Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
by Cal Newport
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 21st century economy. And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep — spending their days instead in a frantic blur of email 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 enormous 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.
Editorial Reviews
- “As automation and outsourcing reshape the workplace, what new skill do we need? The ability to do deep work. Cal Newport’s exciting new book is an introduction and guide to the kind of intense concentration in a distraction-free environment that results in fast, powerful learning and performance. Think of it as calisthenics for your mind-and start your exercise program today.”―Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and To Sell Is Human
- “Cal Newport is a clear voice in a sea of noise, bringing science and passion in equal measure. We don’t need more clicks, more cats, and more emojis. We need brave work, work that happens when we refuse to avert our eyes.”―Seth Godin, author of What to Do When It’s Your Turn
- “In this strong self-help book, Newport 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.”―Publisher’s Weekly
Articles, reviews, interviews, TED Talks, etc. related to the book Deep Work
1. Review (The New York Times): Don’t Distract Me
Molly Young
Jan. 26, 2016
2. Video (TEDxTysons): Quit Social Media
Cal Newport
Sept. 19, 2016 (13:50 mins.)
3. Review (The Wall Street Journal): Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?
Kate Bachelor (Paywall)
Jan. 19, 2016
4. Review (The Washington Free Beacon): How Twitter is Ruining Your Life
Blake Seitz
March 12, 2016
5. Video synopsis (YouTube): ‘Deep Work’ Animated Book Review
Ismonoff TV
Aug. 5, 2016 (3:32 mins.)
6. Book excerpt (Wharton): Deep Work: The Secret to Achieving Peak Productivity
Cal Newport
Jan. 12, 2016