Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Grand Central Publishing (2016), Edition: 1, 304 pages
Description
Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. HTML: Master one of our economy's most rare skills and achieve groundbreaking results with this "exciting" book (Daniel H. Pink) from an "exceptional" author (New York Times Book Review). Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep Work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep-spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realizing there's a better way. In Deep Work, author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing distraction is bad, he instead celebrates the power of its opposite. Dividing this book into two parts, he first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. He then presents a rigorous training regimen, presented as a series of four "rules," for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill. 1. Work Deeply 2. Embrace Boredom 3. Quit Social Media 4. Drain the Shallows A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, Deep Work takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories-from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip business class ticket to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air-and no-nonsense advice, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored. Deep Work is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world. An Amazon Best Book of 2016 Pick in Business & Leadership Wall Street Journal Business Bestseller A Business Book of the Week at 800-CEO-READ.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member willszal
Deep Work is a book about the importance of concentrated time for meaningful work.
Intuitively, I've already adopted many of the practices Newport discusses in the book. I deleted my Facebook account three years ago. I spend time reading books. I consider the overhead of any tool I adopt. I take
This isn't a book that shifted my perspective significantly. The things I agree with, I'm already doing, and things I'm not doing, I generally don't agree with. It's also extremely prescriptive. It's less about the subject of deep work and more of a self-help book—which isn't what I was looking for.
Newport seems to come from a context that is utterly unfamiliar to me, and assumes this context in his prescriptions. For example, he mentions at one point that, by default, people respond to emails. I work with a wide range of people, and very few of them have competence in communication in this regard. So when Cal suggests that people stop replying to emails, it just feels bizarre.
Intuitively, I've already adopted many of the practices Newport discusses in the book. I deleted my Facebook account three years ago. I spend time reading books. I consider the overhead of any tool I adopt. I take
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retreats. I mix up my workflow and experiment.This isn't a book that shifted my perspective significantly. The things I agree with, I'm already doing, and things I'm not doing, I generally don't agree with. It's also extremely prescriptive. It's less about the subject of deep work and more of a self-help book—which isn't what I was looking for.
Newport seems to come from a context that is utterly unfamiliar to me, and assumes this context in his prescriptions. For example, he mentions at one point that, by default, people respond to emails. I work with a wide range of people, and very few of them have competence in communication in this regard. So when Cal suggests that people stop replying to emails, it just feels bizarre.
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LibraryThing member wvlibrarydude
An interesting book to read along with David Allen's "Getting Things Done" (Allen is more practical).
Two parts. First part builds argument in favor of deep thinking instead of moving through life in a distracted haphazard method. Second part tries to give some practical advice along with stories of
Reaction- I will condense down what I need from the book into two or three pages of notes to apply in my life.
Good short read.
Two parts. First part builds argument in favor of deep thinking instead of moving through life in a distracted haphazard method. Second part tries to give some practical advice along with stories of
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success. Reaction- I will condense down what I need from the book into two or three pages of notes to apply in my life.
Good short read.
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LibraryThing member Daniel.Estes
It was near the end of the book where Cal Newport utters the main hurdle people experience in their efforts to include more deep work in their lives. They are forced to confront the possibility that their current best isn't all that good.
LibraryThing member ohernaes
Deep work: "Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are ard to replicate." Shallow work: "Noncognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often
The first part of the book is about the value of deep work and how its conditions are deteriorating for modern knowledge workers, largely because of electronic communication and social media.
I was also already convinced about the importance of committing to and planning for deep work, which is what the second part of the book is about, but it helps hearing someone else say it clearly too. Part 2 is organized under the headings of four general "Rules": 1 Work deeply, 2 Embrace boredom, 3 Quit social media, 4 Drain the shallows. That is fine, but more helpful are the small practical tips that are scattered in the text, such as: scheduling time for distraction-free deep work time, possibly amounting to a certain number of hours each day/week/month; set a fixed, relatively small quota for shallow work and schedule also that time; related, schedule time for internet/phone/email, etc., and for surprises/delays; keeping (visual) track of deep work time or small achievements; formally shutting down the workday at some point; practice concentration/focus with a hobby such as memorization, chess, etc. The tips are not always consistent, such as taking braks and constantly think about a hard problem while doing other things, but I think that is ok, everyone needs to experiment and find what works for them. Recommended if you, like me, need a push, but it should also be possible to just do it.
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performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create new value in the world and are easy to replicate." Stated like this, few would argue about the value and desirability of deep work. The hard part is actually doing it. The first part of the book is about the value of deep work and how its conditions are deteriorating for modern knowledge workers, largely because of electronic communication and social media.
I was also already convinced about the importance of committing to and planning for deep work, which is what the second part of the book is about, but it helps hearing someone else say it clearly too. Part 2 is organized under the headings of four general "Rules": 1 Work deeply, 2 Embrace boredom, 3 Quit social media, 4 Drain the shallows. That is fine, but more helpful are the small practical tips that are scattered in the text, such as: scheduling time for distraction-free deep work time, possibly amounting to a certain number of hours each day/week/month; set a fixed, relatively small quota for shallow work and schedule also that time; related, schedule time for internet/phone/email, etc., and for surprises/delays; keeping (visual) track of deep work time or small achievements; formally shutting down the workday at some point; practice concentration/focus with a hobby such as memorization, chess, etc. The tips are not always consistent, such as taking braks and constantly think about a hard problem while doing other things, but I think that is ok, everyone needs to experiment and find what works for them. Recommended if you, like me, need a push, but it should also be possible to just do it.
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LibraryThing member Razinha
I'm still in a year long management seminar and because everyone is busy, we get assigned executive summaries of books rather than the books themselves...the idea being exposure to more of what's out there rather than work on just a few books. If I have time, I try to read the actual book to see
I think Newport contradicted himself a few times but has a point that sometimes, focused attention is needed. Actually, he advocates more than "sometimes", but I disagree. He says Put another way, the type of work that optimizes your performance is deep work.
I say - using his titular term - that "deep work" can maximize a specific performance, but claiming it optimizes overall performance is off (and the narrative itself sometimes gainsays that maximization point.)
In one part, Newport had a section on how to memorize 52 cards in five minutes (as an example of intense focus...) per a method of memory expert Ron White. I met Mr. White a couple of months ago - he is impressive - and the techniques can work for nearly impressive memorization, but I don't know that they support the "deep work" thesis.
Oh, yeah... the Rules?
#1 - Work Deeply
#2 - Embrace Boredom
#3 - Quit Social Media
#4 - Drain the Shallows
As always with any of these books, your mileage may vary. Take what works and don't sweat what doesn't.
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how the editors distilled xxx pages into eight, what the author's style and composition were, and to see what the necessarily omitted content was. I think Newport contradicted himself a few times but has a point that sometimes, focused attention is needed. Actually, he advocates more than "sometimes", but I disagree. He says Put another way, the type of work that optimizes your performance is deep work.
I say - using his titular term - that "deep work" can maximize a specific performance, but claiming it optimizes overall performance is off (and the narrative itself sometimes gainsays that maximization point.)
In one part, Newport had a section on how to memorize 52 cards in five minutes (as an example of intense focus...) per a method of memory expert Ron White. I met Mr. White a couple of months ago - he is impressive - and the techniques can work for nearly impressive memorization, but I don't know that they support the "deep work" thesis.
Oh, yeah... the Rules?
#1 - Work Deeply
#2 - Embrace Boredom
#3 - Quit Social Media
#4 - Drain the Shallows
As always with any of these books, your mileage may vary. Take what works and don't sweat what doesn't.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DeborahJade
The topic of 'Deep Work' really resonates with me and Cal Newport did a great job of bringing together many different resources and examples, including his own personal experience.
