Book

Do Less

A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms

Kate Northrup

Hay House US, 2019

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Editorial Rating

The rating – what does it mean?

At getAbstract, we summarize books* that help people understand the world and make it better. Whatever we select for our library has to excel in one or the other of these two core criteria:

Enlightening – You’ll learn things that will inform and improve your decisions.

Helpful – You’ll take-away practical advice that will help you get better at what you do.

We rate each piece of content on a scale of 1–10 with regard to these two core criteria. Our rating helps you sort the titles on your reading list from solid (5) to brilliant (10). Books we rate below 5 won’t be summarized. Here's what the ratings mean:

10 – Brilliant. A helpful and/or enlightening book that, in addition to meeting the highest standards in all pertinent aspects, stands out even among the best. Often an instant classic and must-read for everyone.
9 – Superb. A helpful and/or enlightening book that is extremely well rounded, has many strengths and no shortcomings worth mentioning.
8 – Very good. A helpful and/or enlightening book that has a substantial number of outstanding qualities without excelling across the board, e.g. presents the latest findings in a topical field and is written by a renowned expert but lacks a bit in style.
7 – Good. A helpful and/or enlightening book that combines two or more noteworthy strengths, e.g. contains uncommonly novel ideas and presents them in an engaging manner.
6 – Notable. A helpful and/or enlightening book that stands out by at least one aspect, e.g. is particularly well structured.
5 – Solid. A helpful and/or enlightening book, in spite of its obvious shortcomings. For instance, it may offer decent advice in some areas while being repetitive or unremarkable in others.

*getAbstract is summarizing much more than books. We look at every kind of content that may matter to our audience: books, but also articles, reports, videos and podcasts. What we say here about books applies to all formats we cover.

Qualities

While the rating tells you how good a book is according to our two core criteria, it says nothing about its particular defining features. Therefore, we use a set of 20 qualities to characterize each book by its strengths:

Applicable – You’ll get advice that can be directly applied in the workplace or in everyday situations.
Analytical – You’ll understand the inner workings of the subject matter.
Background – You’ll get contextual knowledge as a frame for informed action or analysis.
Bold – You’ll find arguments that may break with predominant views.
Comprehensive – You’ll find every aspect of the subject matter covered.
Concrete Examples – You’ll get practical advice illustrated with examples of real-world applications or anecdotes.
Controversial – You’ll be confronted with strongly debated opinions.
Eloquent – You’ll enjoy a masterfully written or presented text.
Engaging – You’ll read or watch this all the way through the end.
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Inspiring – You’ll want to put into practice what you’ve read immediately.
Overview – You’ll get a broad treatment of the subject matter, mentioning all its major aspects.
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Visionary – You’ll get a glimpse of the future and what it might mean for you.
Well structured – You’ll find this to be particularly well organized to support its reception or application.

Review

Many women with home, career and child care responsibilities suffer from working too many hours. Kate Northrup urges them to embrace their bodies’ innate wisdom by using their cyclical rhythms as a guide for “doing less.” She shows how women can align with the four phases of menstrual cycles – and how men or non-menstruating women can turn to lunar cycles – to identify and utilize peak- and low-energy times. Men can appreciate Northrup’s insights, but the author targets busy working women, especially moms.

Evidence demonstrates the benefits of “doing less.”

Northrup, CEO of Origin Collective, a worldwide program for women who want to achieve more by doing less, explains that very few people can concentrate on high-level tasks for more than four or five hours a day. She cites brain researcher David Rock, who finds that the average person truly focuses on work just six hours a week. Most people work at their best early in the morning or late at night. People who take regular breaks are more productive, she says, so try to take a 15-minute break after every hour of work. “Doing less,” the author writes, “actually results in having more in the realms of health, productivity, peace of mind, fulfillment and happiness.”

Northrup reports that Sweden is aiming to establish a six-hour workday. The leaders at Stockholm-based Filimundus, which makes software apps, believe you can reduce your working hours and maintain your productivity if you cut unnecessary distractions and curb social media use.