Slow Productivity

The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

By: Cal Newport

Narrated by: Cal Newport

Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and IndieBound bestseller

"Brilliant and timely"—Oliver Burkeman

~ Do Fewer Things. Work at a Natural Pace. Obsess over Quality. ~

From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload

Our current definition of “productivity” is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?

Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers–from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe–Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for cultivating a slower, more humane alternative.

From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.

©2024 Cal Newport (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"This brilliant and timely book is for all of us who've grown disillusioned with conventional productivity advice, yet still yearn to get meaningful things done. With his trademark blend of philosophical depth and realistic techniques, Newport outlines an approach that's more human and vastly more effective in the long run." —Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks

"With profound insights backed by research, analysis, and examples from the lives of scientists and artists, Cal Newport explores a better way to work—one that promises more calm, clarity, and creativity." —Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

"Cal's mix of storytelling and practical advice makes this a super engaging read that you'll want to revisit repeatedly." —Ali Abdaal, author of Feel-Good Productivity

Cal Needs Narration Training

I really wanted to love this after hearing Cal on the Sam Harris podcast. The topic is intriguing. But- Cal sounds like a middle schooler struggling to slowly and precisely read a text book. It’s so robotic my ears are bleeding. Every “a” and syllable are painfully articulated phonetically- not as spoken, normal, conversational dialogue. It’s tough and distracting.

Cal Newport always has powerful Novel ideas

There is a short list of books that challenge my deeply held beliefs, this is one of them. I don't like the idea of the principles, but then I realize how right Cal Newport is. I am very grateful for this book.

Less about knowledge workers and more about creative workers

There are a couple good take away for the average knowledge worker to take away throughout the first half of the book. The second half of the book only used examples from creative pursuits to make the key points about how to achieve better productivity. This would be ok if they connect back with concrete methods for improving productivity in knowledge work settings but it never circles back. It goes on and on about musicians and writers and their tactics. IA few examples from business settings would have made the lessons more impactful.

A dose of sanity in an increasingly frantic world of work.

Cal Newport thoughtfully examines the evidence of how we work, and measure productivity. He doesn't claim to have a panacea, or quick fix. There is no getting around doing the hard work, but that doesn't mean we have to kill ourselves 24/7. This book is a great mix of inspiring stories and practical strategies for slowing down to speed up.

Fantastic book

A necessary companion to “Deep Work.” Well thought out and organized. Great insights along the way. Well done!

Worth it

Good ideas for business owner or independent workers but could be useful to anyone with work flexibility.

Incredible Book!

Incredible book. A breath of fresh air, this book was timely and the ideal of slow productivity is so needed. Thank you!

Good practical advice

This is a great book. It takes some simple concepts and put them together in a really helpful fashion. I was able to make adjustments to my schedule and my working style as I went through the book! Highly recommend!

Great ideas

I'm already a fan of these ideas, but Cal Newport does them justice. His take is very well researched and illustrated with compelling examples.

Please stop apologizing

I’m listening to this book right after finishing Die With Zero so maybe my opinion is a little biased, but it feels like Cal spends too much time apologizing for his ideas and this concept of slow productivity. No, it won’t be for everyone. Chocolate strawberries are also not for everyone! Write for the people in your head that this IS for and stop apologizing to all the people you seem to hear yelling at you.

I found the first and second principles good, but the third - obsess about quality- a very bad suggestion. It’s also one Cal didn’t take himself while narrating this book. It is not an excellent performance, but it was good enough. Good enough is good enough.