The Sirens' Call

Praise

“Casting a wide net that encompasses philosophers, media theorists, psychologists, and classic literature . . . Hayes unpacks how attention is both a force integral to survival and a resource so sought after that it has become like ‘gold in a stream, oil in a rock.’ . . . Relatable and amusing . . . A savvy . . . meditation on the modern attention economy.” —Publishers Weekly

“[Hayes’] facility for lucid synthesis is put to gratifying use in this smart, constructive book . . . He carefully charts how the churning monetization of attention has fundamentally changed news, politics, and leisure time, turning our communications landscape into a kind of ‘failed state’ where common-sense norms have been routed by ‘attentional warlordism.’ Amid the virtual maelstrom, Hayes wants to help readers reclaim a measure of mental tranquility . . . An intelligent, forward-looking analysis of our increasing inability to stay focused.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“Chris Hayes sees around corners—not just naming and explaining but also solving problems that the rest of us are only starting to sense. The Sirens’ Call is his biggest idea yet, and his most urgent. Reading it has made me change the way I work and think. Brilliant book.” —Rachel Maddow, host of the Emmy Award-winning Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Prequel, Blowout, and Drift

“Attention has always been an undervalued commodity, yet it‘s the very foundation of a meaningful life. In The Sirens’ Call, Chris Hayes uses his keen intellect and knowledge of history to show how the war over our attention is undermining us 24/7. What is the antidote for the urge to constantly grab what he calls ‘the little attention box’ in our pockets? Read this book to find out!” —Katie Couric, award-winning journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Going There

“With dazzling knowledge and insight, Chris Hayes not only diagnoses our growing social alienation but provides a path to sanity. If you long for something that will hold your attention and even help restore it, then read this utterly compelling and enlightening book.” —David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wager and Killers of the Flower Moon

“Chris Hayes has diagnosed the critical ill of our age—and no one is better positioned to understand and explain it. A profoundly careful and informed thinker, Hayes lives the disease he diagnoses. The depth of his insight, and urgency of his message, are essential reading for our time—if we can muster the attention that careful thinking demands.” —Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard Law School