5 comments about Study Power: Study Skills to Improve Your Learning and Your Grades.

1. This book is similar to the book, SURVEY OF 300 A+ STUDENTS: A+ STUDENTS DESCRIBE THEIR ACADEMIC STRATEGIES, by Kenneth Green (from Harvard). However, I think that Kenneth Green's book is more comprehensive and gives the information in a chronological order, which makes it a smoother read.



2. This book is rather brief. This book is like a brief assortment of topics.
   It didn't help me much. For time management (which possibly is the greatest skill that any student must master), the authors just mention very briefly.



3. The content and writing style of this book are more appropriate to the high school or college student. The book probably would not motivate a younger reader...too serious and too general.



4. I suggest this read to anyone who is serious about stuyding and wants to earn A's. Although it's a lot of work if you follow the book's suggestions I can't see how anyone could not get great grades!



5. This book is invaluable! As a returning adult student (grad school) this book provides the ultimate road map for getting A+ grades. As a star student (h.s. valedictorian) I know a lot about getting the top grade in every class - this book provided me with tips I've never read anywhere else, and I've read a few books on this topic. I recently used a few of these new study ideas in 2 econ classes at jr college (review before grad school) and I received A+ grades in both classes - exactly what I wanted! Since it's been over 20 yrs since I've been in a classroom, my results were unexpectedly high, and I'm thrilled. These authors know their stuff, and they present it in clear, understandable ways that can be easily learned and consistently used. I am very grateful that I've found this book and will use the ideas and processes the authors provide for the rest of my school career (the book also provides ideas that can be transferred to the business world about preparation, people communications, and process.) This book is the best I've found; and would benefit high school, college and all adult students, regardless of field of study.

1 comments about August '08 - September '09 BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Organizer: Blue.

1. Great planner for my family of five! Each day is broken down in 5 columns which I use for each member of the family. To the left here is a week overview. Good buy.

5 comments about Organizing from the Inside Out for Teenagers: The Foolproof System for Organizing Your Room, Your Time, and Your Life.

1. i bought this book on a whim becusae i knew i needed serious help. I used to have an insanely messy room, but this book was incredible! it is really easy to read and actually explains how to get organized in a way that suits you. its so inspiring and has great stories that make you feel that your not the only disorganized teen in the world. after reading this i completly oprganized my room and everyone was shocked that they could see my floor again! I also have an insanley busy shecudle and this book really hjelped me figure out how to organize my time! it was really a fabulous book and the only thing that ever helped me prganize my life-much more effective then my mother nagging me!



2. Lately, many teenagers feel like they under the same crunch as their parents to get everything done (school, homework, friends, chores, jobs, etc.), and yet still want free time- and this book can really help you get your work done and still have a life, at the same time. The way that Julie Morgenstern writes this book is different than your typical organizing book- because it helps you to create an organizational system that caters to your personal needs, not someone else's. Julie states that since every teen as different hobbies, interests, activities, etc., their usage of time and the way their bedroom is organized will also be different.
   
   Instead of giving you the same organizing system to use as everybody else, this book gives you a basic five-plan organizational system that you can apply to organizing your bedroom and managing your time better. It also features tons of helpful hints, real-life stories and anecdotes, and more to help you to get organized. Asides from being helpful, these stories and tips are also motivational and inspirational.
   
   So, for all of those teens who have tried countless times to get organized but still find themselves in a mess, this book will definitely help you to get organized and start living your life better and more well-managed.



3. I bought this for my teenage daughter and could see a big improvement after she read it. This book contains information that will help provide the foundation for skills needed throughout her adult life. I only wish that I had found this for my oldest daughter who has since gone off to college. If it didn't have the word "teenager" in it I'd send her a copy.



4. Teenagers need to be taught practically how to manage all of their homework. Julie's book does just that. It makes sense, the methods are easy to apply, and it is great when parents and their kids can read the book together. I recently gave a talk to teenagers using the principles of the book and the kids were very receptive. Definitely recommended for any parents with kids of "homework" age!



5. After reading some of Morgenstern's books on organization for myself, I bought this book for my daughter. She was delighted with it and took it upon herself to redo her room. I think that she did a pretty good job. Her room has greatly improved and this book has given my daughter the confidence that she can keep her area and belongings neat.

5 comments about Get Your Act Together: A 7-Day Get-Organized Program For The Overworked, Overbooked, and Overwhelmed.

1. another great book by the slob sisters! highly recommend to anyone who struggles with organization!



