A World Without Email: Find Focus and Transform the Way You Work Forever (from the NYT bestselling productivity expert)

by Cal Newport

I attempted to push back against this generalized fatalism by detailing three specific ways in which the hyperactive hive mind workflow makes us unhappy: the psychological anxiety of an inbox that fills up faster than we can empty it, the frustrating ineffectiveness of text-only communication, and the out-of-control overload that results when friction is eliminated from office interactions. When we isolate these sources of unease, they no longer seem unavoidable; rather, they are unfortunate and largely unexpected clashes between the specific ways we work and the natural operation of our brains. The solution is not to shrug our shoulders, but instead to pursue the obvious fix: replace the hyperactive hive mind with alternative workflows that still get things done, but sidestep the worst of these misery-inducing side effects.