Book Review: Deep Work

A breakthrough approach to work from a new intellectual

Recently, I finished reading a book that’s changing my life. It’s one of those books purported to boost one’s productivity, which I learned about after attending a summer lecture (at an Objectivist conference). The speaker, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate named Cal Newport, delivered a scalding critique of Big Tech, social media, electronic mail and popular business software. I found myself utterly engrossed, which is rare at this stage of my career.

Given my knowledge and experience, Newport’s talk, “Your Superpower for Success in a Distracted World,” is astonishing in truth and accuracy. I found myself instantly able to confirm what he claimed. My mind reeled with an abundance of examples; he was basically describing every major problem, in detail, that I face in creative work with clients. I wanted to know more. I bought and read the 2016 book he credits as the primary source of his thesis. This is the review.

Deep Work begins with his definition of the titl…