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Nir Eyal is no stranger to watching the power of psychology transform its surroundings. As the author of Hooked, he presented a clear framework for businesses to capture—and hold—the attention of consumers. With rave reviews and in-depth applications from companies like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, Hooked received plenty of time in the spotlight.

But that was more than five years ago. Nir’s 2019 release Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life examines behavioral psychology through a whole new lens—his own. As a business leader, educator, and father, he has experienced firsthand just how detrimental those attention-craving, addictive devices and tools can be to our lives. In honor of his 2019 Outstanding Works of Literature (OWL) Award for Indistractable, the BookPal team sat down with Nir and dove into the deeper impact of the book and his new mission.

"I wrote the book for me because I was struggling with the problem of distraction."

With 5 years of hard work and more than 20 pages of citations and references poured into the book, there’s no doubt Nir’s techniques are well-researched. He prides himself on the strength and true usefulness, stating, “The biggest win was that I found a method that worked for me...every single thing I recommend, I've actually implemented in my life and it's not just my personal pet project—these are techniques that have been validated with peer-reviewed studies.”

But as affirming as this may feel, Nir’s mission doesn’t end with proven indistractable results in the office and at home with readers across the globe. No, he wants Indistractable “to become the same kind of identity that someone would use when they call themselves a non-smoker or a vegetarian,” showing it’s more than just self-control and habit changes. Being indistractable is a true way of life.

This is what made Indistractable a perfect fit for the Big Idea category of our OWL Awards. Nir explains that while it is a how-to guide to “get the best out of technologies without letting them get the best of you,” the goal is to revolutionize our attitude toward technology and its effect on our daily lives. “That’s the impact I want to have,” he said during the interview, “to create this new identity where people can proudly proclaim, ‘I control my attention. I control my time. I control my life. I am indistractable.’”

"We can become indistractable."

When asked what the response has been like since publishing Indistractable, Nir cited the power of his optimistic message as the catalyst of its success, particularly when it comes to the workplace. While plenty of startups and innovation-driven companies can appreciate the value of Nir’s methodology, the book has also landed well with parents.  “People are really desperate for tech-positive approaches to helping our kids manage distraction,” he said, having spoken from experience in the Author Q&A he did with us in September 2019.

Nir continues his journey to spread the message and value of Indistractable, stating, “There’s a lot of work to do to spread this message...so that’s really going to be my focus for 2020.” Meanwhile, we look forward to watching the book continue infiltrating companies and homes around the world. Indistractable is beyond a doubt a powerful blueprint for modern parenting, manual for peak productivity, and roadmap to richer relationships—and truly an Outstanding Work of Literature.

To learn more about our OWL Award Winners, click here. For more details on Nir Eyal’s book or to order Indistractable in bulk for your business, community, or organization, visit our online store.