Compiling best practices for a life of focus sounds like solid material. But I found myself losing interest with each chapter. In the end, I returned the book to the library without finishing it.

Vigorous editing could have whittled this title into a succinct and helpful pocket guide. Instead, each point was padded with non-essential examples. The layout and design drew me in; I only wish the content and organization had worked as well so that I'd have wanted to read to the very end. ( )

This book immediately made the shortlist that I consider my leadership canon. Put simply, essential is: less, but better. I immediately started using it to execute faster, focusing on first things first, and with minimal chaff. ( )

Today’s world is an increasingly complex place. Many of us feel like we live disintegrated lives and are pulled in many directions. Yet people who have the highest societal impact tend to have the ability to focus, and throughout the centuries, writers like Henry David Thoreau have reminded us to simplify instead of complicate. In this book, McKeown seeks to convey these timeless philosophical lessons in a more contemporary format, geared around modern business lives and personal well-being.

Some might say that there is nothing new in this book, and in one sense, they will be right. Most “self-help” books focus on finding the good and amplifying it as much as possible. This book does the same. Yet its examples are very interesting and fit more with contemporary life than many of the more classic works. Indeed, McKeown cites many of the classics along with modern scientific examples.

McKeown is a business writer who seeks to better the lives of modern workers. He also seems to genuinely care for his family and uses this philosophy to carve out a healthy space for them. He’s from the UK and holds an MBA from Stanford. The book itself seems to coalesce with his course taught at Stanford. His message especially tries to help executives and executive teams work better together by focusing on less instead of more.

This book has made an obvious impact on the business community, but that should not limit it. McKeown’s take borders on behavioral psychology and philosophy. Researchers who try to carve out a specialist’s niche will find this book relevant. The focus is more about getting the most out of life and work instead of how to benefit the bottom line. Because of this, even religious readers might find some benefit from reading this book. Thus, a wide variety of audiences can be engaged. In many ways, this book embodies McKeown’s philosophy: By focusing on less (i.e., the essence), it reaches a broader audience than it could by doing more. By my reading, it does its job with excellence. ( )

Took a long time to get to the point. I found myself frustrated, waiting for the author to quit the stories and get on with the meat of the information. ( )

As someone who tries to do all of the things, I found myself taking notes during this one. I have a hard time saying no, and I’m grateful for the advice of how to focus and decide what’s really important instead of saying yes to everyone. I found this one helpful for both my personal and professional life.

“If I didn’t already own this how much would I spend to buy it?”

“Multitasking is not the enemy of essentialism, pretending we can multifocus is.” ( )