He starts out by arguing that deep work is both valuable and rare, however the standout for me was the third point
He offers four main 'Rules' for achieving deep work:
#1 - Work Deeply
#2 - Embrace Boredom
#3 - Quit Social Media
#4 - Drain the Shallows
I was most drawn to the 'Journalistic Philosophy of Deep Work Scheduling', the fit-it-in-your-schedule-where-you-can approach, given my current stage of life with part-time work and parenting young children. He provides advice on how to exercise your mental skills so you can focus more deeply, as well as to balance that will some downtime.
I was most challenged by #2 about embracing boredom and training your mind to ignore distractions. I have developed the habit of being very distractable and 'chasing shiny things' and so it was reassuring to read about how you can re-train your mind by instead of taking breaks from distraction, take planned breaks from focus. Schedule times for downtime/Internet use during the day and that way it won't swallow up your time (both during the week and on weekends). Basically, "daily mental practice builds mental muscle."
I'll finish by quoting the medieval quarry worker's creed Newport references from the preface of The Pragmatic Programmer... "We who cut mere stones must always be envisioning cathedrals."
He starts out by arguing that deep work is both valuable and rare, however the standout for me was the third point
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that deep work is meaningful. He talks about the physiological, psychological and philosophical justifications for this, also showing how it is relevant to workers in an information age. To quote him, "your work is craft, and if you hone your ability and apply it with respect and care, then like the skilled wheelwright you can generate meaning in the daily efforts of your professional life." And if we wish to cultivate craftsmanship, it is going to take deep work.He offers four main 'Rules' for achieving deep work:
#1 - Work Deeply
#2 - Embrace Boredom
#3 - Quit Social Media
#4 - Drain the Shallows
I was most drawn to the 'Journalistic Philosophy of Deep Work Scheduling', the fit-it-in-your-schedule-where-you-can approach, given my current stage of life with part-time work and parenting young children. He provides advice on how to exercise your mental skills so you can focus more deeply, as well as to balance that will some downtime.
I was most challenged by #2 about embracing boredom and training your mind to ignore distractions. I have developed the habit of being very distractable and 'chasing shiny things' and so it was reassuring to read about how you can re-train your mind by instead of taking breaks from distraction, take planned breaks from focus. Schedule times for downtime/Internet use during the day and that way it won't swallow up your time (both during the week and on weekends). Basically, "daily mental practice builds mental muscle."
I'll finish by quoting the medieval quarry worker's creed Newport references from the preface of The Pragmatic Programmer... "We who cut mere stones must always be envisioning cathedrals."
Show Less
LibraryThing member Neale
A good book to encourage and motivate you to focus more.
Social media and the internet are designed to keep your eyeballs on the screen. This doesn't get the worthwhile work done.
Moderation is tough in anything and with the dice loaded against you its hard to limit time on the net.
Some good
Highly recommend.
Social media and the internet are designed to keep your eyeballs on the screen. This doesn't get the worthwhile work done.
Moderation is tough in anything and with the dice loaded against you its hard to limit time on the net.
Some good
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suggestions and ideas to help you get more great work done. Highly recommend.
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LibraryThing member antao
D Work?
E
E
P
Hang on a second, I just need to head over to the RTP1 to check on the weather. The rain that was forecast ten minutes ago might not be coming after all. Oh look, there's a cat juggling mice. I wonder what Donald Trump is up to. And there's someone talking shite about gun laws in the USA.
There is so much that's fascinating (albeit often unverifiable). Perhaps we all are dilettantes at heart.
I should get back to work, but can't help myself writing this review and then writing a comment on here just because I can. Argh. Concentration on one thing is impossible these days. I've wasted 7 minutes already. Oh well. Better just check my emails before I get back to the thing I need to do.
