Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
by Cal Newport
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About the Book
A New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and IndieBound bestseller
“Brilliant and timely” — Oliver Burkeman
~ Do Fewer Things. Work at a Natural Pace. Obsess over Quality. ~
From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload
Our current definition of “productivity” is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?
Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers – from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe – Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for cultivating a slower, more humane alternative.
From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.
About the Author
Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, where he specializes in the theory of distributed systems, as well as a New York Times bestselling author who writes for a broader audience about the intersection of technology and culture. He’s the author of seven books, including Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, which have been published in over thirty languages. He’s also a regular contributor on these topics to national publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Wired, and is a frequent guest on NPR. His blog, Study Hacks, which he’s been publishing since 2007, attracts over three million visits a year. He lives with his wife and three sons in Takoma Park, Maryland.
Editorial Reviews
“Intriguing and intelligent.” – The Times
“[Cal’s] ideas are not of the self-optimising wake-up-before-you-go-to-bed life-hack brigade but rather to encourage deep focus, away from the noise of social media and performative busyness.” – Financial Times
“If you’re the typical knowledge worker, your life is overwhelmed by a dizzying flurry of emails and Slack messages breaking your focus every few minutes. You breathlessly ricochet from task to task yet never get enough real work done. Stop. Take a deep breath. Then readSlow Productivity…. If enough knowledge workers embrace slow productivity, we can revolutionize the world of work.” – NPR
“This brilliant and timely book is for all of us who’ve grown disillusioned with conventional productivity advice, yet still yearn to get meaningful things done. With his trademark blend of philosophical depth and realistic techniques, Newport outlines an approach that’s more human and vastly more effective in the long run.” – Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks
“If you are stretched thin and having trouble getting everything done, you need to speed up, right? Wrong. In Slow Productivity, Cal Newport does what he does best, delivering counterintuitive secrets that just might save your career and sanity.” – Arthur C. Brooks, author of Build the Life You Want
“With profound insights backed by research, analysis, and examples from the lives of scientists and artists, Cal Newport explores a better way to work—one that promises more calm, clarity, and creativity.” – Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
“Cal’s mix of storytelling and practical advice makes this a super engaging read that you’ll want to revisit repeatedly.” – Ali Abdaal, author of Feel-Good Productivity
“For anyone who wants individual advice on how to be more productive, there’s nobody better than Cal Newport: calm, evidence-based, and inspiring.” – Johann Hari, author of Stolen Focus
“Slow Productivity is an opportunity to understand why we so often feel frustrated with the demands of the world we live in—and what we can accomplish if we choose to turn inward, once again.” – Meera Lee Patel, author of Start Where You Are