2. I bought Sidetracked Home Executive in 1983 and I did the program. It worked for me as a mother of two young boys. I bought SHE as a gift for a newly-wed friend and "Get Your Act Together" for me. I read the book and laughed and cried as I related to the sisters stories and tricks and tips for those of us who are born disorganized. I like the new format for the card system. I can't wait to set up my box for my new stage in life--empty nest. If you buy both books life I did--read the GYAT book first. This will save you a lot to time when you do your card system. Read the SHE book second and laugh with these two crazy sisters.



3. I have enjoyed reading both of the slob sister's books. "Get Your Act Together" and "Sidetracked Home Executives". I enjoyed the "Sidetracked Home Executives" so much that I read it twice. They offer great insights on organizing your life. They also make it fun and humorous.



4. The book arrived in a timely fashion and in very good shape. Love these authors!



5. Had this book along time ago. Worked wonders, then I got side tracked and lost the book. It will work wonders again.

5 comments about The Procrastinator's Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now.

1. There are a number of procrastination books on the market, but this is by far the best for its simple solutions and practical insights. Like other books on the subject, the author deals with the psychological aspects of procrastination, but unlike other books, she keeps it simple, using real-life stories and examples. Highly recommended. NOTE: THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR OF "NEVER BE LATE AGAIN, 7 CURES FOR THE PUNCTUALLY CHALLENGED."



2. I started reading this book 4 months ago, but just finished it last week. For a book so small that doesn't say much.
   
   This book delivers on humor and very practical advice, but for me it just seemed to say things I already knew such as keeping a to-do list that breaks major tasks into mini-tasks. To be fair, there was other advice, but nothing that just made me sit up and transform my behavior.
   
   Having said that, I don't think it is a bad book and it wasn't unpleasant to read, but I really expected more. I chose a 3-star rating because while I felt better for a day or two after reading it, I didn't turn on that internal "switch".
   
   Unfortunately I have not read some of the other popular titles, so I have nothing I can recommend in place of this book - please keep that in mind when reading this review.



3. Procrastination is difficult to change as there are so many reasons to do it. This book addresses the variety of causes and how to overcome them. I really like the layout of the book which invites readers to dip in and sample. It deals with the different fears (of being rejected, of making the wrong decision, of change, of responsibility, etc.) that paralyze us and keep us from forward action.
   Each chapter ends with an exercise to do. If you try them out, you end up setting goals, uncluttering, analyzing our relationships, setting up a reward system for ourselves, and many more worthwhile activities.
   We all procrastinate to some degree. If yours bothers you enough to read this review, then you owe it to yourself to read this book.
   Sprinkled throughout the book are inspiring thoughts on the topic.
   "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rodgers



4. It's quite disheartening to know that you have a problem, and then buy into a resource which many people swear by, such as this book, only to find out that it is completely useless. For me, this book started out badly in the very introduction and got worse and worse.
   
   In her introduction, Emmett describes procrastination as a "funny subject". What is so funny about having your professional and personal life go down the drain because you can't get it together? When I want to be helped, I want to be taken seriously. I don't want my hindrance to be labeled as "funny".
   
   The case studies seemed exaggerated, silly and a little condescending and one of them is plagarised. I know this because I read the exact same situation in an Ann Landers column about 25 years ago. I will never forget it because I read it out loud to my mom and we still bring up it from time to time -- the precise same words in the exact same order that Emmett uses in her book. This one citation made me wonder how many other case studies were made up.
   
   Then there is the section on making a list of 101 items that you need to get done. Why on earth should I LOOK for things to do if I can barely finish what's on my plate in front of me? This section should not have been Chapter 2, for heaven's sake. Save it for the end, when we've learned how to take care of what's important first.
   
   She mentions that there are some instances in which one should procrastinate, as in the case of writers who take weeks to write and rewrite and edit endlessly. She states that writers are doing themselves a favor by waiting to write closer to the deadline. Has this author never written a serious academic work which requires multiple drafts? Writing for scholarly journals or for publication and acceptance within the academic community is not a walk in the park. An exception should have been made here.
   
   The section on how to accomplish unpleasant tasks suggests doing it to music or finding something about the task that is pleasant. To concentrate fully on writing an important paper to music is reckless, and there is no pleasant part of it. So now what do I do?
   
