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Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
by
Cal Newport
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 w ...more
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 w ...more
Hardcover, 296 pages
Published
January 5th 2016
by Grand Central Publishing
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Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
Overview: the thesis is that deep work is both rare and valuable in todays world. That's about 1/3 of the book. The rest of the book is practical advice on how to pursue deep work.
Part of me feels like a lot of what was said in the book is common sense. Particularly things that people know but can't find the willpower to do. I think that there is some truth to this. But there's also a difference between "knowing", and *knowing*. I think this book can help take a lot of people from "knowing" to * ...more
Part of me feels like a lot of what was said in the book is common sense. Particularly things that people know but can't find the willpower to do. I think that there is some truth to this. But there's also a difference between "knowing", and *knowing*. I think this book can help take a lot of people from "knowing" to * ...more
If you do one thing to improve your life this year, subscribe to Dr. Newport's blog and start reading his books. I would suggest starting with "So Good They Can't Ignore You" and then read "Deep Work." They compliment each other. The first helps you sort out what you should be focusing on, and the second one tells you how to make sure what's important gets done. Over the years I've read lots of productivity books, and the related literature. But his approach to work impacts me everyday, and noth
...more
Worth reading. Helped me make some drastic changes in my schedule. I will post an update how these changes went after six months.
What I learned: (spoiler alerts)
1. Figure out what is most valuable to your success.
2. Spend most of the time on it, mostly in the early hours of your day where your attention span is long.
3. Try to spend at least 3 deep sessions on it approx. 90 min each.
4. Almost anything other than your main task is a shallow task.
5. Bunch all the shallow tasks into one deep task.
6. ...more
What I learned: (spoiler alerts)
1. Figure out what is most valuable to your success.
2. Spend most of the time on it, mostly in the early hours of your day where your attention span is long.
3. Try to spend at least 3 deep sessions on it approx. 90 min each.
4. Almost anything other than your main task is a shallow task.
5. Bunch all the shallow tasks into one deep task.
6. ...more
Jun 01, 2016
Emma Sea
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
productivity,
motivation
One of Newport's main building blocks here is the concept of ego depletion: that our willpower runs down the more we use it. More recent research has cast doubt on the original framing of ego depletion, but still it holds a deep sense of truthiness. Still, Newport's suggestions of ritualizing behaviors in order to minimize my likelihood of slipping into shallow work resonates with me.
It's noteworthy that the book is written for people whose day job involves deep work. If you're a peon during the ...more
It's noteworthy that the book is written for people whose day job involves deep work. If you're a peon during the ...more
The ability to focus is the new IQ.
I heard that somewhere, from someone smart (or someone with a low IQ who was over compensating).
I realised my ability to focus on one task had degraded horrendously since getting a new smartphone. Since December I've been enjoying this smooth user experience by paying constant homage to the little screen of joy.
The day my usage hit 4 hours I knew I had a problem.
Then I started reading Deep Work.
In a world of distraction the ability to deep work is king. It is i ...more
I heard that somewhere, from someone smart (or someone with a low IQ who was over compensating).
I realised my ability to focus on one task had degraded horrendously since getting a new smartphone. Since December I've been enjoying this smooth user experience by paying constant homage to the little screen of joy.
The day my usage hit 4 hours I knew I had a problem.
Then I started reading Deep Work.
In a world of distraction the ability to deep work is king. It is i ...more
OVERVIEW:
Deep Work was a solid self-help/productivity book. Being a podcast junkie, I had heard the majority of things that Newport preaches in his book. However, I really appreciated his practical applications of how to enter into Deep Work, or 'the zone' as I call it.
STORIES TOLD:
In Deep Work, the author tells a story of a young consultant who automates his work responsibilities using Excel macros. He then studied computer programming to increase his worth in the workforce. I, too, am a cons ...more
Deep Work was a solid self-help/productivity book. Being a podcast junkie, I had heard the majority of things that Newport preaches in his book. However, I really appreciated his practical applications of how to enter into Deep Work, or 'the zone' as I call it.
