The Art of Noticing

131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday

By: Rob Walker

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

An imaginative, thought-provoking gift book to awaken your senses and attune them to the things that matter in your life.

Welcome to the era of white noise. Our lives are in constant tether to phones, to email, and to social media. In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost: to think and to see and to listen.

Enter Rob Walker's The Art of Noticing. This audiobook edition will spark your creativity--and most importantly, help you see the world anew. Through a series of simple and playful exercises--131 of them--Walker maps ways for you to become a clearer thinker, a better listener, a more creative workplace colleague and finally, to rediscover your sense of passion and to notice what really matters to you.

Critic reviews

“These simple, low-stakes activities can open up the world.”
—Tim Herrera, The New York Times

"The book suggests the solution to digital overload involves conscious engagement rather than self-denial; you can keep your smartphone, so long as you remember to look around every so often, too."
—Quartz

"Excellent."
—Disquiet

“From ‘unitasking’ to the ‘mindful shower,’ The Art of Noticing is filled with clever, eminently deployable strategies for getting more from the world around you. It’s a paean to alertness, a sensory upgrade, a delightful field guide to being alive.”
—Tom Vanderbilt, bestselling author of Traffic and You May Also Like

"The Art of Noticing is a book about reading, verbal and non-verbal reading, which is how we increasingly read now, and how we have always read. Walker encourages us to make a non-literal reading of our world, which can mean non-judgmental and more enlightened."
—Leanne Shapton, author of Guestbook and Swimming Studies

"Rob Walker's writing has always been wonderful because of his unique eye for noticing what other people miss. With this new book, he's basically teaching you all his secrets for seeing.”
—Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of Ego is the Enemy and The Obstacle Is The Way

"Attention is a precious resource, one we waste in stupid ways. And attention is a muscle, one we can easily develop. In this refreshingly practical book, Rob Walker gives us 131 ways to treasure and improve our ability to see."
—Seth Godin, author of This is Marketing

“If you want a more interesting and creative life, the first thing to do is to start paying better attention to it. In The Art of Noticing, Rob Walker provides an essential guide to becoming an explorer of your everyday world. I found a ton to steal here and so will you.”
—Austin Kleon, New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like An Artist

“In the tradition of John Berger, Susan Sontag, and George Nelson, Rob Walker offers a guide not to looking but to seeing—and why the difference is crucial. At once passionate and charming, he makes the case that noticing what’s there is the first step in creating what’s new.”
—Michael Bierut, cofounder of Design Observer and author of Now You See It and Other Essays on Design

I Gave Copies to All My Creative Friends

I loved this book. As I listened, I kept thinking of my creative friends, a painter, a sculptor, a writer. I gave them copies to apply to their work and have heard good things. There is just so much around us that can move and inspire and enrich us if we just learn to notice it. Well done.

Inspiring

Every time I pick up this title, I get joyfully inspired and optimistic about the world. There is so much beauty in it, and so much creativity in us, humans.

Insight is apparently a thing

enjoy a great nudge for a dive into oneself. I plan on listening to this once a month for a year. I'm so looking forward to it

Bit worried of the sprinkles of reckless advice

I loved the overall message of the book & look forward to put it in my repertoire of go-tos when I need an idea of how to move forward.
There were a couple of things mentioned that I believe should have been left out such as that professor's advice to the young woman who asked how to have fun without drinking?
"Go out to the pub and drink a bit. You'll get lost & wont have your phone to navigate."
I literally had to repeat that part 3 times to see if I was missing something.
(Women alone need to carry their phones with them at all times- it's not just about boredness.)

Stimulating

Well presented and more ideas than you ever thought possible. Make the time to listen.