Slow Productivity

The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

By: Cal Newport

Narrated by: Cal Newport

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

Time to Slow Down

I’ve worked in several roles that required intense periods of dedicated work. Most recently as an Elections executive for a county government. This led to burnout, mainly because there were no slow periods for two straight years. I quit this job and happily took a pay cut to increase the quality of my life.

Leading up to this decision, which happened immediately after a recall election in 2021, I started embraced the advice from Cal Newport which transformed my career. With my role following, I started slowing down and focusing on quality. I scheduled deep work sessions as much as I could. This led to more opportunities and promotions than I ever imagined.

I’m excited to embrace some of the strategies in Slow Productivity to further enhance my quality of life and the work I produce. For anyone stressed out over work, read Slow Productivity and give these steps a try.

Cal does it again!

Love all of Cal’s work and Slow Productivity is no different. A great blend of storytelling and prescription for avoiding burnout by slowing down and focusing on what really matters.

YES. SO VERY NEEDED.

Frantic busyness just isn’t working. Here’s a measured, rational approach to productivity without selling your soul in the process.

Not broadly applicable

Have the same issues as some other reviewers - probably should have read more of them before starting! You are pretty far into it before he tells you who this book is for (knowledge workers who have some autonomy over their work schedule - not me), and his definition of knowledge workers seems to shift (artists? CEOs?), and there is a lot of padding in the form of examples of famous people who he feels embody his ideas. Even though I am not the intended audience, I stuck with it. I don’t regret the time - he is engaging as a reader and has some interesting ideas about why we work the way we do. I did find some useful nuggets I can take into my rigidly structured desk job to create some space to work better and less. And I enjoyed all the stories of how various successful people have accomplished this balancing act. Unfortunately, he generally seems to say that we poor saps in strictly regimented desk jobs are just going to have to lump it until there are broader changes in society. Haha.

Nice and motivational

The author tells a clear view of his proposal to slow productivity to have a better life and explains with examples.

Perfect for writers or anyone who has tasted burnout.

I found this book at the perfect time, just as I faced a nearly impossible deadline. I’m reminded the incredible importance of time and space when creating something that matters. What a great book!

Important and timely perspective on productivity and work

I really liked his critique of the accepted standard for work/life and his simple framework (with many useful examples) for how to work better. This is the first book to push beyond a critique of the system to propose something better.

Very good ideas

I’m very excited to have read this book. It put many things into perspective in which I tend to work too much and overload myself. Great read

Great insights

Great book if you’re stuck or overwhelmed with so many priorities. Cal Newport manages to reveal the importance of taking the time to unlock the beauty in “slow-doing” for better outcomes.

Reframing my perspective on getting things done

As the author mentioned, we get inspired from stories where people accomplish great feats by squeezing work where time was crunched or hard to come by. This is the first time I've heard that we can still accomplish great feats even if we feel we are going "slow". The stories shared helped as well to see Slow Productivity working and how it's more human like. Which helps dealing with burnout and increased quality of the task. Definitely good for anyone wanting to be productive but also has had experience with dealing with burnout and the feeling of "am I doing enough". Definitely take notes for yourself and refer back to when needed.