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Productivity Is For Robots: How To (re)Connect, Get Creative, And Stay Human In The New World

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If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or discouraged by what it means to be “productive” in the new world, Productivity Is For Robots provides a roadmap for unlearning the “hustle and grind dogma” that leads to stress and burnout. Filled with lessons from history’s greatest artists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries, the book weaves together stories to show readers how to reach new levels of human connection, creativity, and flow.

From Ernest Hemingway to James Cameron, Theodore Roosevelt to Salvador Dali, J.K. Rowling to Steve Martin, the book explores how dozens of creators have produced meaningful work—not by being robotic in work ethic, but by embracing the tools of human nature. With chapters on developing intuition, cultivating self-awareness, and tapping into creative flow—Productivity Is For Robots is a call to reclaim what it means to be human in the new world.

McComb argues that, “productivity without purpose is an arrow without a target,” and that by ditching the “productivity protocols” in which we’ve been indoctrinated, we can reconnect with what matters, overcome creative blocks, and yes—be more productive than ever.

Whether you’re in a creative rut, burnt out from endless chasing, or trapped in a Groundhog Day of mediocrity, the principles in this book will help you thrive.

It’s time to double down on what sets us apart from technology.

It’s time to confirm once and for all: I’m not a robot

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2020

50 people are currently reading
302 people want to read

About the author

Corey McComb

3 books3 followers

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5 stars
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35 (31%)
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26 (23%)
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Liina.
354 reviews322 followers
March 19, 2023
I feel kind of bad saying this, as the author certainly went through a lot to get all of it on paper but this is a mediocre self-help book with quite a lot of navel-gazing. As the author said himself in one of the last chapters - the best advice is what you already know said to you by someone else. That's what Productivity is for Robots was all about - parroting truths that verge on being cliches. No, not everyone can do what they feel passionate about. No, not everyone HAS one single passion and goal no matter how hard they try to find it because books like this claim "everybody does!", you just have to do some inner work to find it. I mean you are certainly lucky, if your only worry is the inner work you need to do.
Very basic and no scientific data thrown in. At the end of the book, there was a note that advised readers who are interested in citations and materials used in the book, to email the author with a request for a list (??). And the author also says that “The prefrontal cortex is a muscle like any other,". I mean...what? last I checked it was grey & white matter as the rest of the brain.
2 stars for some interesting quotes by famous and smart people, that the author used to illustrate his points.
Profile Image for Matt Hutson.
316 reviews107 followers
January 27, 2021
I didn't want to stop reading! Productivity is for Robots is filled with stories of inspiration and burnout, creativity and humanity. It's a book for everyone who is dying to be productive but don't want to lose their humanity.

The book is all about connecting, creating, and finding flow. When you were able to do all three of these you are able to be the most productive and most human you could ever be.

It's filled with research, many great stories from people such as Theodore Roosevelt and the crew of The Endurance.

Corey put his heart into this book and it shows through the words he writes. It's written to help you change your perspective about what productivity is and how you don't have to work 100 hours a week to get what you want. The practical lessons are plenty.

You've got stories of James Cameron and Stan Lee. Sometimes your childhood dream, your goal, the thing you want to come into reality has to wait until the time is right, just like James Cameron did for Avatar. The story idea is something he had in his mind since he was a little kid, but he could not bring it into reality until 2009 when the technology was good enough to put it on the big screen. The point being that sometimes you have to wait until the right time in order to make your goals a reality.

I highly recommend reading this book.
Profile Image for Jule.
220 reviews2 followers
May 13, 2023
As I feel stuck in the world of toxic productivity lately this books gave me a few nice moments of self-realization. It has short chapters, which is something I dislike, but ok. It´s a nice, but not very good book
Profile Image for Jenny.
145 reviews5 followers
September 8, 2022
If I hadn't read so many books on similar subjects* over the past year or two, I probably would've been more enthusiastic about this book, and I certainly still liked it! But it felt like it leaned a little too heavily on anecdotes and platitudes moreso than concrete information, with even the citations in the back being oddly conversational. Of course, that's probably part of the point, and I think the book was strongest when it leaned into being a personal journey more than an expert self-help guide.

Personally, what really kept me from enjoying it more (besides the "wabi-sabi" chapter toward the end, which as a Japanese translator I found ill-contrived) was the incorrect usage of commas throughout the book. I know that's super nit-picky, and it might not bother most readers, but I kept wondering why the editor didn't fix the weird comma situation with authors and titles, ex.: "In the book, 'Productivity Is For Robots, the author, Corey McComb sometimes uses commas confusingly." I don't mean to poke fun, but it happened very frequently and I found it really distracting.

Overall, though, I still got some nice lessons and reminders out of it! I think this would be a great place to start for anyone looking to rethink their understanding of "productivity."

* "How to Do Nothing" by Jenny Odell and "Burnout" by Emily Nagoski being standout examples, which I would recommend for further reading
Author 20 books81 followers
April 4, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s incredibly an well written defense of being human rather than trying to be an efficiency-seeking robot. I love this from Kevin Kelly:

“Productivity is for robots. What we’re really good at is wasting time. Innovation isn’t efficient. Art is not efficient. Relationships are not efficient. Efficiency is for robots.”