   When I read a book, I do so with a pencil and paper to jot down ideas but in this case, I was jotting down what I hated about it. This book may be good for those who need to get their house, family and job in order and just basically need to get organized. I would not recommend it to someone like me who's procrastination is a serious disorder -- waiting until the last possible moment to get out of bed in the morning and then arriving late to work, knowing full well that people are waiting for and counting on you. Knowing that there are things to be done that are a matter of life and death for your career and still procrastinating anyway. Not being able to sleep at night thinking of everything you have to do, worrying about how it'll get done, and the next day at work --- continuing to procrastinate and find everything else to do except for work that needs to be done.
   
   I've been reading about The Now Habit by Neil Fiore and I think it may be better suited for me.



5. I found this audio book to be mildly helpful - mostly full of generic tips I've heard many times before, with too many stories to illustrate her points for my taste. I also bought "Getting things Done" by David Allen, which I found MUCH more useful.

5 comments about CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Handling Your Fast-Paced Life.

1. CrazyBusy is a wonderful insightful and exciting book for the time we are living in now. It examines our lifestyles and shows us some good examples of how to make our lives less stressful. It is an easy read crammed full of interesting information. After reading the whole book once, it makes you want to start over again and read it through again. It makes a great book for a book club to discuss. It should provide a lot of lively talk for a book club. I certainly want my adult children to read it, and it probably would be a good book for high school juniors and seniors to read.



2. Dr. Hallowell has reminded us what we already know...that doing the most IMPORTANT things is what makes life worth living. HOW we invest our time day-by-day determines our level of happiness with how we invest our time. In my business I see a lot of people doing what's second, instead of doing what's first on their list. REad thsi book and help yourself get re-focused...and then enjoy!



3. I think the connection the author makes between our daily activities and ADD behavior is intriguing. Once made you can see it all around you with the frantic task switching we are all engaged in in our daily activity schedule e_mail - cell phones - over worked ETC. He as a Doctor in the mental health field has written a book that is useful and illuminating I think the book and it's thesis is very convincing- and can help alleviate the condition as you become more aware of what is happening to you-
   Good read



4. I was at first a little distracted by the made-up, meaningless "terms" the author used such as "gemmelsmerch" to describe the various things in life that distract us from what is important. And while it took me a while to really get into the book, I found that it indeed contained some very practical strategies for handling our fast-paced lives. Chapter 32 was the best...50 suggestions to use in developing a system that works for you. Some may seem like common sense, but for those of us with ADD, it never hurts to have constant reminders. Loved the book.



5. CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! Strategies for Handling Your Fast-Paced Life
   
   This book is a great read and a big help for reducing stress.

5 comments about Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives.

1. Richard Swenson serves as a "prophetic physician" with the insights he provides in this title and its follow-up book "Overcoming Overload." Although he is a medical practitioner, his thoughts here transcend medicine and offer Divine refreshment for the exhausted spirit of individuals in the 21st century. As the title suggests, the key idea presented is "margin." The author defines margin, then describes its vital nature for various areas of human life.
   
   I strongly and highly recommend this book to all busy Christians, which means just about every believer. Even non-Christians will find a great deal of helpful information. For me, this one is a keeper!



2. This is a great book that really helps shed a different light on how to put margin in your life. This book really help me personally and I would recommend it to anyone. I also recommend the workbook, It makes things practical and help you to apply what you have learned in the book



3. This product was wonderful. I could not stop the cd's once I started them. I finished the set and a couple weeks later I heard the speaker over the radio, live. It was the same stuff. Great material. Life changing... A must have.



4. Dr. swenson diagnoses of the effects of technology and busy lifstyles that mark our culture today.His presciption for a better life through
   margin in key areas of living was practical and very doable.
   If our culture would respond to his advise, this would be a better world and certainly happier families and children.
   JUST DO IT!
   ps I preferred the book to the tapes.
   The voice was too low of energy to inspire change.



5. I liked this book very much. Its written from Christian perspective but it applies to the lives of everyone. Margin is something that every Christian should read and any person who can take the good points from a book.

5 comments about Sidetracked Home Executives(TM): From Pigpen to Paradise.

1. Loved this book. It's an easy read and I've implemented the organizational strategies immediately for my whole family. It's working so far!



2. I have always been very organized until I had my second son. I am not sure what happened but I lost control of everything in my home. This book is quck and easy to read. The best part is you don't need any hard to find or expensive items to put this system to use. I can't say enough about this book. I even used it to organize my homeschooling lessons.