STORIES TOLD:
In Deep Work, the author tells a story of a young consultant who automates his work responsibilities using Excel macros. He then studied computer programming to increase his worth in the workforce. I, too, am a cons ...more
This book is awesome! It summarizes what I think about concentration and the "new" concept of open offices that we have today.
I have a big problem to concentrate when there are too much noise or when people could not stop talking to me. Unfortunately this is part of the "culture" where and sometimes people came to just say "hi" and break my concentration entirely.
I'm not a big fan of social networks, so I'm not using them in the last years. Sometimes I decide to get back to some of them just to ...more
I have a big problem to concentrate when there are too much noise or when people could not stop talking to me. Unfortunately this is part of the "culture" where and sometimes people came to just say "hi" and break my concentration entirely.
I'm not a big fan of social networks, so I'm not using them in the last years. Sometimes I decide to get back to some of them just to ...more
Dec 23, 2016
Saeed
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
my-road-to-wealth
"A business's goal is to generate value, not to make sure its employee's lives are as easy as possible."
--------------------------------
این کتاب رو به همه توصیه میکنم، خیلی کتاب خوبیه و حرف جدیدی داره
من واقعاً به این کتاب نیاز داشتم
-------------------------------------
قسمت اول کتاب به حمایت از ایده ی اصلی نویسنده می پردازد که واقعاً من رو متقاعد کرد که هر چیزی که در دنیا بها داره حاصل کار اساسی و عمیق می باشه ک باعث ارزش آفرینی میشه
همین رو بگم که قسمت اول کتاب شاهکاره
قسمت دوم کتاب راجع به راهکار ...more
--------------------------------
این کتاب رو به همه توصیه میکنم، خیلی کتاب خوبیه و حرف جدیدی داره
من واقعاً به این کتاب نیاز داشتم
-------------------------------------
قسمت اول کتاب به حمایت از ایده ی اصلی نویسنده می پردازد که واقعاً من رو متقاعد کرد که هر چیزی که در دنیا بها داره حاصل کار اساسی و عمیق می باشه ک باعث ارزش آفرینی میشه
همین رو بگم که قسمت اول کتاب شاهکاره
قسمت دوم کتاب راجع به راهکار ...more
It is easy to lose yourself in shallow work - I'll agree with the author. Other than that, there is very little of value or substance in this book. You might want to review your excessive tweeting. You might stop using Facebook altogether. You might abandon email.
The problem is that the real ideas (have sender filter their own email, take time away from office, take email sabbaticals) might work for specialists, freelancers, entry-level workers or academics, like the author. But not once does th ...more
The problem is that the real ideas (have sender filter their own email, take time away from office, take email sabbaticals) might work for specialists, freelancers, entry-level workers or academics, like the author. But not once does th ...more
This had a lot of valuable ideas about the importance of deep work and how to do it. Most people are going to buy into this concept easily enough, but Cal did a nice job further arguing it with some examples, various research, and so on...but this book also felt like a very good 100-page book that was stretched into a mediocre 260-page book. It's repetitive. And his research often relies on the "correlation = causation" mistake. For example, someone gives up social media, so instead of writing 4
...more
Deep Work is an incredibly well researched and insightful book. Cal Newport has upped his game as an author — which is no small feat considering his past work has been phenomenal – with this latest effort.
The practical insights and thought that has gone into this book is well worth your time and energy. Newport has painstakingly crafted a tremendous arguments that proposes we spend more time on work that has greater impact in our lives (and the lives of others) and he also offers some tactical w ...more
The practical insights and thought that has gone into this book is well worth your time and energy. Newport has painstakingly crafted a tremendous arguments that proposes we spend more time on work that has greater impact in our lives (and the lives of others) and he also offers some tactical w ...more
So this is a 4 because this book is my mantra and my holy book in the War Against Open Offices. It wasn't super convincing (as I already believe in the God of Personal Privacy), but I did really like the bits about constructing your entire day and making your evening after work productive.