McComb writes: “I’d become a burnt-out zombie with a Wi-Fi connection. I stopped thinking about productivity as the vehicle and made it the goal. I was competing with robots. Speed, efficiency, optimization—these aren’t just the traits we expect from our devices. These are now the qualities we demand from ourselves. Humans make terrible robots!” The book is divided into three sections: (re)Connect, Create, and Flow. It’s an excellent complement to George Gilder’s information theory of capitalism—that creativity and innovation always take us by surprise, and creativity can only come from human beings. And I love the note to the Reader at the end: “To me, a good book should not only transfer knowledge but be an invitation to think. It should inspire, remind, and unearth old truths long-forgotten. It shouldn’t just tell you what to do. It should show you the way.” There’s so many great stories and reminders expressed beautifully that we are human beings, not robots, so let’s stop competing and focus on what makes us unique.

We will be interviewing Corey McComb on www.thesoulofenterprise.com on May 21, 2021. I am really looking forward to it!

Notable
Dr. Suess, who said, “Adults are just obsolete children.”

Comedian Dave Chappelle describes letting ideas drive in an episode of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee: SEINFELD: The idea’s driving. CHAPPELLE: Sometimes I’m shotgun. Sometimes I’m in the f—ing trunk. The idea takes you where it wants to go.

Arthur Schopenhauer that goes, “Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.”

Richard Feynman, “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest to fool.” Ask yourself: If I wasn’t already doing it this way, is this how I would begin? Is what I am working toward important, or does it feel important because I’ve fixated on it for so long?

Your Wabi-Sabi: Success leaves clues, but data tells a story. And there’s more data on what works and what doesn’t than ever before. You too can have an algorithm for greatness for just a few monthly payments. The Japanese call it wabi-sabi—the beauty found in the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. You’re already you. You already have the quirks and a unique set of fingerprints. “How am I different?” Not, better, just different. It’s once you can answer that question that you’re free to ask, “How can I be different AND better?”
Profile Image for Kjell.
36 reviews
May 6, 2021
Corey is the best storyteller.
Productivity is for Robots is written from the heart with the goals of making you rethink your productivity.

I've interviewed him about why he wrote the book. Here's an excerpt:

"Working as a full-time copywriter, hustling in his free time and trying to build an audience was becoming too much. But how could it be? Everywhere Corey looked, people were more successful, being more productive, making more money …

He felt like he was falling behind. Corey was on the hedonic treadmill and the speed was increasing day by day. He was close to falling off when he realised something.

“I’m competing with robots.”

Corey always wanted more and better. But he was losing sight of why."

Read on here: https://coffeeandpens.com/corey-mccom...
Profile Image for Megan.
1,081 reviews80 followers
May 13, 2023
Read in March or April? All in one sitting. Oddly I found this super insightful, and now about a month later, as I'm going to write a review, I realize that I can remember LITERALLY NOTHING about it. So... maybe not so much life-changing stuff or anything with staying power?

I'm also currently reading "Do Nothing" and "The Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary," and I think both touch on many similar things and are more worthwhile.
Profile Image for Buyerbooks.
19 reviews
August 29, 2021
This book is divided into 3 sections ,(re) connect , creat and flow, this book will help us to (re) examine what it means to be a human and how to get the most out of our nature.This book will reconnect us with ourselves, the world around us and what it means to live with purpose.

I confirmed after reading this book, that I am not a robot.
Profile Image for Ashley.
4 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2021
“Hangovers, emotional rollercoasters, physical exhaustion--these are not “tools of the artist”. These are things that will almost always stand between an artist and their best work.” (pg 98)

Great insight on maximizing our productivity and plenty of inspirational stories in each chapter.
Profile Image for Medhat  ullah.
409 reviews14 followers
December 29, 2024
Maximizing Efficacy through Mechanistic Optimization Paradigms :)
Mechanistic fixation on productivity engenders a dehumanized ontology, privileging efficiency over authentic human experience and nuanced existential engagement
Profile Image for Laura Lisowski.
23 reviews
February 17, 2021
Very enjoyable read!

A poignant reminder to slow down, breathe, realign and escape the rat race any chance you get. Worthwhile especially in current times.
Profile Image for Melynda.
947 reviews4 followers
March 7, 2022
🎧 Audiobook has some fun features.
Profile Image for Adyasha Maharana.
2 reviews10 followers
June 20, 2021
Short, engaging read that changed my outlook for good

While the title sounds like a cliched self-help book you might want to avoid, this book has surprisingly sound advice and golden nuggets of insight which has made my outlook towards work and life better. It's a short and engaging read, I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Himani.
171 reviews9 followers
March 16, 2021
A Book that will change the way you think!

'If the entrepreneur is the modern-day rock star, then optimization, scale, and efficiency are the new sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.
We want hacks. SMART pills. Anything to squeeze out that last drop of focus'

This book is truly unique in the way it has been cited to the reader. You know it the moment you read the first page. You know that this is going to change you and your philosophy forever and will leave a deep impact on the way you will follow things in life forthwith.

