You can read the entire book, minus a couple pages redacted here and there, with Amazon's "Look Inside" feature. I don't know if this is intentional -- you usually only get the first 10 pages or so -- but I've just done it successfully on two different computers with different IP addresses, one logged into an account and one not, so you should be able to.
Having scanned the book for about 15 minutes over my morning coffee I think he has an insightful thesis: things we had to work really hard for and/or make major life sacrifices for a half-century ago are now free and abundant; simultaneously, society has gotten a lot less structured and communities (both in the literal-geographical sense and the activity-based sense) are generally weaker. As such, we've become prisoners of the infinite options available to us, and our lives become diluted as a result; e.g., we'd rather get our sexual gratification by opening up an anonymous browser window and visiting Redtube than put in the work to ask someone out on a date and build an actual physical relationship with another human being.
The author's thesis is that we need to train our self-control by doing things that require self-discipline and focus. What I find interesting about it is it really flies in the face of other pop-psych books (e.g., Tierney's Willpower) that suggest that we have a finite reservoir of self-control that we should expend wisely.
That actually sounds fascinating and changes my thoughts, such that I'll probably pick this up.
I've been trying to figure out what bothered me about the way the thesis was presented in the article. I think I picked up on the bit about 'video games, pornography and gambling apps on your phone' and assumed the author was making a moral judgement on those things. That doesn't sound like the case though - i think I was just quick to judge.
> (e.g., Tierney's Willpower) that suggest that we have a finite reservoir of self-control that we should expend wisely.
You mean Baumeister & Tierney's Willpower. That is not how I remember their thesis. I believe they compare willpower to a muscle in that it can become temporarily depleted, but also strengthened through practice. Either way, I would sooner take Baumeister's word for it, seeing as he has done actual research on this.
Having scanned the book for about 15 minutes over my morning coffee I think he has an insightful thesis: things we had to work really hard for and/or make major life sacrifices for a half-century ago are now free and abundant; simultaneously, society has gotten a lot less structured and communities (both in the literal-geographical sense and the activity-based sense) are generally weaker. As such, we've become prisoners of the infinite options available to us, and our lives become diluted as a result; e.g., we'd rather get our sexual gratification by opening up an anonymous browser window and visiting Redtube than put in the work to ask someone out on a date and build an actual physical relationship with another human being.
The author's thesis is that we need to train our self-control by doing things that require self-discipline and focus. What I find interesting about it is it really flies in the face of other pop-psych books (e.g., Tierney's Willpower) that suggest that we have a finite reservoir of self-control that we should expend wisely.