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Attensity!: A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement
A rallying cry to fight the commodification of human attention, with the tools we need to reclaim our humanity, by a group of writers, artists, and activists in the vanguard of the movement
We all feel something is seriously wrong. Our attention—that essential ability to give our minds and senses to the world—is being trapped, gutted, and sold out from under us by an industry of immense technological and financial power. The heedless exploitation of this vital capacity by a handful of tech companies is harming us all, reducing our very selfhood to that which can be quantified, bought, and sold—and shaking the foundations of our democracy.
To push back against this “human fracking,” we need more than individual willpower or isolated efforts. We need a movement of collective resistance. Such a movement is beginning to bloom, and in this radical, first-of-its-kind guide, The Friends of Attention show us how to join the fight. We meet welders, nurses, poets, and surfers, all of whom are engaged in attentional practices. We learn to seek out sanctuaries—theaters and museums, houses of worship, dance parties—where together we can take refuge from the frackers. Attention Activism takes our apocalyptic present, turns it on its head, and reveals new vistas of human flourishing.
Drawing on a rich legacy of critical intellectuals and the creative wisdom of diverse traditions, Attensity calls on us to come together to defeat the greedy dehumanizing forces of brute instrumentalization—and re-enchant the world.
We all feel something is seriously wrong. Our attention—that essential ability to give our minds and senses to the world—is being trapped, gutted, and sold out from under us by an industry of immense technological and financial power. The heedless exploitation of this vital capacity by a handful of tech companies is harming us all, reducing our very selfhood to that which can be quantified, bought, and sold—and shaking the foundations of our democracy.
To push back against this “human fracking,” we need more than individual willpower or isolated efforts. We need a movement of collective resistance. Such a movement is beginning to bloom, and in this radical, first-of-its-kind guide, The Friends of Attention show us how to join the fight. We meet welders, nurses, poets, and surfers, all of whom are engaged in attentional practices. We learn to seek out sanctuaries—theaters and museums, houses of worship, dance parties—where together we can take refuge from the frackers. Attention Activism takes our apocalyptic present, turns it on its head, and reveals new vistas of human flourishing.
Drawing on a rich legacy of critical intellectuals and the creative wisdom of diverse traditions, Attensity calls on us to come together to defeat the greedy dehumanizing forces of brute instrumentalization—and re-enchant the world.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published January 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 27, 2026
I had such high hopes for this book because I believe in the cause and the message that the author is trying to convey - however, this was much harder to get through than it needed to be. There are too many words in CAPS! The core message is there, but it’s diluted by too much waffling. This book could easily be half the size.
If there was ever a book that required the Mimto method (Barbara Minto - The Pyramid Principle) - it's this book. Hands down.
Thank you Penguin Press for the digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
If there was ever a book that required the Mimto method (Barbara Minto - The Pyramid Principle) - it's this book. Hands down.
Thank you Penguin Press for the digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I really enjoyed the layout/color use of Attensity!, but I think that was the strongest part of this book. I do agree with the overall message of our attention is being commodified by technology/companies, but I don't think this book does a good job diving deeper into that topic. Attensity! often felt more like a filler TED Talk than a book with substance.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews