With first-chapter allusions to martial arts, flow, mind like water, and other concepts borrowed from the East (and usually mangled), you d almost think this self-helper from David Allen should have been called Zen and the Art of Schedule Maintenance. Not quite. Yes, Getting Things Done offers a complete system for downloading all those free-floating gotta-dos clogging your brain into a sophisticated framework of files and action lists--all purportedly to free your mind to focus on whatever you re working on. However, it still operates from the decidedly Western notion that if we could just get really, really organised, we could turn ourselves into 24/7 productivity machines. (To wit, Allen, whom the New Economy bible Fast Company has dubbed the personal productivity guru, suggests that instead of meditating on crouching tigers and hidden dragons while you wait for a plane, you should unsheathe that high-tech sabre known as the mobile phone and attack that list of calls you need to re...

#Fantastic Read (2008-06-27) This book is fantastic!It helped me improve my organizational skills and paved the way for better time management. As a Software Engineer and Interweb Guru, the constant bombardment of stuff in my life was in desperate need of cleansing and restructuring. Thanks to David, I have effectively implemented a system that keeps my information clutter to a minimum and helps keep my mind clear to work on more useful tasks. A must read for professionals today.

#From Chaos To Order... (2007-12-19) I used to be all over the place. My desk was a mess, papers piling upon books piling upon stacks of scribbled notes. My desktop PC had icons covering the whole screen with documents and using the search feature in Windows to find a document was the only way I could find anything. Then I discovered GTD. Within two weeks of applying the system, my life has completely transformed. Result? I was able to literally increase my productivity in my personal life and career by at least 5 fold. I am not a naturally very organized person so this was a godse...

#get things done (2006-12-06) Does David Allen s system really differ from other time management systems? I would say an unqualified yes based on my experience with the GTD process so far. In the one week since the book s been out I have made more progress with regard to collecting my stuff than previous attempts I have made in the past 6 years. I have actually started a filing system. More importantly, I am starting to deal with the stuff in my life faster and more efficiently. Just learning how to deal with stuff is a pretty big deal to me. My problem is that I have obsessive co...

#Practical, Actionable Help Has Arrived (2006-03-30) This is one of those books that is bound to end up dog-earred on your desk or nightstand. In my current workgroup, we have started a book club. Each member reviews two chapters of the book and then we look for ways to implement the ideas in our personal/professional lives. It is amazing how well received the book has been and the creative ways people have come up with to improve their own time/project/work management. One of the top 10 books on our reading group list! Two other recent top 10 books (which are great companions) are:...

#Great (2005-04-13) This is an excellent book on time management and organizational skills. I picked it up with another excellent book called Stop Working by Rohan Hall. Both books are amazing and are required reading for anyone serious about becoming successful in today s challenging world.

What are the most important things in your life? Do they get as much care, emphasis, and time as you d like to give them? Far from the traditional be-more-efficient time-management book with shortcut techniques, First Things First shows you how to look at your use of time totally differently. Using this book will help you create balance between your personal and professional responsibilities by putting first things first and acting on them. Covey teaches an organizing process that helps you categorize tasks so you focus on what is important, not merely what is urgent. First you divide tasks into these quadrants: Important and Urgent (crises, deadline-driven projects) Important, Not Urgent (preparation, prevention, planning, relationships) Urgent, Not Important (interruptions, many pressing matters) Not Urgent, Not Important (trivia, time wasters) Most people spend most of their time in quadrants 1 and 3, while quadrant 2 is where quality happens. Doing more things faster is no sub...

#First Things First (2008-11-28) This book is outdated with its references to Vision and Mission Statements. The flow charts and reader activities are distracting and it is not a simple/quick read. The length of the testimonials were too long. The small font, from a practical point, is too small and there is not enough white space to allow the reader to digest or write notes in it. The language used is too white tower. I would not recommend this as a gift.

#If you ve read 7 Habits you don t need to read this (2004-07-14) While the information in this book is still relevant and helpful, it s basically a rehash of much of the information covered in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Some of the ideas about mission statements and priorites are discussed more thoroughly and there is more specific information on time management like handling the ",big rocks", in your week, but overall it seemed like a review. If you haven t read 7 Habits, then it s a very useful approach to time management and setting the priorities in yo...

#Another great book by Dr. Covey (2004-07-01) This book makes a great addition to The 7 Habits. First Things First is as the title indicates a book about time management. But more than that, about people management. It s about social skills and so much more. Whether you like Covey or not, this book will impact your life. A highly recommended book to succeed in the new millenium.

#Inspiritional and practical (2004-06-15) USA Today said that Stephen Covey is the hottest self-improvement consultant to hit U. S. business since Dale Carnegie and I agree. Covey is the best. In First Things First, Covey discloses powerful time management techniques. What makes this book different from typical time management books and programs is that Covey shows you how to see the whole picture rather than tiny fragments of our lives. Before reading and applying the techniques in First Things First, I would always lament",I have too much to do---and not enough time to do it. ...

#Can you say ýparadigmýýfifty zillion times! (2004-05-03) When I read this book, the movie, Princess Bride, came to mind. In it, Vizzini, one of the characters in that movie, uses the word inconceivable repeatedly. Eventually, another character in the movie, challenges him by saying: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. Such is the book, First Things First, but the word here is paradigm. This is not an easy book to read, in fact, it could possibly induce a mild coma in the careless reader. At the least, it should come with a warning ...