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Dan Pink's new book When

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 1:02 pm
by jennypenny
Tim Ferriss had Dan Pink as a guest on his most recent podcast, which reminded me to post a review of Pink’s new book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. I read it a couple of weeks ago. It’s a quick read and worth it if you’re into maximizing your time and performance. I particularly liked it because it gave specific recommendations for adjusting your time and work schedule.

It will also convince you to always go to the doctor in the morning.

Anyway, recommend.

Re: Dan Pink's new book When

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 10:30 pm
by theanimal
Gave it a read after listening to the podcast and the above recommendation. That Tim Ferriss interview was good, Dan Pink is a likable guy. I too, enjoyed the book. Much of the idea centers around the idea that there are better times in the day for functioning than others. Most people exhibit a peak in the morning, decline in the afternoon and rise again in the evening. Different tasks are more appropriate for each section. For example, it suggests that for most people analytical tasks are best in the morning when your brain is firing on all cylinders, administrative tasks in the afternoon and brainstorming/creative tasks in the evening. The book goes further than just daily schedules though, also discussing endpoints, timing in lifespans and group timing among other things. It's worth picking up.

Re: Dan Pink's new book When

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:43 am
by jennypenny
I think I included A Whole New Mind (an older, better Pink book) in the package I sent you.

The book was a light read yet I found it helpful. I'm a big believer in polyphasic sleeping so I'm already a proponent of naps. It takes practice but IMO it's worth it to learn how to nap quickly and efficiently. I haven't tried a 'nappuccino' yet.

My only complaint about the book was that it was too short. I wish he'd written more about the differences in native language and perception of the future, which he mentioned in passing at the end.

Re: Dan Pink's new book When

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:04 pm
by theanimal
Yes, you did. I started it this morning.

I'm a big fan of the short naps as well, have been doing it since college. It does become easier with time. I find that I fall to sleep in about 3-4 minutes and wake up after ~17 min. I set an alarm for 20 but find that I never make it that far unless I'm really tired. The "nappuccino" idea does work as advertised. I don't drink coffee so I use chocolate (100%) instead. You wake up feeling supercharged and ready to conquer anything.

In the podcast, there was the one section where he talked about his criteria for deciding if something was to be a book or not. One of those criteria was determined whether it'd be better off as an article. I'm guessing he errs on the side of too short rather than too long. I wish more non-fiction books did that.

Re: Dan Pink's new book When

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:50 am
by jennypenny
I going to try a nappuccino today. I normally don't have to set an alarm when I nap but I'll see how the caffeine affects the quality of my sleep.