# Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

3 Hacker News commenters recommended Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a deep look at cutting digital distraction, and one reader found the digital declutter process freed up space. Some feel one book is more than the topic needs.

## Why people recommend it

- Deep dive on digital distraction (2 comments): "If you haven't read it, Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism is mostly about this topic." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49034654)) "Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism dives deep into this topic." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46625937))
- Digital declutter process freed up space (1 comments): "I did the digital declutter process and found a lot of extra space in my life" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48564238))
- Well-regarded author Cal Newport (1 comments): "That's probably a great read based on what I've heard from Cal, but I don't think you need an entire book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49035795))

## What people warn about

- Book may be more than needed (1 comments): "That's probably a great read based on what I've heard from Cal, but I don't think you need an entire book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49035795))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0241341132?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780241341131) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport", https://hackerapproved.com/p/digital-minimalism/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).