Deep work : rules for focused success in a distracted world

Deep work Rules for focused success in a distracted world

Cal Newport

Book - 2016

"One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. 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 w...ay. 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. 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"--

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Subjects
Distraction (Psychology)
Mental work.
Cognition.
Success.
Time management.
Published
New York : Grand Central Publishing 2016.
Language
English
Main Author
Cal Newport (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
295 pages ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781455586691
  • Introduction
  • Part 1. The Idea
  • Chapter 1. Deep Work Is Valuable
  • Chapter 2. Deep Work Is Rare
  • Chapter 3. Deep Work Is Meaningful
  • Part 2. The Rules
  • Rule #1. Work Deeply
  • Rule #2. Embrace Boredom
  • Rule #3. Quit Social Media
  • Rule #4. Drain the Shallows
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Choice Review

This book attempts to explain the concept of "deep work" and to act as an instruction manual for achieving one's best work, but the theoretical basis behind its framework is unconvincing. There are some interesting concepts in the book, but the links between "deep work" and the research presented are tenuous and tangential, and the whole book sounds like the rant of a Luddite skeptical of the benefits of modern technology. The main problem is that the author cites a lot of research that does not support his central concept. He cites research that explores the concept of flow in work as well as the benefit of leisure time, but those seem like diametrically opposed ideas, and he does not have a cohesive argument to join those and other disparate concepts together to clearly define the benefits of "deep work." The lack of original research, or perhaps a deeper literature review, really weakens this book. While "deep work" seems to provide benefits, this text does not properly make the case that it does. Summing Up: Optional. --Alvin Dantes, Florida International University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this strong self-help book, Newport (So Good They Can't Ignore You) declares that the habits of modern professionals-checking email at all hours, rushing from meeting to meeting, and valuing multitasking above all else-only stand in the way of truly valuable work. According to him, everyone should practice deep work: "professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit." Newport calls on psychology and neuroscience, as well as common sense, to back up his recommendations. As to why people don't already work this way, he implicates a cultural narrative that stresses activity over concentration and that encourages workers to follow the path of least resistance. Newport encourages readers to take breaks from technology, recharge with downtime, leave social media, and reply to emails more purposefully. It's tempting to blow off the message as the complaints of an admitted non-technophile, but Newport's disarming self-awareness-"Deep work is not some nostalgic affectation of writers and early-20th-century philosophers"-and emphasis on a meaningful work practice that's "rich with productivity and meaning" makes for an excellent lesson in focusing on quality rather than quantity at work. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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