Em’s Reviews > Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout > Status Update

Cal, you are a sloppy researcher. Grisham wrote the Firm after being inspired by an article from Writers Digest that was basically, "top 10 tips on writing thrillers." Did you have a contractual obligation to fill and that's how you came up with this sloppy book?

This is painful to listen to because Newport's reading/speaking is stilted, and this guy needs an editor. It's so sloppily written.

This is slow going - the irony. The author reads it, and his pronunciation of the letter "t" is awkward on words such as "important," which he says a lot. He needs vocal coaching/training because it's distracting. Content-wise, it seems geared to entrepreneurs and high-level managers/leaders. For someone not used to protecting their time, I can see this being beneficial. For me, it's a reminder within my control.

I'm slowly making my way through this. While it's interesting, it's also not the kind of thing I want to listen to for hours at a time. I chose this to help me manage my workload (five jobs rolled into one). I do agree with some criticisms that many people will not have the power to implement some of his ideas. It does have value though. I also own the kindle version, which I plan to refer to.

I'm really enjoying the content, even though Newport has some speaking quirks. As a knowledge worker, I agree with much of what he's asserting.

I held off on this book because so many reviews stated something like, "must be nice to have control over your schedule," which most of us don't. However, I think some of those readers failed to take into account that you can still take away knowledge, even if it's not a "how to" book. I like that Newport is reflective about the modern workplace. He, too, is bound by schedules and deadlines.