Modern knowledge workers are constantly inundated with digital conversations, leading to a state of anxiety and inability to perform substantive work. The “hyperactive hive mind” workflow, which has been a productivity disaster, has reduced profitability and may slow economic growth.
Cal Newport, an author and computer science professor, argues that our current approach to work is broken and proposes a workplace with clear processes for task identification, assignment, and review. This would reduce administrative tasks and streamline communication, making inboxes and chat channels less central to work.
The knowledge sector’s evolution beyond the hyperactive hive mind is inevitable, and the question is whether CEOs, entrepreneurs, or employees will be ahead of this trend. Newport’s book, A World Without Email, will guide readers through the necessary changes and provide guidance on how to implement them.
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About the Author
Cal Newport is a New York Times bestselling author who writes for a wider audience on the nexus between technology and culture. He is also an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, where he specialises in the theory of distributed systems.
Digital Minimalism and Deep Work are two of his seven works, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. Along with being a frequent guest on NPR, he often contributes to major magazines including The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Wired on similar subjects.
Since 2007, he has been running a blog called Study Hacks, which receives more than three million views annually. He resides in Takoma Park, Maryland, with his wife and three boys.
Review
What so many of us intuitively see but haven’t been able to articulate: the way we’re working isn’t working, is encapsulated in A World Without Email. Cal Newport provides a road-tested set of techniques to help us overcome the dominance of our inboxes and have more peaceful, purposeful, and effective working lives.
–Drew Houston, Dropbox’s CEO and cofounder
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“New collaborative technologies are necessary for the workplace of the future. Cal Newport is trying to figure out how knowledge workers might work together more effectively. This will give rise to the new workspace.
–Kevin Kelly, Wired’s senior maverick
“Cal Newport’s latest study tackles the core of the email issue rather than just addressing its symptoms. The current quo is questioned in this audacious, innovative, and nearly prophetic work. Read this book right away if you want to see what the future of work could hold.
— Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, written by Greg McKeown, a New York Times bestselling author
I put everything else aside and read a Cal Newport book when it comes out. Newport presents a strong case that we can and will do far better than email, with examples and proof ranging from the state of the art in programming to the factory floors of a century ago. Read this excellent book. It’s altering my life, and it could change yours.
–The Data Detective’s author, Tim Harford
“This book serves as a rallying cry. According to Newport, the moment has come to rethink employment with the express purpose of maximizing our brain’s capacity to contribute value in a sustainable manner. Read this book to get started so that your teams and organizations don’t lose out any more.
— Harvard Business School professor of leadership Leslie A. Perlow, author of Sleeping with Your Smartphone
“This book defines the scale of a problem too few of us knew existed…it’s a profound insight.”
The Financial Times
“Ford researched ways to streamline the manufacturing process and increase efficiency. Newport is now carrying out knowledge work in a similar manner.
–Good fortune
“A startlingly brief history of email that highlights how abruptly email altered how employees worked… There are some wise suggestions in this book for both people and corporations.
–Wall Street Journal’s Laura Vanderkam
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“Compared to the typical personal productivity fare, Newport’s systems-orientated approach shows far more promise. His theories aim to completely prevent the deluge.
–GQ
“For knowledge workers in any organisation, this analysis and recommendations will resonate.”
Forbes
“This book is a positive step… Newport makes the bold claim that businesses who are obsessed with efficiency are completely neglecting to examine their own processes. They are contributing to the general decline of society and making their products worse. It’s quite an impressive indictment.
–The Ezra Klein Show’s Ezra Klein
“This book offers a perspective that helps us better analyse what many of us perceive to be a rather frustrating manner of working. Hopefully, your employer will get a copy.
–GQ
Summary
With an emphasis on the widespread use of email and instant messaging, this introduction lays the groundwork for a critical analysis of contemporary knowledge work practices. Nish Acharya, a senior counsellor in the Obama administration, is the first person whose workplace network was momentarily shut down because of a security concern.
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Acharya unintentionally learnt the advantages of working without frequent email contact as a result of this episode, which is known as “Dark Tuesday.” After that, the focus switches to a more comprehensive criticism of the notion that email and related technologies have unquestionably increased business productivity.
Contrary to popular opinion, the author contends that these technologies may have sacrificed little comforts for substantial productivity losses. For knowledge work to advance, a reassessment of these tools and the workflows they create is required.