Innovations like smartphones and social media are useful, but many of us are increasingly troubled by how much control these tools seem to exert over our daily experiences–including how we spend our free time and how we feel about ourselves. In recent years, our culture’s relationship with personal technology has transformed from something exciting into something darker.

But his readers had an urgent follow-up question: What about technology in our personal lives? In the fall of 2022, he launched a dedicated online portal,, to organize the various digital media he produces related to the major themes of his work.Georgetown computer scientist Cal Newport’s Deep Work sparked a movement around the idea that unbroken concentration produces far more value than the electronic busyness that defines the modern work day. He’s published a popular blog/newsletter since 2007 and more recently has branched into podcasting and video. In addition to his traditional book and article publications, Cal has also been an enthusiastic supporter of digital media. In 2012, he transitioned into the world of idea writing with his fourth title, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, which challenged the conventional career wisdom to “follow your passion.” This was followed by his Technology and Society trilogy: Deep Work (2016), Digital Minimalism (2019), and A World Without Email (2021), which combined his roles as an academic technologist and popular writer to examine, for a broad audience, the impact of technology on the quest to live and work in meaningful and deep ways. In recent years, his magazine work has been focused mainly on The New Yorker, where he became a Contributing Writer in 2021.Ĭal’s early books focused on student advice. He’s also a frequent contributor to major print publications including the New York Times, WIRED, and Outside.

He went on to publish seven books (and counting), which include multiple New York Times bestsellers, have been translated into over 40 languages, and have cumulatively sold over 2,000,000 copies worldwide. Cal signed his first book deal with Random House soon after his 21st birthday, while still an undergraduate at Dartmouth College.

Newport digital minimalism