Process 🎯 Attention Management 📱 Phone Addiction 🧠 Neuroscience Of Attention

Bored and Brilliant 96%

Boredom fuels creative breakthroughs. Your phone erased it. A week-long experiment to get it back.

by Manoush Zomorodi 2017

3.71

5k+ ratings

🧹 Digital Minimalism 🎨 Creative Process 🎯 Attention Management 📱 Phone Addiction 🧠 Neuroscience Of Attention

Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now

by Jaron Lanier • 2018

Social media is a behavior-modification machine. The only sane answer: delete your accounts.

3.58

18k+

📱 Social Media Critique ⚖️ Tech Ethics 🧠 Behavior Modification 👁️ Attention Economy 🔗 Digital Addiction

Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now Summary

Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now 96%

Social media is a behavior-modification machine. The only sane answer: delete your accounts.

by Jaron Lanier 2018

3.58

18k+ ratings

📱 Social Media Critique ⚖️ Tech Ethics 🧠 Behavior Modification 👁️ Attention Economy 🔗 Digital Addiction

In Emergency, Break Glass

by Nate Anderson • 2022

Nietzsche saw your smartphone coming: the 19th-century antidote to an age of endless scrolling.

3.91

323

🏛️ Applied Philosophy 🔧 Technology Critique 📱 Attention Economy 🏆 Personal Mastery 📚 Information Diet

In Emergency, Break Glass 96%

Nietzsche saw your smartphone coming: the 19th-century antidote to an age of endless scrolling.

by Nate Anderson 2022

3.91

323 ratings

🏛️ Applied Philosophy 🔧 Technology Critique 📱 Attention Economy 🏆 Personal Mastery 📚 Information Diet

Hamlet's BlackBerry

by William Powers • 2010

Writing, print, telegraph: each sparked an overload crisis. The old solutions still work.

3.59

2k+

🌊 Digital Overload ⚖️ Tech-Life Balance 🧹 Digital Minimalism 🎯 Attention Management 📜 Historical Analogies

Hamlet's BlackBerry 96%

Writing, print, telegraph: each sparked an overload crisis. The old solutions still work.

by William Powers 2010

3.59

2k+ ratings

🌊 Digital Overload ⚖️ Tech-Life Balance 🧹 Digital Minimalism 🎯 Attention Management 📜 Historical Analogies

Program or Be Programmed

by Douglas Rushkoff • 2010

Digital tools have biases. If you can't read their code, someone else writes your behavior.

3.72

2k+

🌐 Media Ecology ⚖️ Technological Bias 🎮 Digital Agency ⏰ Attention Economy 💻 Code Literacy

Program or Be Programmed 96%

Digital tools have biases. If you can't read their code, someone else writes your behavior.

by Douglas Rushkoff 2010

3.72

2k+ ratings

🌐 Media Ecology ⚖️ Technological Bias 🎮 Digital Agency ⏰ Attention Economy 💻 Code Literacy

The True Creator of Everything

by Miguel Nicolelis • 2020

The human brain does not discover reality; it builds it, from physics to gods.

3.87

163

🧠 Reality Construction 🤔 Philosophy Of Mind 🔄 Brain Plasticity 🧮 Limits Of Computation 👥 Social Brains

The True Creator of Everything 96%

The human brain does not discover reality; it builds it, from physics to gods.

by Miguel Nicolelis 2020

3.87

163 ratings

🧠 Reality Construction 🤔 Philosophy Of Mind 🔄 Brain Plasticity 🧮 Limits Of Computation 👥 Social Brains

Solitude

by Michael Harris • 2017

Your phone checks you 150 times a day. Solitude is the lost art: reclaiming your attention.

3.66

2k+

💰 Attention Economy 📵 Digital Detox 🎨 Solitude And Creativity 🌲 Nature Therapy 🪞 Self-Reflection

Solitude 96%

Your phone checks you 150 times a day. Solitude is the lost art: reclaiming your attention.

by Michael Harris 2017

3.66

2k+ ratings

💰 Attention Economy 📵 Digital Detox 🎨 Solitude And Creativity 🌲 Nature Therapy 🪞 Self-Reflection

Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life

by Katherine Ormerod • 2018

Social media promised connection; it gave us loneliness, debt, and a fractured democracy.

3.49

801

📱 Social Media Critique 🧘 Digital Wellness 🎣 Attention Economy ⚖️ Social Comparison 👁️ Surveillance Capitalism

Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life Summary

Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life 96%

Social media promised connection; it gave us loneliness, debt, and a fractured democracy.

by Katherine Ormerod 2018

3.49

801 ratings

📱 Social Media Critique 🧘 Digital Wellness 🎣 Attention Economy ⚖️ Social Comparison 👁️ Surveillance Capitalism

How to Do Nothing

by Jenny Odell • 2019

Your attention is being mined. The most radical response: do nothing.

3.65

57k+

💸 Attention Economy 📵 Digital Detox ✊ Quiet Resistance 🌎 Bioregionalism 💻 Tech Critique

How to Do Nothing 96%

Your attention is being mined. The most radical response: do nothing.

by Jenny Odell 2019

3.65

57k+ ratings

💸 Attention Economy 📵 Digital Detox ✊ Quiet Resistance 🌎 Bioregionalism 💻 Tech Critique

Faster

by James Gleick • 1999

Technology promised to save time. Instead it filled the gaps and trained us to crave speed.

