if I were in Seattle, I’d go to this, and not just because the title name-checks my book: Matthew Crawford is speaking about his new book, The World Beyond Your Head.

Many point to our technology addiction (namely, the influx of smart phones and the internet) as the root of society’s lack of focus, but according to Matthew Crawford (Shop Class as Soulcraft) the problem goes much deeper. Crawford’s The World Beyond Your Head takes a historical approach to our mass-distraction, revealing that the trouble can be traced to the very foundations of Western culture in the Enlightenment. From short-order cooks to gambling addicts, he examines success stories of the extreme focus many of us seek, but fail to achieve. He’ll share his findings on what it takes to refocus our lives–by mastering our minds–and the implications this has for culture, democracy, and even how children are raised.

I spoke at Town Hall in 2013, when I was on tour for The Distraction Addiction, and it was a great venue.

But Seattle is a great place, and a great place to engage with interesting audiences.