It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work

By: Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson

Narrated by: Eileen Stevens

Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

In this timely manifesto, the authors of the New York Times best-seller Rework broadly reject the prevailing notion that long hours, aggressive hustle, and "whatever it takes" are required to run a successful business today.

In Rework, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson introduced a new path to working effectively. Now, they build on their message with a bold, iconoclastic strategy for creating the ideal company culture - what they call "the calm company". Their approach directly attacks the chaos, anxiety, and stress that plagues millions of workplaces and hampers billions of workers every day.

Long hours, an excessive workload, and a lack of sleep have become a badge of honor for modern professionals. But it should be a mark of stupidity, the authors argue. Sadly, this isn’t just a problem for large organizations - individuals, contractors, and solopreneurs are burning themselves out the same way. The answer to better productivity isn’t more hours - it’s less waste and fewer things that induce distraction and persistent stress.

It’s time to stop celebrating crazy and start celebrating calm, Fried and Hansson assert.

Fried and Hansson have the proof to back up their argument. "Calm" has been the cornerstone of their company’s culture since Basecamp began 20 years ago. Destined to become the management guide for the next generation, It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work is a practical and inspiring distillation of their insights and experiences. It isn’t an audiobook telling you what to do. It’s an audiobook showing you what they’ve done - and how any manager or executive, no matter the industry or size of the company, can do it, too.

©2018 Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

A More Sensible Way...

This simply reinforces why I want to work for and with Jason, David, and the Basecamp contingent, as they understand people and product come before profit, not in spite of or in light of. If you pour your curious heart into working effectively towards the best product, you will inevitably create all the desires and efficiencies in the workspace.

Amazing

If you're involved in business, listen to this book. Plain and simple. Basecamp is doing it right.

Holy Crap

This is the most well organized company there is. I don't know all of them, but this opportunity of working at Basecamp has more to offer then Google and Mindvalley. This is inspirational.

Excellent perspective on business

I have used basecamp for several years and appreciate so much their perspective. They believe in their employees thriving and have molded their practice around that core value.

Good reminders of what's possible

Much of the advice will be tough to pull off on a VC-backed startup, but I believe the principles are worth striving for in any company that values employees over growth.

Confirming and inspiring.

Ideas I had when I when I was a kid and I was discovering the world got stepped in when I grew and entered in the corporate "adult" world. This book brings these simple, clear and powerful ideas back and shows that we weren't wrong.

Radically Appealing!!

While not everyone will be ready for this journey to a radically better culture, those that are will gain significant wisdom, opportunity, and wonder as motivation. Thank you for delivering a great view into Basecamp's world!!

Opinions and Basecamp experience

This is a cool book, that depicts live inside Basecamp.

It's nice to hear of such a enterprise and to thing ways of adopting their mindset in other businesses. But is a tale of their journey, not a book with directions to something like what they have.

It's a book of opinions, not business guidelines.

A Wonderful Alternative

You don't have to chase endlessly after more and better, why not aim for good enough?

The authors did a great job of painting the picture of what it's like to operate as a "calm" company as well as presenting the case for why they consider it the optimal attitude for many companies.

This should be the norm

I have read and listened to Rework and was a really big fan. I can speak firsthand about the toxic work environment at most companies. Emails coming in late at night and on weekends, ridiculous deadlines, unreasonable expectations, and vacations where calls from the office and calls to the office are an expected part of the position. There is a better way, without the drama. A place where employees can be happy and leave for the weekend and not even give a second thought to work. Imagine being able to fully relax and focus on a personal goal. Screw the sixty hour work week and working Saturdays, get your life back on track.