Deep work is the ability to focus on mentally demanding tasks without distraction. It allows workers to learn new skills faster and perform those skills better. So what’s holding us back from becoming “deep workers?” Things like mundane emails, social media, mandatory meetings, and countless other uniquely twenty-first century distractions all take a massive toll on our ability to focus and perform well at work. In “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World,” Cal Newport provides a roadmap to the kind of self-discipline needed to transcend distractions and become a truly deep worker. About the author: Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University who studies the theory of distributed systems. In addition to his academic work, he writes about the intersection of technology and culture for general audiences and is the author of 6 bestselling books.