As the subtitle implies, Captivology is a book about capturing attention. It is a guide to understanding and implementing tips and practices that will attract and keep the attention of your desired audience.

Parr starts out by explaining why he wrote the book: “I wrote Captivology out of necessity. In my world–the world of technology and startups–attention often means the difference between success and failure. Startups need to catch the attention of busy investors. They need to secure the attention of the press to spread the word about their products. They need to captivate their users long enough to entice them to come back. Startups need to grab the attention of potential hires and keep them engaged once they join their team. Without attention, even a great startup with a compelling product will die. Attention is the fuel that drives great companies, causes, and ideas.”

With that in mind, Parr shares his considerable marketing skills in Captivology. Chapter one focuses on The Three Stages of Attention. Parr explains the difference between immediate, short, and long-term attention, and how each can be won, as well as the overall benefits. Successful marketing requires a balanced combination of all three.

In chapters two through eight, Parr spends time covering different attention triggers: automacity, framing, disruption, reward, reputation, mystery, and acknowledgement. Parr describes each trigger with scenarios to help you understand it in context, and also talks about the implications and how to apply the trigger effectively.

Captivology is clear and simple to understand. Parr conveys valuable information in a well-written, engaging style. One thing I think the book could use is a companion workbook. Captivology is filled with useful information, but it lacks a little in the area of how to use it. Granted, there is no “right way” or recipe that will work for every company, in every industry, in every instance–so expecting some sort of step-by-step guide might be unreasonable. When you finish Captivology, though, the challenge you face will be to translate it into “What does this mean for me?” and “How do I apply this information effectively?”

Captivology focuses on the science of capturing attention, and provides a solid foundation of well-researched information to back it up. Ultimately, though, marketing is also part art and part luck. It’s applying the right science in the right way at the right time. People are inundated with an overwhelming amount of data, information, and solicitations on a daily basis. You have to do whatever it takes to make your message stand out and capture the attention of audience. Captivology will help you do that.