Cool Down: Getting Further by Going Slower

by Steve Prentice

Tap into the power that cool thinking generates--learn how going slower can actually help you get more done, faster. Before you check your wireless e-mail for the fourth time this hour, ask yourself, is this truly helping you get further ahead? Or is the pressure to address the immediate actually pushing you backwards?Cool Down takes a look at our innate and powerful addiction to high-speed activity, and shows how it is robbing us of the ability to think creatively and to connect with others (clients, colleagues, managers, and even family) just when we need to the most.Cool Down offers a provocative look at the value of slowing down in many aspects of our lives and demonstrates clearly that to get further ahead, faster, people do actually need to cool down. It's not about doing less; it's about achieving more by slowing down. Cool Down highlights the harmful effects of speed on productivity and reveals the value of slow in helping us to think clearly and prioritize more effectively.Cool Down is a fascinating look at the world of work, revealing how and why slow is the next tool of strategic advantage.Shows why and how to consciously step away from reactionism, pressure, and overload. Reveals the numerous ways in which cooling down will improve your potential and abilities--intellectually, emotionally, and creatively--making you more productive by going slower. Contains practical advice that will help you apply cool techniques to real-world at work, on the road, and at home. Explains how to improve communication with your boss, your colleagues, and your family. Features lots of examples, practical tips, to-dos, and concepts that are memorable and easy to apply. Each end-of-chapter summary includes "Key Points to Take Away" and assessment questions to help you honestly observe and change your current habits. A complete approach to managing the pressures of life in a fast-paced world, Cool Down allows you to slow down so you can get ahead--and stay there.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2010

About the author

Steve Prentice is an author and speaker who specializes in at-work productivity and whose main stomping grounds are the streets and offices of downtown Toronto.

He has published three business books. The first, Cool Time: A Hands-On Plan for Balancing Work and Managing Time, was published by John Wiley and Sons in 2005 and has been translated into three other languages.

His second book, "Cool Down: Getting Further By Going Slower, was published by John Wiley & Sons in 2009 and focuses on the stress management benefits of the "Slow Movement."

His third book, "Work Like a Wolf: Own Your Future," is a handbook for finding and keeping a job in the new economy.

Finally, his novel, "Mouth" came about because Steve's brain desperately wanted him to write something fun for a change.

He is also the lead guitarist and vocalist for the band Absolutely Jack.