3.52

2k+

📊 Information Overload ⏱️ Time Perception ⚡ Speed Culture 👁️ Attention Economy 🔀 Multitasking Myth

Faster 95%

Technology promised to save time. Instead it filled the gaps and trained us to crave speed.

by James Gleick 1999

3.52

2k+ ratings

📊 Information Overload ⏱️ Time Perception ⚡ Speed Culture 👁️ Attention Economy 🔀 Multitasking Myth

Amusing Ourselves to Death

by Neil Postman • 1985

Television didn't just entertain us. It rewired how we think, argue, and vote.

4.17

40k+

🎙️ Media Ecology 📺 Media Criticism 🧩 Fragmented Attention 🗣️ Public Discourse 🎭 Image Politics

Amusing Ourselves to Death 95%

Television didn't just entertain us. It rewired how we think, argue, and vote.

by Neil Postman 1985

4.17

40k+ ratings

🎙️ Media Ecology 📺 Media Criticism 🧩 Fragmented Attention 🗣️ Public Discourse 🎭 Image Politics

The Distracted Mind

by Adam Gazzaley • 2016

Your brain treats information like food. Smartphones exploit that instinct relentlessly.

3.70

1k+

🎯 Attention Management 📱 Digital Distraction 🧬 Evolutionary Psychology 🧠 Cognitive Neuroscience 📊 Information Overload

The Distracted Mind 95%

Your brain treats information like food. Smartphones exploit that instinct relentlessly.

by Adam Gazzaley 2016

3.70

1k+ ratings

🎯 Attention Management 📱 Digital Distraction 🧬 Evolutionary Psychology 🧠 Cognitive Neuroscience 📊 Information Overload

Please Unsubscribe, Thanks!

by Julio Vincent Gambuto • 2023

The economy runs on your distraction. The plan for unsubscribing from everything that drains you.

3.47

1k+

🧹 Digital Detox 🛒 Consumer Culture 📡 Attention Economy 😩 Modern Exhaustion 💔 External Validation

Please Unsubscribe, Thanks! 95%

The economy runs on your distraction. The plan for unsubscribing from everything that drains you.

by Julio Vincent Gambuto 2023

3.47

1k+ ratings

🧹 Digital Detox 🛒 Consumer Culture 📡 Attention Economy 😩 Modern Exhaustion 💔 External Validation

You Are Not a Gadget

by Jaron Lanier • 2010

The internet reduces people to data points. The people who built it call that wisdom.

3.57

6k+

🖥️ Digital Criticism 🧑‍💻 Tech Humanism 🤔 Technoskepticism 💼 Creative Economy ⚙️ Technological Determinism

You Are Not a Gadget 95%

The internet reduces people to data points. The people who built it call that wisdom.

by Jaron Lanier 2010

3.57

6k+ ratings

🖥️ Digital Criticism 🧑‍💻 Tech Humanism 🤔 Technoskepticism 💼 Creative Economy ⚙️ Technological Determinism

Too Big to Know

by David Weinberger • 2012

Knowledge on paper was settled and scarce. Online, it is abundant, linked, and never finished.

3.80

2k+

🕸️ Networked Knowledge 📚 Information Overload 🏛️ Authority And Expertise 🔬 Open Science 🐝 Collective Intelligence

Too Big to Know 95%

Knowledge on paper was settled and scarce. Online, it is abundant, linked, and never finished.

by David Weinberger 2012

3.80

2k+ ratings

🕸️ Networked Knowledge 📚 Information Overload 🏛️ Authority And Expertise 🔬 Open Science 🐝 Collective Intelligence

The Attention Merchants

by Tim Wu • 2016

Your attention has been for sale since 1833. The hidden industry that trades in it.

4.07

5k+

🎯 Attention Economy 📺 Media History 👁️ Surveillance Capitalism 📱 Digital Addiction 📢 Propaganda Studies

The Attention Merchants 95%

Your attention has been for sale since 1833. The hidden industry that trades in it.

by Tim Wu 2016

4.07

5k+ ratings

🎯 Attention Economy 📺 Media History 👁️ Surveillance Capitalism 📱 Digital Addiction 📢 Propaganda Studies

Compare Features	Free	Pro
📖 Read Summaries Read unlimited summaries. Free users get 3 per month
🎧 Listen to Summaries Listen to unlimited summaries in 40 languages	—
❤️ Unlimited Bookmarks Free users are limited to 4	—
📜 Unlimited History Free users are limited to 4	—
📥 Unlimited Downloads Free users are limited to 1	—

People love SoBrief

Join our global community of 600,000+ readers

★★★★★

This site is a total game-changer. I've been flying through book summaries like never before. Highly, highly recommend.

— Dave G

Worth my money and time, and really well made. I've never seen this quality of summaries on other websites. Very helpful!

— Em

Highly recommended!! Fantastic service. Perfect for those that want a little more than a teaser but not all the intricate details of a full audio book.

— Greg M