Review of the new book, Effortless by Greg McKeown
Hi ,
I went away this weekend. And you know what, it was bloody great.
Books were read, biscuits were eaten, tea was drunk, the wood fire was lit. It was a definite reminder on how much mini breaks are required in life (and how I could do with a whole week off in the near future).
Big thank you for all your fiction recommendations on Instagram. I got into this book 👇🏻, that I've seen so many people raving about online. The book is written as the first-person narrative from twelve different women. Women of different ages, economic-statuses, sexualities, races and backgrounds. It's honest, funny, and thought-provoking. I'm on the second story and looking forward to reading the next ten.
Interestingly, it's written without any full stops, so the dialogue just runs (like some of my sentences, sorry to my copywriting/author friends!). It takes a couple of pages to get into the flow of, but you actually stop noticing it pretty quickly. Some lines are also set differently, forcing a different speed or rhythm of reading (like poetry). I'm enjoying reading something that feels quite different to my usual non-fiction reads.
(PS. this is my new Uniqlo 3D knit jumper that I cannot stop wearing)
In other bookish updates, I also finished reading the new book by Greg McKeown, Effortless, you'll find my review of that one if you keep scrolling down this email.
Finally, Adam Grant has released his summer reading list. Adam's is always one of my favourite book lists, you can check it out here.
Let me know what you're reading at the moment, I'd love to know, just hit reply to this email.
In bookish breaks,
Steph
PS. To borrow from Austin Kleon (and everyone else who borrows this from Austin Kleon), this newsletter and the podcast are 'free but not cheap'. You can support their creation by purchasing your next book through my affiliate stores with Book Depository (global) or Bookshop (US), buying me a coffee or leaving a podcast review on the website. Thanks!
Review: Effortless by Greg McKeown
Quick blurb
We've been tricked into believing that the only way to succeed is through painful, hard work. Greg McKeown is challenging this, suggesting that many of us make life much harder than we need to, leading to constant exhaustion and an overwhelming feeling that we're not doing enough (🙋🏻♀️). Effortless shares a different approach - a smoother, kinder way of living and working through embracing an effortless state, effortless action, and effortless results. This isn't lazy, it's smart.
What I liked
I really like the concept and ideas in the book. Pretty much everyone I know (myself included) is guilty of feeling like we need to suffer a bit (or a lot) in order to achieve something. But it makes no sense. The book is full of real-life examples, studies, and anecdotes on how people have stopped struggling and started reaching the same (or greater) rewards with less strife. The lessons are a mix of practical shifts in mindsets and behaviours.
Luckily you don't need to put in exponential effort to get the results of the book either. The book is structured tidily into the three sections (state / action / results) and is very readable. Greg has a relaxed, colloquial style to his writing which is easy to read and digest. There's also a useful summary at the end of each of the three sections, which I found helpful in cementing some of the key ideas.
What I didn't
I'm not sure whether I'd say I didn't like this, but this is very much a book of other books. It contains bits of...
Atomic Habits by James Clear (compound effect of good habits / designing your environment / stacking)
The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile (turning your habits into rituals)
Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande (using a checklist to avoid mental energy and mistakes)
Various ideas of Cal Newport, Nir Ayal, Ramit Sethi (automate and/or outsource as much as possible to avoid decisions, errors, and time spent on menial tasks)
Various productivity concepts (time boxing / Pomodoro / stopping whilst you're ahead / naps)
And more.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and don't mistake my point - Greg is certainly not ripping anyone off. But when you've read all those books, and seen these ideas or studies quoted several times, it feels a little repetitive and lacking in a really original idea.
Who I'd recommend it for
Counter to my previous point, I can see myself recommending this book in the future. Mainly to anyone who is a) making life hard for themselves(!), b) needs a different perspective / mindset shift on hard vs worthy, and c) wants to read just one book, rather than a dozen!
However, if you've got a pretty good grasp on these ideas / have read a lot on productivity and habits, then you're probably not going to get a huge amount of new insight from the book. I'd suggest investing your time into something else. One that springs to mind would be When by Daniel Pink.
PS. I'll be summarising the three big ideas this book next week on the podcast, make sure you're subscribed and keep your eyes and ears peeled for that episode.
PS. if you'd like to take better book notes this year, you can enjoy a 15% discount on your very own copy of the Archley's Book of Books book journal, here^.
Ear food
🎙Podcast: The Knowledge Project - The ever-generous Oscar Trimboli sent me the links to the Farnham Street podcast, the Knowledge Project, featuring an interview with Jim Collins. He talks through the research from Good to Great and digs into more detail on some of the principles. An in-depth, long-form, listen. (Listen)
🎵Music: I Can't Stand the Rain radio (Spotify) - The radio feature is one of my favourite Spotify features, and I can't get enough of this 'station' I created off the back of the classic 'I Can't Stand the Rain' by Anne Peebles. It's a lot of soul, a dose of funk, a nod to motown, a touch of disco, a sprinkle of jazz, and a whole heap of good. (Listen)
Meanwhile, on the bookshelf
Recent Steph's Business Bookshelf podcast episodes, in case you missed them...
Little Black Stretchy Pants (The Unauthorised Lululemon Story) by Chip Wilson
(Listen)
A World Without Email by Cal Newport
(Listen)