Deep Work; Deeper question
“A book read by a thousand different people is a thousand different books.”
― Andrei Tarkovsky
Deep Work, a book by Cal Newport, the review of which I recently saw in Instagram and that review lacked the critical evaluation of this book. So, I thought to share my view as well. I read this book last year. This is one of the books recommended by Ranju’s book club for personal development, I do think this book is thought provoking and make us think about more than just ‘work at the deeper level’. Having said that, the book was only ‘good’ but not the top 3 books I read last year. Not great or phenomenal book because I did not learn new things from the book. Still to read the stuffs I know, and confirming what is needed for deep work was helpful. Occasionally, we need external validation to make sure we are doing right and this book provided that for me.
Deep work is distraction free productive work, the work that is not easily replicable, original and obviously will often result in success. This book will teach you how to achieve that deep work. For anyone who is distracted in this world where we have surplus of information, social media availability, unlimited consuming opportunities; this book could be life changing if you internalize and follow. For instance, this book talks about the distraction offered by social media, how we are victim of it, and how to avoid it. Let me share what I have been doing. I already have very limited presence in social media. I am rarely logged into my personal insta. I log out of insta app often so there is no notification, and when you try to log in (an extra step) it is easy to remember why you logged out and thus not get into the app mindlessly. When I was in twitter, I never used the app and used twitter mindfully in the web browser for the same reason. I am not in any other social media. I understand that social medias are created in a way to hook you up. Unless you are a creator, you are a consumer and if you are not mindful, social media is a matrix that will suck you in. Pick the blue pill and just don't get in. This book also talks about email distractions, which is true. I always take my time to respond to email (unless urgent). Turn the data/wifi of the phone off to work distraction free, again that is to silence any unnecessary notifications that might distract. This book gives various examples of successful people and how they did their deep work. For instance, how Adam Grant was the youngest full professor, how he published numerous academic articles and how high his H-score is. Another example, how Bill Gates takes the think week for the deep work. That is inspiring to know and to know that all successes come with hard work, focus and determination. The concern is the book trying to define success in certain way which I do not agree with.
If I already know deep work and if am doing it (I confess I have things to improve upon), how come I am not the most successful? I consider myself good clinician, I do data driven and patient centered care. I do not think I have any special work that is non-replicable. I do not have H-index in 60s or 70s, or even in double digit for that matter. But is that all the point of living? Is it right to categorize someone successful/unsuccessful in the basis of how much visible productive work they have done in their work career? If one is doing their work with the highest work ethic, making a difference one patient at a time, being a good clinician, good teacher for the trainees/medical students is that not good or even good enough? In similar way, any other person in any other field who enjoys what they do, making an impact in their own small way, are they not successful in life? I think they are successful. Not everyone needs to write a book or be a CEO of million-dollar industry to prove that they are successful and have done deep work. This book kind of tells us that's what the definition of success is, which I disagree with. The success at the level of Bill Gates comes from a lot more than ‘deep work’. A goal of deep work thus should be to live a content/happy life. You define your own success, big or small. If you define your success as good mother/father, happy home, loving sister, sharing laughter with family, then be it be the definition of success. If you think success is owning a software company, that too is fine, and you can achieve it. But do not let someone else define success for you.
What I also want to point out is ‘to question’, question everything including the books you read, and question the review you read. Do not accept things just because someone says it. Have the ability to think for yourself, evaluate yourself, and find out yourself before accepting. What you get out of a book could be completely different from someone else.
Mind is not the vessels to be filled but the fire to be kindled. Plutarch says- for the mind does not require filling like a bottle, but rather, like wood, it only requires kindling to create in it an impulse to think independently and an ardent desire for the truth. Any book that kindles the fire in our brain, any book that makes us think and question is a good book. Therefore, despite my contradictions, Deep Work is a good book.
