Stop Reading the News — A Manifesto for a Happier, Calmer and Wiser Life
Good Fit
- Anyone tired of the endless news feed on their phone who wants their attention back
- Readers seeking a short, motivating book on digital detox and focus
- Fans of Dobelli's earlier books
Not a Fit
- Those expecting a balanced, scholarly look at media and journalism
- Readers who depend on news for political or safety reasons
- Anyone wanting a long, in-depth argument — this is a manifesto
The preface is the book's best scene. In 2013, Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger invites Dobelli to present his new book, then says at the last moment: «Don't talk about your book — talk about that daring essay on your website.» The essay is against the news. Dobelli speaks for twenty minutes to fifty journalists and ends: «Let's be honest: what you provide here, ladies and gentlemen, is really just entertainment.» You could have heard a pin drop. Yet Rusbridger has the essay published that very day, and «News is bad for you» becomes one of the year's most-read pieces.
The first two chapters are a personal confession: «Hello, my name is Rolf and I'm a news addict.» In 1970s Lucerne, the morning paper, midday and evening radio news and TV were the family's daily ritual. Young Rolf noticed something odd: the paper was always the same thickness, the evening news always the same length — so what counted as «important» on a quiet day was «irrelevant» on a busy one. As CFO at Swissair came stacks of in-flight newspapers, then the internet, RSS and the «PointCast» screensaver, until his attention was «broken into tiny pieces». Cutting from five sources to three didn't work — the only solution was to quit entirely.
Chapter three gives the book's central metaphor: «News is to the mind what sugar is to the body.» News is appetising, easily digestible and harmful; unlike books and long investigative pieces, it never satisfies. Dobelli recalls that the first daily paper appeared in Leipzig in 1650 and that the model of «selling the current as important» has not changed since: «The more ‘breaking’ it is, the less it matters.» The observation is sharp and memorable.
Chapter four is the «radical diet»: cancel all subscriptions, delete news apps, sell the TV. Here the book's weakness shows. Dobelli values long-form, quality journalism — investigative pieces, documentaries — yet gives those up too because he «doesn't like drinking from polluted sources». Chapter titles claiming news «harms the body» or «changes our brains» oversimplify the scientific literature. Most importantly: living news-free is possible for a wealthy person in Switzerland, but in a country facing war, emergency or political crisis, news can be vital information.
Even so, the book achieves its aim: it forces readers to think about how many times a day they open their phones to scroll. Each chapter ends with a «Key Message» box, and Dobelli suggests skimming only these on a second reading. It is best read not as absolute truth but as a provocative call to rebuild one's digital habits.
- 35 short chapters, each ending with a «Key Message» summary
- Personal story, anecdote and references to psychological research
- Illustrations by El Bocho
The author's book of 52 mental tools for happiness — reviewed on our site
Practical strategies for reclaiming attention and focus
A more scholarly look at the internet's effect on our brains and attention
The fourth chapter is the «radical diet»: cancel all subscriptions, delete news apps, sell the television. Dobelli values long, quality journalism — investigative pieces, documentaries — but then gives these up too, because he «does not want to drink water from a dirty source».
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