Another switch of perspective: stop taking “breaks from distraction” and instead take “breaks from focus”. Don’t think in terms of shutting off email or Twitter for an hour; make shut-off the default, and make sporadic forays into connectivity. Good advice ah? But would welcome further advice as to how to achieve this in an open plan office! On the other hand, this open plan office wank has gone too far!!! Bring back the Madmen days! Whisky, short skirts, long lunches, ahhhhhh those were the days.
Dvorak used to compose music at his kitchen table, surrounded by the noise and bustle of his family. No need for a shed in the garden (Roald Dahl used a shed too, I believe) or some specially insulated "focus box". Some people can tune out distractions and concentrate on the task at hand. Bach too (Patently Bach was focused upon something...). He had something like 26 children from two wives. Dylan Thomas, once successful, got that hut overlooking the bay in Laugharne to write his poetry and then dried up, sometimes only changing one word in a line some days.
I smoouked marrigerwaana every day fur ten ears and it made not a jot of indefferunce to my IQ. I confess to lookin at my phone like clockwork every two days. Dunno why, its a landlines....
E
E
P
Hang on a second, I just need to head over to the RTP1 to check on the weather. The rain that was forecast ten minutes ago might not be coming after all. Oh look, there's a cat juggling mice. I wonder what Donald Trump is up to. And there's someone talking shite about gun laws in the USA.
Show More
He's wrong, he needs to be corrected. He's wrong again. And again. And again. What do you mean, it's tea time? Focus on what? Oh, look, a squirrel!There is so much that's fascinating (albeit often unverifiable). Perhaps we all are dilettantes at heart.
I should get back to work, but can't help myself writing this review and then writing a comment on here just because I can. Argh. Concentration on one thing is impossible these days. I've wasted 7 minutes already. Oh well. Better just check my emails before I get back to the thing I need to do.
Another switch of perspective: stop taking “breaks from distraction” and instead take “breaks from focus”. Don’t think in terms of shutting off email or Twitter for an hour; make shut-off the default, and make sporadic forays into connectivity. Good advice ah? But would welcome further advice as to how to achieve this in an open plan office! On the other hand, this open plan office wank has gone too far!!! Bring back the Madmen days! Whisky, short skirts, long lunches, ahhhhhh those were the days.
Dvorak used to compose music at his kitchen table, surrounded by the noise and bustle of his family. No need for a shed in the garden (Roald Dahl used a shed too, I believe) or some specially insulated "focus box". Some people can tune out distractions and concentrate on the task at hand. Bach too (Patently Bach was focused upon something...). He had something like 26 children from two wives. Dylan Thomas, once successful, got that hut overlooking the bay in Laugharne to write his poetry and then dried up, sometimes only changing one word in a line some days.
I smoouked marrigerwaana every day fur ten ears and it made not a jot of indefferunce to my IQ. I confess to lookin at my phone like clockwork every two days. Dunno why, its a landlines....
Show Less
LibraryThing member deldevries
Excellent coverage of a topic that goes well beyond the Getting Things Done structure of organization. This is the most important work that gets focused on and how to make the time and focused attention to get it done.
LibraryThing member Parthurbook
Newport nails a series of uncomfortable truths that we should all consider. You don't have to be a tenured professor to be concerned about the time being wasted on digital distraction.
What makes this book so valuable is a combination of philosophy and social commentary with practical, 'how to '
What makes this book so valuable is a combination of philosophy and social commentary with practical, 'how to '
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next steps. Show Less
LibraryThing member nicholasjjordan
Deeply practical, deeply helpful, and well-written. This book deserves all the praise it's received.
LibraryThing member Iudita
I was hoping for something with more depth and theory. This was more self-help. Quite superficial and fairly obvious.
LibraryThing member Jim53
Newport argues for the importance and value of deep work, which eliminates distractions to enable the worker to focus more strongly than many people often do. The purpose is to leave behind something memorable for its excellence: to contribute something to the world or to one's field of study. The
Newport identifies several possible approaches to doing deep work, from semester-long sabbaticals to briefer periods of withdrawal from distractions. He cites examples of those who get up early to put in a couple of hours of deep work before meeting other obligations. He regards social media as the devil's spawn for its constant tugging at our attention, and he is no fan of the modern trend in tech companies to house people in large rooms to facilitate collaboration. He contends that willpower and attention come in limited supplies and can be exhausted.