Before you move into the chapters the book wants you to confirm your humanity. Yes. It wants you to click:

I'm not a robot.

That way you will be able to understand it better. Also, it will keep on reminding you that you are not a robot. You're a human being who can be stressed, who can be unproductive, who can fail, who can fail on repetition and gain success late in life. And that's very natural.

So it's divided into 3 sections namely (re)Connect, Create & Flow.

All these sections have chapters that are full of encouraging, motivational stories of real-life people who have gone wrong, who have been lazy in their lives and one day got up and went forward, who have changed professions at their peak. Stories of people like J.K.Rowling, Agatha Christie, Edgar Degas, Stephen Hawking, Viktor Frankl and more.

Each story leaves you with an understanding & the author's take on it that he needs the reader to learn & implement in their life. I started implementing some & felt a little more human in this fast-changing technical world.

Completely easy going with well-woven chapters and step by step realisation towards the end is what kept me hooked to this book and it has been an incredible experience reading it.

If there's one book that I will say with surety that I will read in the future it's this.

I want to thank the author for writing the book.

Merged review:

'If the entrepreneur is the modern-day rock star, then optimization, scale, and efficiency are the new sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.
We want hacks. SMART pills. Anything to squeeze out that last drop of focus'

This book is truly unique in the way it has been cited to the reader. You know it the moment you read the first page. You know that this is going to change you and your philosophy forever and will leave a deep impact on the way you will follow things in life forthwith.

Before you move into the chapters the book wants you to confirm your humanity. Yes. It wants you to click:

I'm not a robot.

That way you will be able to understand it better. Also, it will keep on reminding you that you are not a robot. You're a human being who can be stressed, who can be unproductive, who can fail, who can fail on repetition and gain success late in life. And that's very natural.

So it's divided into 3 sections namely (re)Connect, Create & Flow.

All these sections have chapters that are full of encouraging, motivational stories of real-life people who have gone wrong, who have been lazy in their lives and one day got up and went forward, who have changed professions at their peak. Stories of people like J.K.Rowling, Agatha Christie, Edgar Degas, Stephen Hawking, Viktor Frankl and more.

Each story leaves you with an understanding & the author's take on it that he needs the reader to learn & implement in their life. I started implementing some & felt a little more human in this fast-changing technical world.

Completely easy going with well-woven chapters and step by step realisation towards the end is what kept me hooked to this book and it has been an incredible experience reading it.

If there's one book that I will say with surety that I will read in the future it's this.

I want to thank the author for writing the book.
Profile Image for Addy Reads.
428 reviews2 followers
June 2, 2023
I'm not an avid nonfiction reader, but I really enjoyed this one.

This book is all about Connecting, Creating, and Finding Flow. When you are able to do all three of these, you will be the most productive and most human you could ever be.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed or discouraged by what it means to be productive in the new world, productivity is for robots provides a road map for unlearning the "Hustle and grind dogma" that leads to stress and burnout. Filled with lessons from history's greatest artists, Entrepreneurs and visionaries, the books waves together stories to show readers how to reach new levels of human connection, creativity and flow.

From Earnest Hemingway to James Cameron, Theodore Roosevelt to Salvador Dali, J.K Rowling to Steve Martin, the book explores how dozens of creators have produced meaningful work-not by being robotic in work ethic, but by embracing the tools of human nature. With chapters of developing intuition, cultivating self-awareness, and tapping into creative flow. Productivity is for Robots is a call to reclaim what it means to be human in the new world.

McComb argues that "Productivity without Purpose is an arrow without a Target", and that by ditching the "Productivity Protocols" in which we've been indoctrinated, we can reconnect with that matters, overcome creative blocks, and yes be more productive than ever.

I would highly recommend this book. Whether you are in a creative rut, burn out from endless chasing, or trapped in a Groundhog day of mediocrity, the principles in this book will help you thrive.
15 reviews
October 9, 2021
"It’s a first-world dilemma: To explore or be productive?"

I picked up this title as someone who was starting to feel a little jaded and disconnected in an increasingly connected and busy world - I was feeling guilty for thinking I never got enough done, and as a result, got even less done! The read is lighthearted and the words rhythmic, but it is dense with encouraging stories and metaphors. I read it twice. Then I reviewed my highlighted notes, so essentially three times. The main gist is this: engage with the world to find something only you can create, that is meaningful to others, and in a way that is meaningful to you. Unfortunately there's much to navigate around to get there - comparison, distractions, over-analysis, fear, and doubt - and that is what this book describes - what to expect and how others have navigated this in ways that are inherently human.
200 reviews3 followers
May 26, 2022
It’s always good to read a self help book every now and then. The big ideas in this one are connect, create and flow. Be open to others, create what doesn’t exist that you can do uniquely, and follow paths that get you closer to your “mountain”.

He writes well and has many interesting anecdotes from famous people. This book is valuable for all but most so for people who feel lost or stuck in their life.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews

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