Focus

For more than two decades psychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman has been scouting the leading edge of the human sciences for what s new surprising and important. In Focus he delves into the science of attention in all its varieties presenting a long overdue discussion of this little-noticed and under-rated mental asset that matters enormously for how we navigate life. Goleman boils down attention research into a three parts: inner other and outer focus. Goleman shows why high-achievers need all three kinds of focus as demonstrated by rich case studies from fields as diverse as competitive sports education the arts and business. Those who excel rely on what Goleman calls Smart Practices such as mindfulness meditation focused preparation and recovery positive emotions and connections and mental prosthetics that help them improve habits add new skills and sustain excellence. Combining cutting-edge research with practical findings Focus reveals what distinguishes experts from amateurs and stars from average performers.