Productivity books are always popular, as The Power of Habit and Atomic Habits demonstrate. But The Deadline Effect: How to Work Like It's the Last Minute--Before the Last Minute is more than just a book about being more effective: it's a fascinating amalgamation of productivity tips and deep dives into the lives of people meeting extraordinary deadlines. From famous restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten opening two restaurants on back-to-back days to a failed 2020 presidential campaign to a military unit braced to provide immediate relief after hurricanes, journalist Christopher Cox does an excellent job finding real-life examples of the importance of deadlines.
Fast-paced and informative, The Deadline Effect will teach readers how to use deadlines to their own advantage. As Cox points out, "In some sense, every time we face a deadline we are attempting to use urgency to spur action." If people can trick their brains into thinking things are more urgent than they are, they can increase their efficacy--whether that's by "planning right to left," like Easter lily growers in Northern California, who start with the date of Easter and count backwards, or being "mission-driven," like Best Buy employees in the lead-up to Black Friday.
Full of pointers on how to be more motivated and productive and written in an approachable, pithy way, The Deadline Effect is sure to fascinate readers. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Flagstaff, Ariz.