I just finished reading Cal Newport’s latest book, Deep Work. It is well-written and argues a compelling thesis: deep, focused work is necessary for creative and professional accomplishment. Also this type of work is becoming more valuable at exactly the time it is becoming rarer. I work closely with Cal in the course we teach, […]
The Bicycle Problem: How the Illusion of Explanatory Depth Tricks Your Brain
Do you know how a bicycle works? If asked, could you say where the chain, pedals and frame are? According to a 2006 study by the University of Liverpool, maybe not. Participants in the study were asked to draw a picture of a bicycle. Later, to make sure that lack of artistic skill wasn’t a […]
Failures of Intensity
Most advice about success, especially communicated through blog articles on the internet, is about what to do. If you want to lose weight, experts tell you what you should eat, what you shouldn’t, which exercises to do or when to do them. If you want to build a business, different experts tell you which steps […]
What Does it Mean to Work Hard?
I don’t feel like I work very hard. These days I usually wake up when I want to. I take frequent breaks. I even take random days off to spend time with friends, to go hiking or to read a book. This seems to be true even when I have a lot of work to […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.