Smarter Faster Better

The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business
by Charles Duhigg | Random House © 2016 · 400 pages

Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning NY Times journalist (and Harvard MBA) who wrote the best-selling book The Power of Habit in which he walked us through the science of building better habits. In this book, he walks us through the science of being productive so we can be smarter, faster and better at everything we do. It’s a great book packed with fascinating stories and practical applications. Big Ideas we explore include the 2 keys to motivation, how to build your focus, the best way to set goals (think: Stretch + SMART), why disfluency helps learning and how productivity is all about choices.


Productivity, put simply, is the name we give our attempts to figure out the best uses of our energy, intellect, and time as we try to seize the most meaningful rewards with the least wasted effort. It’s a process of learning how to succeed with less stress and struggle. It’s about getting things done without sacrificing everything we care about along the way.
Charles Duhigg

“We now know how productivity really functions. We know which choices matter most and bring success within closer reach. We know how to set goals that make the audacious achievable; how to reframe situations so that instead of seeing problems, we notice hidden opportunities; how to open our minds to new, creative connections; and how to learn faster by slowing down the data that is speeding past us.

This is a book about how to recognize the choices that fuel true productivity. It is a guide to the science, techniques, and opportunities that have changed lives. There are people who have learned how to succeed with less effort. There are companies that create amazing things with less waste. There are leaders who transform the people around them.

This is a book about how to become smarter, faster, and better at everything you do.”

~ Charles Duhigg from Smarter Faster Better

Charles Duhigg wrote the best-selling book The Power of Habit (see Notes) in which he walked us through the science of building better habits.

In this book, he walks us through the science of being productive so we can be smarter, faster and better at everything we do. (← I’ll take it!)

It’s a great book packed with fascinating stories and practical applications. We get to learn about everything from how the Marines reimagined boot camp to how Disney moved through creative roadblocks to create Frozen. (Get a copy here.)

The book has eight chapters: Motivation, Teams, Focus, Goal Setting, Managing Others, Decision Making, Innovation, and Absorbing Data.

It’s packed with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share a few of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!

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About the author

Authors

Charles Duhigg

New York Times reporter and author