Smarter Faster Better : : the Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

Locations
Call Number: 158 Du, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Social Science / Psychology / Duhigg, Charles
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	158 Du	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	158 Du	4-week checkout	Due 05-22-2024
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	158 Du	4-week checkout	Due 05-06-2024
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	158 Du	4-week checkout	Due 05-25-2024
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Social Science / Psychology / Duhigg, Charles	4-week checkout	Due 03-25-2024
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Social Science / Psychology / Duhigg, Charles	4-week checkout	Due 05-23-2024
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Social Science / Psychology / Duhigg, Charles	4-week checkout	Due 05-23-2024

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Not as good as his previous book submitted by SurfGrape on June 17, 2016, 8:38pm I enjoy general nonfiction books that demystify scientific research, especially when the author uses anecdotes to illustrate a point. I loved Duhigg’s previous book and thought SMARTER FASTER BETTER would be similar. I’m a writer who is trying to fit her creative life around other responsibilities, and I’m always looking for new productivity hacks, so the subtitle, “The secrets of being productive in life and business” appealed to me.

However, SMARTER FASTER BETTER isn’t a book about productivity. I’m not really sure what it is, except a collection of interesting narratives. Duhigg is a reporter for the New York Times and finding cool stories to report is what he’s trained to do. However, most of the time, I couldn’t figure out what idea the stories were meant to illustrate.

I don’t want my books dumbed down or explained point-by-point. But I want the examples to make sense. Even when I extracted meaning from the stories in SMARTER FASTER BETTER, the following chapter often contradicted what I’d surmised. For example, Duhigg insists that Saturday Night Live was so great because the cast members felt safe being in such a close-knit, stable group. However, he also states that the movie Frozen was creatively stuck until the Disney bosses shook things up by changing the dynamic of the team. So, which method produces hit entertainment?

Worse, at no time does Duhigg tell stories about people who stopped wasting time or put their time to better use (my definition of “productive”). The people he profiles—a poker champ, an airline pilot, the writers of Frozen—all worked extremely long hours to achieve success. They all put in an obscene amount of effort at the cost of personal and family time. That doesn’t sound smarter or better to me.

SMARTER FASTER BETTER has some good ideas in it, but they are crammed into a small appendix in the back. Duhigg explains that you need big goals, broken down into action steps. Those closest to the problem should have the decision-making power to solve it. The hardest part of any endeavor is getting started. Feeling in control will make you more motivated.

Nothing in this book is new, nor is it particularly interesting. This is probably why Duhigg relied on gripping stories of plane crashes, military intelligence failures, and high-stakes poker games to carry the book. They are wonderful tales well-told, but not something that will help anyone become more productive.