Deep Work by Cal Newport

Deep Work emphasizes the importance of creating a place to eliminate distractions and truly focus on work.  The book is targeted at people with jobs that require working through complex problems and Newport asserts that finding time and space for focused uninterrupted work is the only way for people in these kinds of fields to truly excel.  The first part of the book gives reasons why deep work is important and many examples of famous people who intentionally create time and space for deep work.  The second part of the book talks about strategies to eliminate distractions and find time to "unplug" to accomplish deep work.  One of his main points is that email and the internet is one of the biggest distractors.  He urges people to consider electronic communication as only one of many tools, and that we must evaluate and decide if its benefits justify the time we spend on it.  He also discusses different ways people can find time to unplug.  These range from taking long sabbaticals to just carving out time each day when we don't check email and social media.  

This is a very timely work since addiction to electronic devices has become a major 1st world problem.  He makes some good points that people think having an active twitter feed or answering constant texts is essential for their careers, when maybe it isn't. Much of what he says primarily applies to jobs where you are trying to create a an intellectual product, like a research paper or some other kind of research.  As a professor, Newport fits squarely into that category.  For someone in a service oriented position, (like a librarian or library director) staying present and accepting interruption to help others is more important.  Still, the book is very accessible and engaging, and I think almost anyone can find here ideas to ponder and good advice for personal improvement. (304 p. 2016)