Look, Christian Madsbjerg
Look, Christian Madsbjerg
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Look
How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World

Author: Christian Madsbjerg

Narrator: George Newbern

Unabridged: 6 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 07/18/2023

Synopsis

A powerful exploration of how we pay attention that will transform the ways we connect with one another – at home, at work, and beyond.
 
Paying attention is a crucial human skill, yet many of us have forgotten how to listen carefully and observe intentionally. Deluged by social media and hobbled by the increasing social isolation it fosters, we need to rediscover the deeply human ways we connect with others. 

Christian Madsbjerg, a philosopher and entrepreneur, understands this dilemma. To counteract it, he began a course at The New School in New York City called Human Observation, which lays out the ways that we can learn to pay attention more effectively. The course has been hugely popular since its inception, with hundreds of students filling waiting lists.

In Look, Madsbjerg sets out the key observational skills needed to show how we can recapture our ability to pay attention. Drawing from philosophy, science, the visual arts, and his own life, he offers both practical insights and a range of tools for experiencing the world with greater richness and texture. The result is a dynamic approach to rethinking observation that helps all of us to see with more empathy, accuracy, and connection to others.

About The Author

Christian Madsbjerg is cofounder of the consulting firm ReD Associates. He writes, speaks, and teaches widely on the practical application of the human sciences. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Financial Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek. He lives in New York City with his family.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Grant

I was expecting more from Christian Madsbjerg as I have very much enjoyed his other books. He spent a long time story telling in the first half of the book which could have been shorter. The second half on putting theory to practice was ok. It had some insights but it felt like there was always some......more

Goodreads review by JJ

I picked this up after seeing a review by Meghan Gurdon in Wall Street Journal. It turns out that review was completely misleading. The book felt more like a summary of various schools of philosophical theories. The chapters were disjointed and felt more like individual essays combined into a singul......more

Goodreads review by Ryan

Although abstract models of the world are undoubtedly beneficial, we should remember that any model must, by definition, be less complex than the phenomena it is meant to describe. This helps us to focus on the essentials of systems that are otherwise too complex, so that we can better navigate the......more

Goodreads review by Venky

In 1967, J.A. Baker, an unpretentious individual from Essex, who left school at the age of sixteen to work, first with the Automobile Association, and subsequently, with the soft drink manufacturer, Britvic, wrote a slim volume titled The Peregrine. Subsequently attaining renown as one of the best b......more

Goodreads review by Jiwon

Philosophy is not an easy topic, and I think Christian Madsbjerg tried. But my mind wandered especially towards the end. There were some great parts, and I think he is an intersting person: When are you going to meet a Danish who grew up in a communist community? Someone whose job was to observe? So......more

Quotes

Praise for Look:

“This is a truly eye-opening and original book. I've never read anything like it. Christian Madsbjerg sees the world in a completely fresh way—and so can you.” —Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist and The Data Detective

“In a world poisoned by distraction, Christian Madsbjerg has provided the antidote. Look will help you revitalize your powers of observation, cultivate an independent mind, and generate insights you never knew you had. Prepare to have your thinking sharpened and your perspective widened with every turn of the page.” —Daniel H. Pink, author of The Power of Regret and Drive

“Not only is Christian Madsbjerg's Look an excellent read, it is also the most original manifesto for the power of human intelligence to come across my desk in many years. If you have any curiosity about what makes humans unique and necessary in the coming era of artificial intelligence, you must read this book.” —Mark Hyman, M.D., author of the New York Times bestseller Young Forever

“If you have any hope of creating something, changing something, or understanding anything about how humans behave in the world, you must read this book. You will never think about observing the world in the same way again.” —Tony Fadell, New York Times-bestselling author of Build, iPod inventor, and Nest founder

“A fascinating book about the importance of paying attention to our human world . . . [this] is a compelling account showing that when we pay attention, ‘new understanding will almost always emerge.’” —Financial Times

”Provocative . . . full of intriguing goodies: anecdotes and precepts originating in a wide array of sources. . . . There is unmistakably truth in what he’s getting at.” —The Wall Street Journal

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