There is a lot to admire here, and perhaps to attempt. I am a witness to his observations about the ever-connected office and expectations of immediate responses to various people's needs. And it's certainly true that the internet can be an opportunity to waste a lot of time. I think this is a valuable call to remember that we need some time and space of our own to do truly meaningful work.
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book is oriented toward knowledge workers but discusses other fields as well.Newport identifies several possible approaches to doing deep work, from semester-long sabbaticals to briefer periods of withdrawal from distractions. He cites examples of those who get up early to put in a couple of hours of deep work before meeting other obligations. He regards social media as the devil's spawn for its constant tugging at our attention, and he is no fan of the modern trend in tech companies to house people in large rooms to facilitate collaboration. He contends that willpower and attention come in limited supplies and can be exhausted.
There is a lot to admire here, and perhaps to attempt. I am a witness to his observations about the ever-connected office and expectations of immediate responses to various people's needs. And it's certainly true that the internet can be an opportunity to waste a lot of time. I think this is a valuable call to remember that we need some time and space of our own to do truly meaningful work.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rlangston
Some element of "stating the obvious" but overall quite interesting, particularly when related to the author's own experiences.
LibraryThing member jcvogan1
A good idea and worth the time to read as a kick the pants. It should have been a two thousand word article, but those don't sell.
LibraryThing member RajivC
“Deep Work” is an excellent book. I was not sure what to expect when I started to read the book.
Cal Newport makes an excellent case when he differentiates between deep work and shallow work.
We are bombarded by distractions all day long. It is our responsibility to shut out the noise and enter
Cal Newport makes this case eloquently. He does not leave you with a listing of the benefits of deep work. His book has provided the reader with some very practical strategies. It is up to us to choose the plan that suits our personality and lifestyle.
As in all things, practice makes perfect. No one should expect miracles. Change takes time. However, with the sound advice given in the book, it should be possible for a motivated person to make the shift from shallow work to deep work.
Cal Newport makes an excellent case when he differentiates between deep work and shallow work.
We are bombarded by distractions all day long. It is our responsibility to shut out the noise and enter
Show More
into a period of deep concentration and focus. It is the only way to get excellent results in whatever we do. Cal Newport makes this case eloquently. He does not leave you with a listing of the benefits of deep work. His book has provided the reader with some very practical strategies. It is up to us to choose the plan that suits our personality and lifestyle.
As in all things, practice makes perfect. No one should expect miracles. Change takes time. However, with the sound advice given in the book, it should be possible for a motivated person to make the shift from shallow work to deep work.
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LibraryThing member dmturner
A well-researched book, not wildly original but making a good case for setting aside structured time for "deep work" while avoiding the distractions of social media, infotainment, and email. It argues that much of what we take for work and leisure is merely busyness and that to be successful,
Edited to add: I spoke too soon. Since I read the book, it has really changed my attitude and my working habits, perhaps because I am trying to re-invent myself in a new career. But it's going on my list to re-read periodically along with Getting Things Done.
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productive and skilled it is essential to pursue focus. As I said, not deeply original, but it makes the case very effectively and thoroughly.Edited to add: I spoke too soon. Since I read the book, it has really changed my attitude and my working habits, perhaps because I am trying to re-invent myself in a new career. But it's going on my list to re-read periodically along with Getting Things Done.
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LibraryThing member briandarvell
Overall was an interesting read. It gave a lot of support to trying to move part of your life away from this always connected world. I didn’t find anything earth-shattering new in the book that went against what many of us already know. If anything, this book could be just that push required to
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making people change the way they connect with the web and with information in general. Show Less
LibraryThing member out-and-about
While probably revolutionary when it was first released, this now feels like old news. Multitasking is evil, social media is a root cause, disconnect, be okay with being bored, do work that takes more than a passing tweet or instagram photo.