3. I've read many books on organization (and hope to someday accomplish all I've read!), but this book will always be my favorite. Pam and Peggy have "been there." There's nothing worse than an organization or "decluttering" book that's written by someone who was born organized (or a "B.O." as Pam and Peggy would call them!). You have to have walked a mile (or waded through the clutter) in the shoes of someone who is easily sidetracked, organizationally-challenged, and wasn't born with the organization gene. Pam and Peggy make you feel like you've found a kindred spirit who somehow waded through all their stuff and found a better way! I wish they'd re-release their original kit that included a de-junking video and a few other goodies!



4. Easy and entertaining read, plus tons of great, practical ideas for getting your home and life, organized!



5. I initially bought this book 15 years ago and my home was so organized, even with three children. I bought it again recently because we downsized homes and everything was chaos. My home is in order again, and it isn't even difficult! Great plan!

5 comments about The Life Organizer: A Woman's Guide to a Mindful Year.

1. I bought this organizer on the basis of the other reviews here.
   
   At the time, I was looking for a way of planning and reflecting that enabled me to be more flexible about both what matters to me and more respectful of the range of mood and other influences that are part of life. I've been dipping into the organizer and thinking about how I can integrate Ms Louden's suggestions into my own experiences.
   
   This is not so much a book describing a linear journey as it is a variety of maps for the journeyer to choose from.
   
   And now, it is 2008, I am ready to start! In the meantime, I have purchased two additional copies of the Organiser as gifts.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith



2. Whether you are organized or unorganized, this book provides a way to get in touch with your deepest values and goals. This is a great starting place for anyone wishing they had more balance in their life and the author's emphasis on treating yourself with kindness and respect is refreshing and encouraging.



3. I ask myself, why does a woman need a life organizer? What has happened to create a need for us to seek answers through various devices and advice gurus? We've become so goal-oriented we can't even listen to our own intuition. Simply lying on the earth should give us any answers we need, but we're too busy, too stressed, to do even that. So we turn to today's guidance, often in the form of books, to find out how to come home to ourselves.
   
   One of our helpers is Jennifer Louden, also known as "The Comfort Queen." Louden is the author of several books including the bestselling The Women's Comfort Book and is devoted to nurturing women to express their "true creative power." I love books and look to them for inspiration and, frequently, affirmations of what I already know. This one is a heart-based, spirit-directed approach to listening to ourselves.
   
   The Life Organizer is glossy, full of color and original artwork, and is written in Louden's warm, over-the-back-fence, casual style. She doesn't offer advice, but rather, "a collection of possibilities to inspire you in creating your way of participating with life and with your gifts."
   
   Those possibilities are ways to stop and "tune in to what you really want and what you really know." She notes five main steps that make up the life-organizing process: connect, feel, inquire, allow and apply. Louden cautions readers not to focus on the five steps, but rather on your own life experiences, posing questions to assist you in getting in touch with your life experiences.
   
   Besides the main steps to help you "create your optimum life day by day, moment by moment," Louden offers six "life-planning concepts." All of these suggestions grew out of Louden's busy life experiences and the intuitive planner she created for herself, which she shared with her coaching clients and those who attended her workshops and retreats. The results, and the stories of several of those women, are included.
   
   "Shadow Comforts and Time Monsters" is one of Louden's life-planning concepts and refers to those comforts that masquerade as self-care techniques, but in fact drain your energy. For example, chatting on a message board may be energizing, or it may be a tactic to avoid talking to your partner. Among the women Louden has coached are those "whose lives consisted almost entirely of time monsters, because they were too afraid to do what they really wanted to do." Watching TV, spending a month cooking for the holidays, and spending a week decorating your child's classroom may be among your "time monsters." Some discerning questions are helpful to consider. We so often say we don't have time, but if we look at what we're really doing with our time, a light may go on.
   
   I particularly like the chapter on "Creating Your Life Planner." I'm a fan of journals so that's why I probably enjoyed the various approaches women have taken to crafting their own Life Planners. You may write in Louden's book, but if you need more room, a spiral notebook will work just fine. Then you need to place your life planner where you have easy access to it, by your bed, or alongside your date book. One woman constructed her own card deck using the questions throughout the book. She uses the cards as her own divination system, drawing a question card or two on which to reflect. She has decorated them with her own images so she can stare at those images and see what they spark in her.
   
   Thirteen elegantly designed planning sections that include four weeks worth of theme-based questions also include "Stories Along the Way," true stories of women who have used Life Organizing to improve their lives.
   
