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A review by paperindy
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
informative
slow-paced
2.5
Deep Work is, in essence, the concept of focusing on a complex task without distraction. Not particularly revolutionary, but I’ll give it to the author that it is harder than it sounds.
This book has its ups and downs. It is incredibly capitalist and definitely aimed at men. Of the dozens and dozens of references to people made in this book, only 11 are to women. Two are JK Rowling, and one is another man’s assistant. As a result, I thought the author was a bit naïve about the different expectations there are on not-men. For example, a new mother could not choose to wake up at 4:45 am to get in 90 minutes of ‘deep work’ before work, but the new father described in this book was not only able to do this but felt “astronomically productive and guilt free.”
In general, I think the book severely undervalues human connection and socialisation, but it amused me very much that the author made a capitalist argument for “fixed-schedule productivity” - i.e. a workday that ends at 5:30 pm. Have you joined your union, Cal?
I often find that self-help books could easily be summarised into a blog post, and this is definitely one of those. That being said, I did find it helpful to sit with a concept for a novel-length of time to really pause and consider what the author is saying. This had some motivating moments, and I think the philosophical arguments for ‘deep work’ are compelling, even if I’m less sold on the economic ones. There are a few handy tips here and there, but really nothing that needs to fill 250 pages. If you’re interested in the topic, maybe check out a podcast instead.
This book has its ups and downs. It is incredibly capitalist and definitely aimed at men. Of the dozens and dozens of references to people made in this book, only 11 are to women. Two are JK Rowling, and one is another man’s assistant. As a result, I thought the author was a bit naïve about the different expectations there are on not-men. For example, a new mother could not choose to wake up at 4:45 am to get in 90 minutes of ‘deep work’ before work, but the new father described in this book was not only able to do this but felt “astronomically productive and guilt free.”
In general, I think the book severely undervalues human connection and socialisation, but it amused me very much that the author made a capitalist argument for “fixed-schedule productivity” - i.e. a workday that ends at 5:30 pm. Have you joined your union, Cal?
I often find that self-help books could easily be summarised into a blog post, and this is definitely one of those. That being said, I did find it helpful to sit with a concept for a novel-length of time to really pause and consider what the author is saying. This had some motivating moments, and I think the philosophical arguments for ‘deep work’ are compelling, even if I’m less sold on the economic ones. There are a few handy tips here and there, but really nothing that needs to fill 250 pages. If you’re interested in the topic, maybe check out a podcast instead.