DEEP WORK

One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare.

'Deep work' is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Coined by the author on his popular blog Study Hacks, deep work will make you better at what you do, achieve more in less time and provide the sense of true fulfilment that comes from mastery of a skill. In short, deep work is like a superpower in our increasingly competitive economy.

And yet most people, whether knowledge workers in noisy open-plan offices or creatives struggling to sharpen their vision, have lost the ability to go deep - spending their days instead in a frantic blur of e-mail and social media, not even realising there's a better way.

A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, Deep Work takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories - from Carl Jung building a stone tower in the woods to focus his mind, to a social media pioneer buying a round-trip to Tokyo to write a book free from distraction in the air - and surprising suggestions, such as the claim that most professionals should quit social media and that everyone should practise being bored. Deep Work will point the way to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world.

www.CalNewport.com