And yes, I picked it up because I am not achieving any of my non-work/non-reading goals and need Life Structuring advice.
I have been preaching the gospel to my colleagues.
(thanks netgalley!)
And yes, I picked it up because I am not achieving any of my non-work/non-reading goals and need Life Structuring advice.
I have been preaching the gospel to my colleagues.
(thanks netgalley!)
Whether you read David Allen on stress-free productivity, Brian Tracy on eating the biggest frog first, or almost anything in the domain of personal productivity, the theme is juggling your actions. Newport argues that for people dealing with intense
complexity or creativity you need to carve out significant blocks of time for what he calls deep work.
This isn't about multitasking or task switching. The book focuses on why and how to create an environment where deep work is possible, and shares s ...more
complexity or creativity you need to carve out significant blocks of time for what he calls deep work.
This isn't about multitasking or task switching. The book focuses on why and how to create an environment where deep work is possible, and shares s ...more
Ideal advice for folks whose top priority is to achieve elite levels of professional success by capitalistic metrics -- namely by jumping through golden hoops very swiftly. The author, for one, is a professor whose goals are to secure tenure, publish a ton of highly cited academic papers, and win the equivalent of a Nobel prize. If your life goals sound similar, he's got tips for making it happen.
This book is less useful for people whose priorities include critiquing/reforming elitist institutio ...more
This book is less useful for people whose priorities include critiquing/reforming elitist institutio ...more
The book introduces the idea of deep work as the opposite of shallow one. And talks that we should prefer the former to the latter and arrange or schedule, workflow and habits in a way allowing deep work to be really deep. Probably some of the ideas in this book could appear to be obvious but it gives very good overview and some insights I have not previously thought about. Also Cal Newport gives advices based on his own experience.
I highly recomment this book to anyone thinking about his or her ...more
I highly recomment this book to anyone thinking about his or her ...more
“One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you’ll achieve extraordinary results.” This book is a must read if you want to find out what is missing in your life to achieve excellence and produce high quality results in ANY field that you want to improve in your life. Very easy to read and to follow, once you start reading you will go deep!
10 estrellas le ponía. Este es el libro más importante que he leído en un tiempo largo. Me ha hecho replantearme muchas cosas sobre cómo trabajamos y, más importante, cómo vivimos.
Es un libro que merece leerse y aplicarse. Es importante.
Es un libro que merece leerse y aplicarse. Es importante.
Als ik dit boek had gelezen op mijn 10de had mijn leven er anders uit gezien. Must read.
Many good pts, but barely any women and a single unneeded Trump reference
A well-researched, well-argued look at "deep" work -- i.e. focused, generally creative work -- in a distractable, always-on world. Cal Newport makes a good case for the importance of deep work, and offers lots of practical suggestions: some will likely be familiar, others may make you think or rethink how you do things.
I did feel the book could've been cut by 20% or so without losing anything -- though I feel this about a lot of non-fiction books currently. Shorter is often better!
I did feel the book could've been cut by 20% or so without losing anything -- though I feel this about a lot of non-fiction books currently. Shorter is often better!
56th book for 2016.
This is a quick good read on the values of developing a "deep" work ethic, defined as "professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capacities to their limit".
The book is not just about theory (which I found weak/shallow), but also a lot of practical advice, which I thought was very helpful. I've already reprogrammed my smart phone to get rid of various distractions, and cut out (even further) my use of social media ( ...more
This is a quick good read on the values of developing a "deep" work ethic, defined as "professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capacities to their limit".
The book is not just about theory (which I found weak/shallow), but also a lot of practical advice, which I thought was very helpful. I've already reprogrammed my smart phone to get rid of various distractions, and cut out (even further) my use of social media ( ...more
While the author comes across as a little pretentious (never missing a moment to highlight his own mastery of "deep work"), this book is nonetheless an extremely helpful and inspiring read for knowledge workers.
In no order of importance, here are a few points I jotted down at the back of the book:
– avoid business as a proxy for productivity.
– don't use your inbox as your to do list.
