Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use ItFour Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It
What it's about
If you live to eighty, you have about four thousand weeks on Earth. Oliver Burkeman argues that our struggles with endless to-do lists, overflowing inboxes and distraction come from refusing to accept how brief our lives are. Instead of trying to get everything done, he shows how to choose what matters and let the rest go.
Why it's worth reading
It has spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a time-management book that rejects time-management books, and readers find it freeing.
You'll love it if you liked
Atomic Habits
The Let Them Theory
Meditations for MortalsGood to know
It's more philosophy than productivity system. It's short, and many readers return to it.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller61 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #27 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #110 of the 481 new books we rank
- #606 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Practical
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All 36 best-of lists →
Self-help and business booksTop 25 · 85 ranked
New booksTop 25 · 481 rankedBooks of the 2020sTop 25 · 555 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It worth reading?
Yes. It has spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #606 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It about?
If you live to eighty, you have about four thousand weeks on Earth. Oliver Burkeman argues that our struggles with endless to-do lists, overflowing inboxes and distraction come from refusing to accept how brief our lives are. Instead of trying to get everything done, he shows how to choose what matters and let the rest go.
How long does it take to read Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It?
About 7 hours (273 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It?
If you liked it, try Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins or Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.