I recently finished reading “Smarter Faster Better” by Charles Duhigg. Duhigg is also the author of “The Power of Habit” which I reviewed HERE. “Power of Habit” rocked my world in my awareness of how habits run our lives. Even though it was not on my 2016 reading list, as soon as I saw the cover for “Smarter Faster Better“, I was intrigued. To top it off, Charles Duhigg was the special guest on The James Altucher Show podcast recently, which was the tipping point for me. I immediately ordered the book and dove in.
The premise (and subtitle) of “Smarter Faster Better” is how to be more productive in life and business. As a general topic, it may not sound super exciting, but Duhigg’s approach is so different. He really dives into the research behind each of the 8 concepts that make up the book. On top of that, he scouts the most captivating stories to make the research findings come to life. Duhigg shares how the success of his first book caused the stress in his work and personal life that led him to this book’s premise. According to Duhigg:
“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.”
Who cannot relate to that? It certainly is something I need to work on. In “Smarter Faster Better”, Duhigg tackles productivity from the perspective of the individual, as well as teams and organizations. He addresses new ways we can approach our priorities so we can be more satisfied with how we learn, work and create.
The following are the subjects he tackles in each chapter. Each of these have 2 or 3 captivating real-life stories that are fun to read just because they are so interesting on their own. I will not steal the book’s thunder by telling you the stories here. But please believe me when I tell you they are the reason Duhigg’s work is so good.
8 Ways to be Smarter Faster Better
- Motivation
- Teams
- Focus
- Setting Goals
- Managing Others
- Decision Making
- Innovation
- Absorbing Data
The Bottom Line
There are certain authors that are worth reading regardless of the subject matter. In my book, Charles Duhigg is one of them. I would highly recommend “Smarter Faster Better” to anyone who works on a team or leads an organization. If you have a big project you will be working on (either alone or with others) this content will be super helpful!
In addition to team members and team leaders, I also think “Smarter Faster Better” would be an enjoyable read to anyone who likes to read behind-the-scenes tidbits from people from all walks of life. Beyond the productivity lessons learned, the book is interesting with just the stories alone!
To see more book recommendations and “Recent Reads” click HERE.