Still worth reading as a summary of the science behind
Still worth reading as a summary of the science behind
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the ideas, and as a deeper examination of the issue. Show Less
LibraryThing member NaleagDeco
I both appreciate and loathe this book.
The parts I loathe are the introductory and aspirational parts, where the author seems to glorify being the kind of early 20th century intelligentsia who can up and retreat to a custom-built self-designed cabin in the words that serves as a temple to the
But now to the good, good which maybe is easily found in thousands of blog posts that this book must surely have inspired: Once you get to the practical advice of the book -- especially the parts a quarter of a way through the first section of the second "part" of this book, the working models after Don Knuth and Neal Stephenson -- that is when the advice starts become practical for people, regular information workers with 9-5(ish) jobs who aren't entrepreneurial ubermensches who wake up and meditate in a mountain peak in the middle of their routine jog.
The advice may have been radical at one point, but it's well understood and well-merited stuff now ... have a cadence of work rhythm that you don't have to work yourself into adhering to (i.e. form habits and shift your life to be life conducive to those habits), shift your working structure so that pre-planned high-intensity work of clear value is minimally impacted by distraction work and low-intensity low-value work (like a lot of people's email and online chat correspondence). There is additional writing around the ways in which social media and impulsive addiction to phones and "clickhole culture" (I don't know what else to call things like buzzfeed, and that term isn't in the book) wind up impacting your mental stamina, and some solid advice on how to schedule your day in a way to best keep your day on rails (and how to adjust when something inevitably messes with your plans.)
This second half of the book is valuable and I would even say incredibly balanced. While the author does not offer anything to those people who do work in roles where high-context-switching is part of their mandate, like managers or facilitators, the book is pretty good about acknowledging limitations and even about driving home the point that it does not want to be a polemic against entertainment, social media, or low-intensity work (but that we tend to overvalue it where as structuring it in a gated way will benefit our productivity and quality of life as a whole.) The book even values unstructured time (unlike a lot of productivity bibles) but articulates the benefits of unstructured time and relaxation and how to best integrate them into one's life for full effect.
And in a feature which separates good productivity books from bad, the book does not paint its strategies as something to be inflexibly adhered to, but as guiding strategies in a chaotic world that will be disrupted but that can be re-balanced as life allows. It expects people with overextended schedules, like students or parents of young children, to be living most of their lives fighting time but who can use these tips to make the most of the time they have.
I have not tried out the practices in this book long enough to be a valuable data point, but for the few days I have been thinking about the book's lessons, they have rewarded me with insight and structure and the promise of a better operational style.
If the aspirational section of this book didn't infuriate me so, I would have rated it higher. I suspect this book is a little less essential as googling for productivity tips have likely pulled all of the useful content from this book into bite-sized commodities (possibly against the very spirit of this book, in a way.) Nonetheless, it is a good single starting point for this subject.
--
Some specific complaints about the audiobook ... it is divided into three giant hour-long chunks, which isn't that great for digestibility. Each "part" could have been divided even further into a more reasonable triplet of chapters, since there usually were clear subsection divides in the book that could have been used to make the book more digestible.
The narrator's eagerness matched the author a bit too well, which probably further aggravated the irritating polemic nature of the book. A more sombre reading would probably have added some well-needed ballast.
