I picked up this book because, like many readers, I struggle with focusing on a book when there are so many distractions calling my name. I was hoping to find some specific advice on how to deal with all those distractions when trying to immerse myself in a book, but, alas, what I found instead was a lengthy academic treatise on the benefits of reading. Jacobs is preaching to the choir here! I already know why reading is wonderful--the question is how to do more of it.

It also didn't help that Jacobs is a Professor, and writes like one: in a heavily academic style which made my eyes glaze over. Then there was the constant repetition. He reiterated his points over and over again, and even re-quoted his sources, leaving me to wonder if I'd accidentally flipped back a few pages. I finished the book thinking this could have been better as a punchy essay rather than as a full-length book.

Still, I can definitely get behind the core philosophy of this book: read primarily for enjoyment, read at whim, and don't read so you can check something off a list. Great! I'm all for telling readers to embrace their own individual reading tastes, guilt-free.

The main piece of advice that really resonated with me was the concept that reading is something that works best when done in solitude. As someone who's tried to sneak chapters amidst the daily hustle of family life, this piece of insight really struck a chord. It’s not me; it’s the chaos of the living room! Realizing that my environment is at least partly to blame for my reading frustrations was a genuine lightbulb moment.

Jacobs also reminds us that life is noisy, and distractions have always been around. Even our ancestors struggled to keep their attention glued to a book; somehow, knowing that made me feel better about my own wandering focus. ( )

Encouragement and tips for those interested in rediscovering, or if you're lucky, maintaining, the joyful ability to utterly lose oneself in a book for long periods of time in our modern, distracting age. Read at whim, place yourself in serendipity's path (forget trying to follow a set plan of reading, "100 Books You Must Read" style), read slowly, don't think you shouldn't re-read books you've read in the past as you can often come across something new even in a well-loved "familiar" work.

Refreshing in that the author, a literature professor, does not take the anti-technology route, which a book of this nature might be suspected to. Jacobs in fact found that reading on a Kindle gave him back his ability to concentrate for long periods of time on a book. ( )

I enjoyed this more than I imagined I would. Fun and intellectual but approachable. I’ve changed some of my reading habits a bit as a result: slowing down, particularly. I’ve always read mostly at Whim but feel more encouraged and free to do so from this book. ( )

Really sweet short book about reading for pleasure, funny, educated, very humanistic. This book has inspired me to read more slowly to appreciate what I’m reading and to re-read books (which I rarely do).

Recommended by Freddie DeBoer whose book (“Cult of Smart”) I enjoyed last year and whose SubStack blog I have been finding very interesting and provocative: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com ( )

The Age of Distraction. I gave thought to this phrase. Much thought. ( )