Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Cal Newport
Jan 2016 · Hachette Audio · Narrated by Jeff Bottoms
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71 reviews
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7 hr 44 min
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Millions of copies sold!
The bestselling modern classic that sparked a worldwide conversation about the value of concentration—and the true costs of fractured attention.
“I’m handing you the answer to the overwhelm you feel, and his name is Dr. Cal Newport.” —Mel Robbins, The Mel Robbins Podcast, author of New York Times bestselling The Let Them Theory
Deep Work—the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks—is one of the most important abilities you can cultivate in our current moment. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce quality results in less time.
And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep—spending their days in a frantic blur of emails, online meetings, social media, and AI slop, not realizing there’s a better way.
In Deep Work, bestselling author and professor Cal Newport makes the case for reclaiming focus as a critical skill in our digital world, providing step-by step instructions for achieving this goal, including four rules for transforming your daily habits:
1. Work Deeply
2. Embrace Boredom
3. Quit Social Media
4. Drain the Shallows
A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, Deep Work offers a vitally important message: in our age of constant distraction, focus is a superpower. With inspiring examples and clear rules, Deep Work will teach you to introduce this ability in your own life.
“As a presence on the page, Newport is exceptional in the realm of self-help authors … Six pages in, I powered down my laptop. Twenty pages in, I left the house to buy an alarm clock so that I wouldn’t have an excuse to sleep next to my phone.”—Molly Young, The New York Times
“One of the few books I would call life-changing.” —Tim Maurer, Forbes
“I’ve read lots of books about productivity and lots of books about distraction. For me, Deep Work is among the best, on both counts.” —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker
“[Deep Work] has changed how I live my life. Particularly, it’s led me to stop scheduling morning meetings, and to preserve that time for more sustained, creative work.” —Ezra Klein, The Ezra Klein Show
The bestselling modern classic that sparked a worldwide conversation about the value of concentration—and the true costs of fractured attention.
“I’m handing you the answer to the overwhelm you feel, and his name is Dr. Cal Newport.” —Mel Robbins, The Mel Robbins Podcast, author of New York Times bestselling The Let Them Theory
Deep Work—the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks—is one of the most important abilities you can cultivate in our current moment. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce quality results in less time.
And yet, most people have lost the ability to go deep—spending their days in a frantic blur of emails, online meetings, social media, and AI slop, not realizing there’s a better way.
In Deep Work, bestselling author and professor Cal Newport makes the case for reclaiming focus as a critical skill in our digital world, providing step-by step instructions for achieving this goal, including four rules for transforming your daily habits:
1. Work Deeply
2. Embrace Boredom
3. Quit Social Media
4. Drain the Shallows
A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, Deep Work offers a vitally important message: in our age of constant distraction, focus is a superpower. With inspiring examples and clear rules, Deep Work will teach you to introduce this ability in your own life.
“As a presence on the page, Newport is exceptional in the realm of self-help authors … Six pages in, I powered down my laptop. Twenty pages in, I left the house to buy an alarm clock so that I wouldn’t have an excuse to sleep next to my phone.”—Molly Young, The New York Times
“One of the few books I would call life-changing.” —Tim Maurer, Forbes
“I’ve read lots of books about productivity and lots of books about distraction. For me, Deep Work is among the best, on both counts.” —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker
“[Deep Work] has changed how I live my life. Particularly, it’s led me to stop scheduling morning meetings, and to preserve that time for more sustained, creative work.” —Ezra Klein, The Ezra Klein Show
Millions of copies sold!
The bestselling modern classic that sparked a worldwide conversation about the value of concentration—and the true costs of fractured attention.
“I’m handing you the answer to the overwhelm you feel, and his name is Dr. Cal Newport.” —Mel Robbins, The Mel Robbins Podcas...
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Ratings and reviews
71 reviews
Mike Vander Heiden
- Flag inappropriate
January 8, 2025
Highly hypocritical. Claims one should get out of the digital arena such as social media and phone use. Then lauds the entrepreneurs who created the arena if media in the first place. Ridiculous
ACW
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May 13, 2026
No really a proposal of method for deep work. 4 Advices that can be given in 10min. Good stories of deep work, but very abstract.
Charlie M
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May 23, 2024
I've struggled with ADHD all my life and this book has helped immensely with my ability to focus. The techniques provided in this book will absolutely help you concentrate, be more organized and perform better in your job overall. Cal also recounts scientific studies and anecdotes from people who have produced positive results replicating these tools. It takes time and practice but with practice you can be successful. Highly recommend if you struggle with focus or just need to optimize your brain into a high processing machine.
About the author
Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University and a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including, A World Without Email, Digital Minimalism, So Good They Can't Ignore You, and Deep Work, which have been published in over 35 languages. He is a regular contributor to the New Yorker, the New York Times, and WIRED, a frequent guest on NPR, and the host of the popular Deep Questions podcast.
Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University and a New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including, A World Without Email, Digital Minimalism, So Good They Can't Ignore You, and Deep Work, which have been published in over 35 languages. He is a regular contribu...
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