Book Review: Deep Work
Cal Newport is a great author because he doesn't need to publish books. He does just fine in academia. So, you know when he publishes something outside academia, it's going to be good.
His first book, So Good They Can't Ignore You, is the ultimate manifesto against that "follow-your-passion" nonsense and I enjoyed it quite a bit. His new book, Deep Work, is all about embracing a deep focus in your work.
The ability to do deep work is getting harder for all of us all the time. Its scarcity is what makes it valuable. Deep work provides others with more value and gives our personal lives greater meaning.
I totally endorse the ideas in Deep Work, but the book itself suffers from book bloat. It's a book that could have been a blog post. It's got some great practical advice, but the advice is well-insulated by anecdotes that add only to the page count. That's just the realities of the modern big house publishing.
Luckily, this is the internet, so here's a few good summaries to save you time:
If you like the ideas, do the right thing, support the author, and buy a copy.