"All 272 pages of this book could have been condensed into a three-page blog post, perhaps without the pages filled with cutesy large text. My ultimate takeaway is that I find Greg McKeown incredibly annoying. However, there are also some other, intuitive ideas that can be helpful, like:

· You cannot have it all. Decide what your agenda or goal is, and pursue only opportunities that lead you to that goal. If you don't have your own agenda, someone else will make it for you. Don't commit casually to plans you're not sure about.

· Don't be afraid to be unavailable. If you can't do a side project, say so. Focus requires you to set aside time for your priority.

· Teams function better if there is one clear, quantifiable, overarching purpose. I'm trying to work on this as a manager, so it was nice to have this reinforced.

· Keeping a journal and making time to read are important. McKeown literally suggests the Book of Mormon, which makes me want to read trashy YA instead. I do agree that it's better to take time for yourself in the morning - I always feel better when I have time to hang out and make myself breakfast, instead of checking my email as I sprint for the N train.

There, see? I wrote this book in four bullet points! Essentialism!

On the topic of Greg McKeown: I find it extremely - if not impossibly - difficult to take someone seriously who tries to use Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela as examples of essentialist thinkers. "Rosa Parks said NO to others' agendas, you can too!" Is this for real? It's so obvious that this guy is a rotating speaker for Jack Dorsey companies. Google's got Lego sets in its offices, guys! Unleash your (nebulously defined) sense of play!!

It may just be that I've never sacrificed sleep for productivity (because I'm a monster when I don't sleep at least 7 hours), but I also find the recent spate of celebrities and CEOs touting the benefits of sleep somewhat odd. really just wants you to take a nap? Jeff Bezos sleeps eight hours? No one has ever thought of this before. AMAZING. "