Shorter

Work Better, Smarter, and Less—Here's How

By: Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Narrated by: Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

Discover how you and your company can work less, be more productive, and make time for what's really important with the support of this life-changing book.​ The idea of success embraced by the global economy means being always-on, never missing an opportunity, and outworking your peers. But working ever-longer hours is't sustainable for companies or individuals. Fatigue-induced mistakes, whether in the operating room or factory line, cost companies billions, and overwork alienates and burns out valuable employees. But what if there is another way? Shorter tells the story of entrepreneurs and leaders all over the world who have discovered how to shrink the workweek without cutting salaries or sacrificing productivity or revenues. They show that by reducing distractions, eliminating inefficiencies, and creating time for high-quality focus and collaboration, 4-day workweeks can boost recruitment and retention, make leaders more thoughtful and companies more sustainable, and improve work-life balance. Using design thinking, a business and product development process pioneered in Silicon Valley, futurist and consultant Alex Pang creates a step-by-step guide for readers to redesign their workdays.

Critic reviews

"This is one of the most hopeful books I have read about the state of modern work. In Shorter, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang shares not only the stories of the creatives and visionaries around the world who are pushing back against always-on burnout culture, but he gives a practical, step-by-step guide for how they did it, why it matters--for all of us--and how others can follow their lead. A must-read for anyone who cares about the now or the future of work."
—Brigid Schulte, award-winning journalist, author of the New York Times bestselling Overwhelmed: Work, Love & Play when No One has the Time, and director of The Better Life Lab at New America

"It's time to question everything we think we know about work, starting with how long we need to do it. Shorter makes a strong case for working less, showing us how any business can profit from giving their workers more free time. Pang provides a step-by-step guide for leaders who are ready to liberate their people from the tyranny of the 40-hour work week."—Carmen Medina, coauthor of Rebels at Work and former director of the CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence.

"Who said a full workweek has to be five days? What if less is actually more? In Shorter, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang inspires us with a powerful vision: A shorter, but more productive and enjoyable workweek. I hope this book sparks a revolution in how--and how much--we work!""
—Valorie Burton, founder and CEO of the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and bestselling author of Successful Women Think Differently

Definitely worth looking into

The author did a great job of narrating his point. And showing different ways that it could be applied. Definitely an area I will be putting more thought into and definitely recommend reading the book. Although it does get a bit repetitive, I do value the information.

Good premise that should be 40% shorter

Concept is good, and I’m going to try it in one of my companies. I get that the sheer number of interviews and real world examples are to try and convince different industries to consider what’s possible, but it got so repetitive I pushed the speed to 2X and even started skipping 30 seconds at a time just to get to the end.

Makes An Excellent Case

This is my second book from this author. I read “Rest” first and radically changed my schedule to stabilize my mental health and sanity as an entrepreneur. After reading “Shorter” I am embarking on additional changes to my schedule to move myself and my team to a 4-day workweek. I appreciate the information shared in this book and I enjoyed listening to the author reading it.