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Simplify: Do 50 Percent More with 50 Percent Less
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • With AI upending work and life, the founders of Axios and bestselling authors of Smart Brevity offer a one-stop survival guide to dramatically improving your life, work, and happiness.
Toxic complexity clogs our meetings, inboxes, calendars—even in our daily habits. We can do so much more, but first we need to do less.Simplify shows you how. It's a step-by-step playbook for spending most of your time doing things that make you feel and perform better.
This urgent manual lets you take control of what is essential in a world where AI might simplify you out of a job. Maximize success by simplifying every aspect of your life. Ruthlessly distill what really matters to you, then clear the space to focus on what you do best.
Simplify will help anyone thrive, from interns to CEOs.
The authors draw on lessons from founding two hot startups—Axios and Politico—and their years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies. Simplify is packed with advice from some of the world's most successful people—your handbook for eliminating dreary distractions... so you can focus on what matters.
Toxic complexity clogs our meetings, inboxes, calendars—even in our daily habits. We can do so much more, but first we need to do less.Simplify shows you how. It's a step-by-step playbook for spending most of your time doing things that make you feel and perform better.
This urgent manual lets you take control of what is essential in a world where AI might simplify you out of a job. Maximize success by simplifying every aspect of your life. Ruthlessly distill what really matters to you, then clear the space to focus on what you do best.
Simplify will help anyone thrive, from interns to CEOs.
The authors draw on lessons from founding two hot startups—Axios and Politico—and their years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies. Simplify is packed with advice from some of the world's most successful people—your handbook for eliminating dreary distractions... so you can focus on what matters.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2026
About the author
Jim Vandehei
10 books41 followersJim VandeHei is co-founder and CEO of Axios and the New York Times bestselling author of Just the Good Stuff and Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less. VandeHei is also co-founder and former CEO of Politico and spent more than a decade as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 14, 2026
Do 50 Percent More with 50 Percent Less addresses the growing problem of unnecessary complexity in modern work and everyday life. Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz present a practical case for reducing distractions, identifying essential priorities, and directing more time and energy toward activities that improve performance and well-being.
A key strength of the book is its connection between simplicity and professional effectiveness. Drawing on the authors’ experience building Axios and Politico and advising major companies, it offers a timely perspective on managing competing demands while adapting to the changes brought by artificial intelligence. Its emphasis on doing less of what drains attention and more of what matters gives readers a clear framework for reconsidering their habits and responsibilities.
At 217 pages, this Kindle Edition may appeal to business professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, executives, and readers interested in productivity and personal development. Overall, Simplify presents a relevant message for anyone seeking greater focus, more intentional work habits, and a more manageable approach to modern life.
A key strength of the book is its connection between simplicity and professional effectiveness. Drawing on the authors’ experience building Axios and Politico and advising major companies, it offers a timely perspective on managing competing demands while adapting to the changes brought by artificial intelligence. Its emphasis on doing less of what drains attention and more of what matters gives readers a clear framework for reconsidering their habits and responsibilities.
At 217 pages, this Kindle Edition may appeal to business professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, executives, and readers interested in productivity and personal development. Overall, Simplify presents a relevant message for anyone seeking greater focus, more intentional work habits, and a more manageable approach to modern life.
October 24, 2026
Ok, but nothing special
I read multiple axios newsletters every day so I was hopeful that this would be just as insightful, but I found most of it to just be common sense. I was hoping for more of a game plan on offloading things to AI but it was fairly cursory stuff. A fast read at least, but it's not going to change my life in any significant way.
I read multiple axios newsletters every day so I was hopeful that this would be just as insightful, but I found most of it to just be common sense. I was hoping for more of a game plan on offloading things to AI but it was fairly cursory stuff. A fast read at least, but it's not going to change my life in any significant way.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews