Book Review 2024.19: Deep Work, Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, Cal Newport, Paperback, 263 pages, 2016 -December 31, 2024
It is a sheer coincidence that I picked up Deep Work immediately after reading the book Grit, for there is a link between the two that supplemented and reinforced my learning: the concept of Deliberate Practice in both developing grit and the ability to do deep work. At the outset the author makes it clear that Deep Work is not for every individual or professional; it is addressed to the creative knowledge workers who need to dig deep into their cognitive abilities to be able to come up with new insights or findings as part of the professional deliverables.
Written by a professor needing to deliver numerous peer-reviewed papers and authoring books for the public in addition to teaching students, we get to see a knowledge worker pushed to leverage his time to increase productivity without diluting his commitment to a rich family life. Many of the concepts and practices advocated in this book are based on his personal experience which is backed by empirical research. This combination of practical but theoretically sound practices advocated is valuable for anyone engaged in work that requires deep concentration and attention that is needed for creating anything original or discovering new insights from current practices.
The author makes a strong case for why the emerging, new age technology driven economy will value Deep Work and provide it with a disproportionate share of the value created in the first half of the book. The second half of the book deals with how deep work can be cultivated by relying on his personal experiences and supplementing it with practices of famous personalities who have benefitted from it. Giving the author’s personal experience, the flow is well organized by first highlighting the need for a recommended practice, followed by steps or rules by which this practice can be adopted.
The need for deep work, defining it and different methods of scheduling it, differentiating deep work from shallow work, the role boredom plays in refreshing the mind for deep work are among the many lessons that I found in particular valuable to me.
I recommend this book at all those engaged in creative tasks like an artists, entrepreneurs, and technologists solving unique problems that need personal insights to form core of their work. As a struggling author, despite having published two books, I can vouch that this book has a lot to offer that can translate into tangible results.
Happy Reading for all those seeking to create something new or develop new insights from practices they see.
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