Content Warning: This guide references autism, neurodivergence, and depression without sensitivity or factual context.

In the Preface of the book, the author explores the contemporary crisis of attention, attributing it not just to digital technologies but to a deeper, historical conceptualization of humanity that began with the Enlightenment and has evolved significantly in the 20th century.

Crawford argues that our perception and interaction with the world have been overwhelmingly mediated through mental representations, which makes our experiences highly engineered and manipulable. This situation challenges our ability to maintain a coherent self, capable of sustained attention and engagement with real-world tasks and relationships.

Crawford critiques the foundational theories of human cognition that influence this condition and investigates how they obscure certain aspects of our experience. He uses case studies from various skilled practices—like cooking, racing, and organ building—to illustrate how these activities can anchor us in reality, promoting a deeper individuality and human flourishing contrary to the superficial individualism promoted by mass society. Crawford’s work aims to offer a more in-depth understanding of human engagement with the world, encouraging a reevaluation of what it means to be human in a mediated society.