Deep Work
Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
By: Cal Newport / Narrated By: Jeff Bottoms
Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
Good only if you’re entirely new to Self-Development books—otherwise a lot of repetition
I thought I was going to get the big-time skinny on how to focus deeply when I picked up Deep Work by Cal Newport. I was, oh so sadly, dismayed with the end product. It is, for the most part, crud you’ve heard before.
I was astounded to hear the “It depends on which wolf you feed” concept (You know: The Buddhist story of a good wolf and a bad wolf by your side; which one will survive? Answer: The one you feed”) but told from a physiological standpoint of neural pathways. So, big section of the audiobook is to remember to CHOOSE GOOD/PRODUCTIVE THOUGHTS!!! (There! Didja get it? Don’t worry if you didn’t as Newport will tell you over and over, in many different ways about it.)
Then there’s a whole thing about how social media wastes time, which is, like, DUH! He does try to get away with saying something like, “I have no opinion/don’t want to discuss the culture, one way or the other, BUT.” He talks a whole heckuva lot about social media, so zzzzz…
Another really “helpful” thing he suggests if you’re too high up and you NEED to be checking on a lot of things/emails/websites. His answer? Hire a few people to take care of all of that for you, and you just keep on being your wonderful high-powered, ultra well-paid self and spend your time thinking deeply. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I thought that was a cheap chapter (and naturally, thin-skinned me resented it most gravely).
But to sum it all up? Find somewhere away from all distractions, all people, all noise. Go build a cabin in the woods; rent space in a quiet, deserted building; build a shed waaaaaay off in your garden. THAT’S pretty much the only time you’re going to have where you’ll be able to think and focus.
Jeff Bottoms narrates the audiobook okay, I suppose. But what with all the repetition of concepts I’m already aware of, and what with all of Newport’s talking about how super-duper spectacularly well he did with writing peer-reviewed papers, I dozed off a couple of times. I mean, like, he totally goes off on all of that like crazy.
Oh yeah—and you’ll hear about Bill Gates quite a bit too.
So zzzzz if you’re informed, but I suppose really good if you haven’t thought of any of it, or read anything like all that’s in it. Plus, FANTASTIC if you happen to have a house deep in the middle of nowhere that you haven’t been using.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.