Why It Ranks #53
The most useful book about saying no. McKeown gives you permission and a framework to eliminate the non-essential from your work and life, and the result is dramatically higher impact on the things that actually matter.
The Review
Greg McKeown argues that the disciplined pursuit of less — not more — is the path to making your highest contribution. Essentialism is not about getting more done in less time. It is about getting the right things done by systematically eliminating everything that is not essential. The book provides a framework for identifying the vital few activities that produce 90% of your results and ruthlessly cutting the trivial many that consume your time without producing value.
Key Takeaways
- 1If it is not a clear yes, it is a clear no — apply this to every commitment
- 2The disciplined pursuit of less produces more meaningful results than doing everything
- 3Trade-offs are real and unavoidable — acknowledge them rather than pretending you can have it all
- 4Protect your time for the essential or other people will fill it with the trivial
Fun Facts
- •McKeown wrote the book after realizing he said yes to too many opportunities after his first book's success
- •Apple, Google, and Facebook have used Essentialism principles in team training
- •The book was a Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller
Book Details
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Pages
272
Goodreads Rating
4.04/5
Copies Sold
2M+
First Published
2014
Get Glen’s Updates
Investing insights, new tools, and whatever I’m building this week. Free. No spam.
Unsubscribe anytime. I respect your inbox more than Congress respects property rights.
Keep Exploring
Top 25 Business Books
See the full ranked list of the best business books ever written.
Read moreTop 25 Stock Market Books
The 25 best books about investing in the stock market, ranked.
Read moreTop 25 Personal Finance Books
The 25 best personal finance books ever written.
Read moreBillionaires
Profiles, strategies, and humor from the world's richest people.
Read moreConsulting
Salesforce development, technical strategy, and systems architecture.
Read moreBooks
Full book recommendations and reviews from Glen Bradford.
Read more