This book surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens. It divides human history into four major parts: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Unification of Humankind, and the Scientific Revolution. Harari argues that Homo sapiens dominate the world due to their unique ability to cooperate in large numbers through beliefs in imagined realities such as gods, nations, money, and human rights. The book also examines the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem and speculates on the future of humanity, including the potential for genetic engineering and non-organic life.
In 'A World Without Email', Cal Newport argues that the constant digital communication, which he terms the 'hyperactive hive mind', has become a productivity disaster. He contends that this workflow, driven by email and other messaging tools, reduces profitability, slows economic growth, and makes workers miserable. Newport proposes a workplace where clear processes, not haphazard messaging, define task management. He advocates for each person working on fewer tasks but doing them better, with significant investment in support to reduce administrative burdens. The book lays out principles and concrete instructions for streamlining important communication and reducing the central role of inboxes and chat channels in the workplace.
The Name of the Wind is a heroic fantasy novel that tells the life story of Kvothe, an infamous adventurer and musician. The story is presented in a 'story-within-a-story' format, where Kvothe recounts his life to a scribe named Chronicler. The narrative spans from Kvothe's childhood in a troupe of traveling performers to his years as a student at a prestigious school of magic, and through various trials and hardships. The book is renowned for its vivid world-building, rich dialogue, and the emotional depth of its characters[2][4][5].
We cover a lot of advice on this podcast, covering a lot of different topics. In today’s episode, Cal takes on the challenge of summarizing every big idea he promotes in less than five minutes. He then provides some theoretical connective tissue to explain how they all connect. This is followed by reader questions and a rant about “productivity.”
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: The Tao of Cal [2:53]
- Why is time blocking more demanding than using a weekly template? [25:04]
- Is moving to the country a bad idea? [29:54]
- How can I consolidate my email accounts without being stressed out? [34:47]
- What’s the best approach to read for general knowledge? [36:20]
- How do I apply Slow Productivity without losing career capital? [43:12]
- CALL: Should I adjust my deep life lifestyle? [45:58]
CASE STUDY: Cultivating the deep work muscle [56:38]
CAL REACTS (e.g., Rants): “Productivity” Tracking Software [1:05:58]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1gwg7rk/employee_monitoring_software_has_gone_off_the/?rdt=41693
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions
zocdoc.com/deep
grammarly.com/podcast
shopify.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
Deep Questions with Cal Newport 
