The four stars are for the way this book makes me want to sit down and take a hard look at where I spend my time and focus. Most of the specific examples he gives are from the workplace, so aren't as useful to me right now. The writing style isn't as compelling as some other writers from this genre (for example, Gretchen Rubin discussing habits in Better Than Before or Brene Brown talking about boundaries in Rising Strong), but for me the ideas make this book worth reading.

Since learning that this author is LDS and has been a bishop, I'd be interested to know how he navigates being an Essentialist at church. (Would have loved some examples in the book.) In a church basically run on volunteer hours, there is a lot of pressure to say "yes" and sometimes praise for men and women who put themselves and their own priorities last. Have his ward members and church leaders just gotten used to him saying "No" to meetings, projects, etc. or does he get pushback?