Over the weekend, I started reading Cal Newport’s latest book, Slow Productivity, and was very pleasantly surprised.
As someone who’s grown jaded from reading too many formulaic productivity books, I expected more of the same. Instead, I found a refreshing departure from the norm.
Given my bias, I initially skipped ahead to the third major topic, “Obsess Over Quality.” But Newport’s engaging storytelling drew me in, and I was hooked. He uses the singer-songwriter Jewel’s story to illustrate the importance of prioritizing quality over quick returns. Jewel’s motto, “hardwood grows slowly,” resonated deeply with me, and I found myself invested in learning more about her journey.
Newport’s storytelling is excellent, and I enjoyed Jewel’s story so much that I went back to the beginning of the book and started reading again from the start. What a delightful experience! Instead of a formulaic productivity book, Newport uses storytelling to great effect, developing and explaining his key points in a compelling and relatable way.
Highly recommended!
Note: also check out this edition of Mike Schmitz’s Bookworm podcast for a review of Slow Productivity where he rates it 5.0 out of 5.0.