The parts I loathe are the introductory and aspirational parts, where the author seems to glorify being the kind of early 20th century intelligentsia who can up and retreat to a custom-built self-designed cabin in the words that serves as a temple to the
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fetish of solitary productivity. Even though I agreed with the basic value proposition of the book before I picked it up -- I came to this book because I work in a distraction-heavy role and I was seeing my open office and service-oriented role sap my ability to focus even at home -- I almost put the book down many times during the first part, with his reductionist anecdote-driven polemic and is barely-hidden class superiority where the vaulted wielder of informational capitalism reaps the reaches left after every other class and worker is crushed by neoliberalism (not to mention the offhanded anti-collectivism that has nothing to do with anything that occasionally creeps up like the ectoplasm of Ayn Rand's ghost)But now to the good, good which maybe is easily found in thousands of blog posts that this book must surely have inspired: Once you get to the practical advice of the book -- especially the parts a quarter of a way through the first section of the second "part" of this book, the working models after Don Knuth and Neal Stephenson -- that is when the advice starts become practical for people, regular information workers with 9-5(ish) jobs who aren't entrepreneurial ubermensches who wake up and meditate in a mountain peak in the middle of their routine jog.
The advice may have been radical at one point, but it's well understood and well-merited stuff now ... have a cadence of work rhythm that you don't have to work yourself into adhering to (i.e. form habits and shift your life to be life conducive to those habits), shift your working structure so that pre-planned high-intensity work of clear value is minimally impacted by distraction work and low-intensity low-value work (like a lot of people's email and online chat correspondence). There is additional writing around the ways in which social media and impulsive addiction to phones and "clickhole culture" (I don't know what else to call things like buzzfeed, and that term isn't in the book) wind up impacting your mental stamina, and some solid advice on how to schedule your day in a way to best keep your day on rails (and how to adjust when something inevitably messes with your plans.)
This second half of the book is valuable and I would even say incredibly balanced. While the author does not offer anything to those people who do work in roles where high-context-switching is part of their mandate, like managers or facilitators, the book is pretty good about acknowledging limitations and even about driving home the point that it does not want to be a polemic against entertainment, social media, or low-intensity work (but that we tend to overvalue it where as structuring it in a gated way will benefit our productivity and quality of life as a whole.) The book even values unstructured time (unlike a lot of productivity bibles) but articulates the benefits of unstructured time and relaxation and how to best integrate them into one's life for full effect.
And in a feature which separates good productivity books from bad, the book does not paint its strategies as something to be inflexibly adhered to, but as guiding strategies in a chaotic world that will be disrupted but that can be re-balanced as life allows. It expects people with overextended schedules, like students or parents of young children, to be living most of their lives fighting time but who can use these tips to make the most of the time they have.
I have not tried out the practices in this book long enough to be a valuable data point, but for the few days I have been thinking about the book's lessons, they have rewarded me with insight and structure and the promise of a better operational style.
If the aspirational section of this book didn't infuriate me so, I would have rated it higher. I suspect this book is a little less essential as googling for productivity tips have likely pulled all of the useful content from this book into bite-sized commodities (possibly against the very spirit of this book, in a way.) Nonetheless, it is a good single starting point for this subject.
--
Some specific complaints about the audiobook ... it is divided into three giant hour-long chunks, which isn't that great for digestibility. Each "part" could have been divided even further into a more reasonable triplet of chapters, since there usually were clear subsection divides in the book that could have been used to make the book more digestible.
The narrator's eagerness matched the author a bit too well, which probably further aggravated the irritating polemic nature of the book. A more sombre reading would probably have added some well-needed ballast.
Show Less
LibraryThing member brett.sovereign
Very straightforward and clear, with an attempt to justify its suggestions. It's not surprising based on the content of the author's blog. The recommendations are not earth-shattering, but the theme of weaning oneself from multitasking is welcome.
LibraryThing member tgraettinger
I give the book and author five stars because they actually caused me to change my behavior.
LibraryThing member linepainter
Some good advice, but awkwardly written, repetitive and very, very self-promoting.
LibraryThing member nosborm
Intriguing and helpful.
LibraryThing member melsmarsh
I would strongly recommend everyone read this to boost their productivity. Evidence includes why you should not use open space concepts (which is what I have been saying for several years). Even if you have ADHD like I do, this book will help you in ways you can't even imagine.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016
Physical description
304 p.; 8.5 inches
ISBN
1455586692 / 9781455586691