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  • Slow Productivity

  • The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
  • Written by: Cal Newport
  • Narrated by: Cal Newport
  • Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (11 ratings)

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Slow Productivity

Written by: Cal Newport
Narrated by: Cal Newport
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Publisher's Summary

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.

©2024 Cal Newport (P)2024 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

"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

"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

What listeners say about Slow Productivity

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Practical information you can customize to your own life!

Cal is such a great critical thinker. I recommend this for anyone who is looking to accomplish a project or advance in their career or business.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Simple yet impactful

Cal nailed it again. I wish I had this book last year, it would have helped me avoid burn out. These simple strategies could help anyone who finds themselves in an overly fast paced environment struggling with the never ending to-do list while struggling to maintain a healthy work life balance. I would love to share a copy with every one of my former colleagues.

One negative take away though is I found the book to be too heavy in stories of celebrities who implemented the strategies. This book could be condensed down to a Coles Notes version without losing it's impact. I enjoyed the stories but I don't feel it added much to the overall teachings.

Thank you Cal for another life changing book.

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Too Anecdotal

I find it unlikely that this book will help anyone but in the most specific of circumstances. Unless the people you are trying to convince will accept flimsy folk tales about what famous people may or may not have done, this book will not help you (lucky for you, the bar for convincing people seems lower than ever).

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