INDEX

A

Abbott, Jeremy, 128–129

actions speak louder than words, 79

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), 112

analyzing your workload, 64–69

answers for proponents of multitasking, 132–134

arguments with coworkers, sample scenarios, 93–96

artistic endeavors, leisure time, 113–114

autopilot tasks, 18

B

Bell, Joshua, 125–127

brain/mind, 44–50

Buber, Martin, 38

Burns, Gregory, 127

C

C. K., Louis, 44

Carr, Nicholas, 22

Cass, Lewis, 79

clustertasking, 69–71

conference calls, 88–89

Congress, example of singletasking, 103

continuous partial attention, 15

cortisol (stress hormone), 46

D

dangers of multitasking, 20–23

distracted driving, 20

distraction, 7, 14–15, 22–23, 53–55

DUI (driving under the influence), 20

E

electric shock experiment, 104–105

F

favor who’s present, 89–90

fences against distractions, 53–55

Feo, Joseph De, 102

flow state, 47

focusing your attention, 45, 104–105

Frankl, Viktor, 125

G

Goldman, David, 125

Goleman, Daniel, 79

H

happiness, key to, 125–126

home life, 116–121, 125

Howard, Tim, 28–29

hyperreality, 127

I

interference between tasks, 16

it interactions, 38, 40

J

Jung, Carl, 37–38

Juran, Joseph, 102

K

Kaminsky, Peter, 127

Keynes, John Maynard, 106–107

Kissinger, Henry, 80–81

Kross, Ethan, 105

L

Law of the Vital Few, 102–103

leisure time, 110–114

listening, 81–84

living in the moment, 125

Lou Gehrig’s Disease, 112

M

meetings, 78–80, 87–89

Merrill, Douglas, 24

Meyer, David, 18

Miller, Earl, 16

mind. See brain/mind. monkey mind, 47

multitasking, 7, 13–24, 132–134

N

National Day of Unplugging, 108–109

Nelson, Jake, 2

neuroscience of multitasking, 16–17

no is the new yes, 96

noncompeting activities, 19

O

O’Keeffe, Georgia, 123–124

Ophir, Eyal, 16

P

Parker, Ashley, 103

parking lot, mind as, 48–50

planning your day, 58–76

plugging in means zoning out, 87–89

productivity, and task-switching, 7, 14

R

rebooting your life, 109–110

respect, 84–87

retorts for proponents of multitasking, 132–134

S

saving time, 107

saying no, 96

SBS (Scattered Brain Syndrome), 44

scheduling your day, 58–76

self-assessment quizzes, 31–37, 116–120

separation from technology. See unplugging from technology.

shifting time, 108–109

short-term memory, effects of multitasking, 15

singletasking

characteristics of, 29

definition, 28

examples of, 28–29, 78–81, 103, 124–129

favor who’s present, 89–90

sample scenarios, 90–96

self-assessment quiz, 31–37, 116–120

Singletasking Principle, 4

Slow Reading Clubs, 112

smartphones, 50–53

soccer game, singletasking example, 28–29

Sochi Winter Olympics, 127–129

special time, 127

Stone, Linda, 15

stress hormone (cortisol), 46

subway violin concert, 126–127

T

talks with your boss, singletasking scenarios, 90–93

task immersion, 47–48

task-switching, 7, 14, 16, 47–48, 116–120

technological demons, 38, 50–52, 108–110. See also specific devices.

texting while driving or walking, 20–22

Thoreau, Henry David, 107

thou interactions, 38, 40

time, 107–109, 120–121, 127

U

unplugging from technology, 50–52, 108–110

V

Vanderkam, Laura, 102

violin concert in the subway, 126–127

W

Whitehouse, Sheldon, 103

Wilson, Leslie, 102

Winter Olympics at Sochi, 127–129

workaholics, 106–107

working while distracted, 23

workload, analyzing, 64–69

Y

yoga class, multitasking, 124–125

Z

Zentangles, 113–114