Rest

Why You Get More Done When You Work Less

By: Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Narrated by: Adam Sims

Sit back and relax and learn about why overworking and under resting can be harmful to yourself and your career.
"Rest is such a valuable book. If work is our national religion, Pang is the philosopher reintegrating our bifurcated selves."---Arianna Huffington, New York Times Book Review
Overwork is the new normal. Rest is something to do when the important things are done-but they are never done. Looking at different forms of rest, from sleep to vacation, Silicon Valley futurist and business consultant Alex Soojung-Kim Pang dispels the myth that the harder we work the better the outcome. He combines rigorous scientific research with a rich array of examples of writers, painters, and thinkers---from Darwin to Stephen King---to challenge our tendency to see work and relaxation as antithetical. "Deliberate rest," as Pang calls it, is the true key to productivity, and will give us more energy, sharper ideas, and a better life. Rest offers a roadmap to rediscovering the importance of rest in our lives, and a convincing argument that we need to relax more if we actually want to get more done.

Critic reviews

"I recommend Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less, by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang...The title says it all-if you're prone to burnout or still believe that overwork actually works, this book will set you straight."—Arianna Huffington in an interview with Lifehacker.com

"[Pang] writes with an admirable focus on balance, on pleasure as well as success; in the end, it's difficult to argue with his conclusions."—Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe

"Consider this a much-needed guide for the overworked: a credible, factual case for chilling out and getting rest, by a well-known Silicon Valley consultant."
—VanityFair.com

"Whether by making space for daily naps, as Winston Churchill did during World War II; going on hours-long strolls like Charles Darwin; or spending a week alone in a cabin like Bill Gates, pursuing what Pang calls 'deliberate rest' is the true key to fulfillment and creative success."—BizTimes

"Blending scientific research with examples of writers, painters and thinkers, from Darwin to Stephen King, the author exposes how we have underestimated the power of rest for our success."
—Daily Examiner (Australia)

"Finally, a full-throated, exhaustively researched argument for why we should all work less and rest more-not just because we'll feel better (no small thing) but because we'll actually be more creative and productive as a result."—Mason Currey, author of Daily Rituals: How Artists Work

"Alex Pang wants us to treat work and rest as equals. In his fascinating, well-researched and highly readable new book Rest, he makes an excellent case for the critical importance of rest in our lives, drawing from the rest habits of some of our most famous scientists, writers and creatives from history, from neuroscience research as well as examples from some of the most productive people working today. You will consider how and why you rest in a completely new light after reading this book."—Wendy Suzuki, Ph.D. professor of neural science and psychology at New York University and author of Healthy Brain Happy Life

"Finally, indisputable proof that to raise happy, healthy, and productive adults, parents and educators must teach the next generation how to practice intentional rest...how to partner work with play, exercise, and sleep."—Nanci Kauffman, head of Castilleja School

"I love this book. Rest weaves fascinating research and captivating stories into a wise prescription for a healthier, more creative, and more fulfilling life in a technology saturated world. At heart, it is rest, in the many ways Pang describes, that contributes to our ability to be the best of what we can be."—Linda Stone, former executive, Apple and Microsoft

Best productive advice

This is a very interesting in counterintuitive book. It is some of the best advice I have ever read regarding active rest and its affect on productivity. I would highly recommend it to almost every one.

informative, maybe not practical

this was a very interesting book to hear information regarding rest using both scientific data and exemplars of famous individuals. Some of the information may be applicable to Everyday Life, but most would take a serious change for implementation.

Get some Rest

Very interesting read on how different people throughout history have incorporated rest into their lives and were still very successful.

Deliberate rest

I enjoyed the perspectives this author Brought to the topic and the examples to back up his insights.

Excellent compilation of science and tactics.

I just finished the book "Why We Sleep", which is a great book in itself, but this is another great testament to science and tactics and how important rest is to our creativity and our well-being. This book is applicable to everyone. Any reader will pull away with a better understanding of how to rest, why we rest, and how to improve rest.