Cal Newport begins the book discussing Carl Jung, a psychologist of the 20th century. In 1922, Jung had a two-story house built that he dubbed “The Tower.” As part of the structure, he had a space dedicated for his work, and a space dedicated to meditation. Nobody from his family was allowed to enter his workspace unless he approved, the idea being that he needed full concentration with limited distractions. While the home was built on Lake Zurich in Switzerland and resembled a vacation home, it was actually a place where Jung was highly productive.

Newport uses this anecdote to introduce his definition of deep work, which can be understood as the kind of work that happens when one is not distracted and able to dig deep into their cognitive abilities. Newport discusses various intellectuals and writers, including Mark Twain, J.K. Rowling, and Bill Gates, and how these luminaries created their own spaces dedicated to work, much the way Jung did.

Newport then identifies the challenges modern knowledge workers face. He highlights the ways technological communication tools, what he calls “network tools,” have fragmented attention spans. Newport provides the definition of “shallow work,” which many modern workers find themselves performing.