   Each week, on a two-page spread, there is space for writing your intention. Three circles provide space for completing these phrases: "let go of", "have to" and "could do." Questions, and some possible answers, give impetus to a creative and intentional week.
   
   Although this book is full of possibilities, at the core is its intent is to bring you back to yourself, eliminating what no longer serves the life that you, in your heart of hearts, desire. It looks very organized, but in fact you can approach it in your own non-organized, non-linear way. Using it as a divinatory tool seems a good idea to me. Just open the book and see what tips and stories appear for you today.
   
   Jennifer Louden is a bestselling author, personal coach, radio show contributor, columnist for "Body & Soul Magazine" and creator of learning events and retreats. Louden is married to cinematographer Christopher Mosio, living in a small house on an island in the Pacific Northwest, along with their daughter, Lillian.
   
   You can share a cup of virtual tea with Jen at www.jenniferlouden.com and www.lifeorganizerbook.com.
   
   by Mary Ann Moore
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



4. I cannot tell you how rough this year has been. I felt like I was drowning in "have to do" and "I wish I coulds." This book helped me connect my true wishes, secret desires and priorites. I was free to let go of the rest. I was even able to deal with conflicting emotions surrounding a romance. I have had this book for awhile and have used it at different points, but 2008 marked the first time in a long time I was in overload mode. I happened to notice the book "waiting" for me on a side table in my living room. I picked it up and I have felt better since that day.



5. I'm a firm believer that when you're facing a big life transition like a wedding, it takes away a TON of stress when you have all the other facets of your life running fairly smoothly. So as a bride looks into the future, she'll know that she's in great shape when she has actual, useful, organized and entertaining steps to take to bring some order into her world. I just got married in April, and Jennifer Louden's books have always brought me a deeper sense of peace -- this book is the PERFECT book for brides-to-be. You're giving them a better chance at a happy life. That's way better than a blender!

5 comments about When Organizing Isn't Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life.

1. Finally, the help I need to clear the clutter from my life! I feel so inspired.



2. When Organizing Isn't Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, by Julie Morgenstern is a about getting rid of the physical stuff and the tasks in our schedules that keep us stuck. Julie Morgenstern is an organizational and time management coach and puts her talents into this ingenious book.
   
   Morgenstern believes that organizing is what gets us unstuck. In the introduction, she promises that: "reading this book will dislodge you from your current state of paralysis and help you figure out what's next."
   
   She introduces her theory, SHED--which means letting go of attachments of old and useless stuff to allow you to gain "energy, insight and the clarity to male decisions."
   
   SHED is letting go of stuff in your past to allow you to move forward. Morgenstern believes we should study the reason we feel attached to certain objects and advises:
   
   * Separate treasures
   ^ Remove trash
   * Embrace your identity
   * Drive yourself forward
   
   She suggests we apply the same process of getting rid of stuff to removing tasks in our schedules that are simply habits and that do not support our current lifestyle.
   
   Throughout the book, Morgenstern presents case studies of her clients to illuminate her theories.
   
   I discovered the importance of letting go of stuff to allow my life to move forward in the book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet. I think Morgenstern is spot-on with her SHED system.



3. Julie Morgenstern's new book When Organizing Is Not Enough is a page turner! You do not feel like you are reeding yet just another self-help book - this book is as inspirational and moving as it is practical and philosophical. I strongly recommend - it is a great investment to help you with your every day life and chores and to give you piece of mind.



4. I read a lot of personal development books. There is more practical and useful advice in this book than in almost any book I have read. One area of advice I liked a lot is the Perfectionism Habit Breakers, a few of which are (1) Devise three approaches, minimim, moderate, & maximum, before jumping into anything, and opt for minimim or moderate whenever possible. This helps you to recognize there are more than two outcomes (disaster and perfection) (2) Rephrase the question "how much can I do?" to "how little can I do?" You are not cheating, you are preserving yourself for other tasks, likely ones which are more important and/or more enriching. (3) Stop doing other people's jobs. You can better use the time, and it develops them rather than sending the wrong signal. And, you can always provide coaching feedback later.
   
   Very, very good book



5. As a business owner overwhelmed with thousand things "to do" each day, I find the new Julie Morgenstern's book WHEN ORGANIZING IS NOT ENOUGH very helpful and very easy to read and apprehend. It really changed my life, changed my perspective, helped me to pinpoint priorities and made me more productive. It is a great read!