– Decide where you'll work and for how long; how you'll work once you start to work; how you'll support your work.
– ...more
In no order of importance, here are a few points I jotted down at the back of the book:
– avoid business as a proxy for productivity.
– don't use your inbox as your to do list.
– Decide where you'll work and for how long; how you'll work once you start to work; how you'll support your work.
– ...more
I like how this book shows different ways of approaching deep work through successful individuals, professionals, professors, writers and companies. Everyone has a philosophical approach which the writer breaks down to 3 philosophical approaches. He also talks about how the brain works better when we are focused on a task at hand. Neurologically the brain uses circuits for commands and these circuits build "Myelin" which is a layer of fatty tissue acting like an insulator that allow cells to fir
...more
Good stuff. This author confirms what I've read elsewhere and what most of us already know yet rarely do anything to fix: Our society is waaay too easily distracted and "deep work" or concentrated focus is difficult and actually quite rare. He makes some strong and radical arguments yet was not egotistical or mean about it. For example, he doesn't participate on Facebook, he thinks the popular open cube office design is bad, bad, bad, and 4-day work weeks are great. He recognizes the pros/cons o
...more
Another excellently plotted book on work by the meticulous Cal Newport. The first section, which lays out the rationale for what he's calling "deep work" (the kind of work that requires concentrated thought in a distraction-free environment, and that produces gains/results not easily replicable), is almost too long if you've been (shallow-tasking and) keeping up with the popular literature around this. (That's assuming you don't share my personal experience of watching an ability to apply concen
...more
While one could potentially argue that Newport's book about why deep work is valuable, meaningful, and increasingly rare (and how shallow work harms knowledge workers) is simply a rehash of plain common sense, I counter that it is a valuable read. He makes the case in a compelling and clear manner that left me questioning each of my daily actions and if they helped me contribute to the goal of helping my clients truly solve their technology (or yarn) problems. The book is divided into two parts,
...more
Always ambivalent about these sorts of books/pieces about prioritizing time and attention - on the one hand, I'm totally onboard with the overall goals, and find many of the strategies helpful. On the other, it's striking how pretty much every author extolling the benefits (and straightforwardness) of carving out blocks of time during which you tell the external world "eff off" so you can monastically lock yourself in a room to focus on producing all the amazing work you're meant to produce is a
...more
We get it, you wrote 9 papers that year
Curmudgeonly millennial bathes in superiority repeatedly and redundantly for many chapters... He is totally right about a number of things. There are even two or three excellent pieces of specific advice in this book. In particular things like writing down your goals and aiming to avoid distraction by scheduling distraction rather than focus are both very helpful. However it has been a pain to read them over and over again. Numerous phrases are repeated ver ...more
Curmudgeonly millennial bathes in superiority repeatedly and redundantly for many chapters... He is totally right about a number of things. There are even two or three excellent pieces of specific advice in this book. In particular things like writing down your goals and aiming to avoid distraction by scheduling distraction rather than focus are both very helpful. However it has been a pain to read them over and over again. Numerous phrases are repeated ver ...more
Cal Newport builds an excellent case for Deep Work; contrasts it with Shallow Work that pervades our modern, highly distracted professional/personal lives; and urges knowledge workers to stay away from the latter if they want to create meaningful, value-adding work. His examples take you through decades' (if not centuries) worth of the search for the 'Flow' or 'being in the zone'; including explorations in neurology, psychology, and philosophy. Sometimes Newport is repetitive and a bit verbose;
...more
The book definitely offers great insight on how one should cultivate the ability to focus on the things that matter and how this becomes increasingly hard to do nowadays. Some of the practices proposed are hard to implement in some fields and maybe a bit extreme, but for sure you will find at least one useful advice that will help you get more productive.
“In this new economy, three groups will have a particular advantage: those who can work well and creatively with intelligent machines, those wh ...more
“In this new economy, three groups will have a particular advantage: those who can work well and creatively with intelligent machines, those wh ...more
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“Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.”
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“If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive—no matter how skilled or talented you are.”
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