No comments about Conquering Procrastination: How to Stop Stalling & Start Achieving!.

5 comments about The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich.

1. I enjoyed this book very much. The first portion of the book has many helpful hints regarding managing one's life and work. Tim Ferris has a unique outlook on how one should arrange their life and, I suspect, that most of us can benefit, in some way, from his example.
   
   The last portion of this book will be of particular interest to those who wish to make their money from selling a great product online. If your personal "get rich quick" plan focuses on real estate, stocks, or "brick and mortar" businesses, then this portion of his book may be of little use to you.
   
   Overall, this book is a great buy and well worth your time!



2. I started reading this book last October and was inspired by the mini-retirement aspect. Ironically, I was let go from my job during the time I was reading this. I discussed taking a mini retirement with my husband and convinced him we could go away for the summer and he could work while we were on the go.
   We actually did it! My husband and I took our three kids (ages 8, 5, and turning one) to France for a month. We stayed in Nice, Normandy, Bordeaux, Orleans, and Paris. My husband was able to continue working, although somewhat reduced hours with Skype and the internet. We met others on our travels doing similar things. Although the euro/$ was 1.65/1 we managed okay.
   Next summer we are going to South America, maybe Mexico. We learned from our first trip what works and what does not, especially with the kids.



3. "The 4-Hour Workweek" offers interesting ideas and new perspectives, however they will not be practical for most readers. The book is worth reading anyway for the thought provoking perspective on your job and lifestyle; and ways you can change them.
   
   Timothy Ferriss urges we abandoned the "deferred-life", 9 to 5 employee lifestyle we now live and join the "New Rich". He defines "New Rich" as those who are free to travel as they please, work from were they want when they want and live a luxury lifestyle.
   
   "The 4-Hour Workweek" has a system called "DEAL" to help us achieve that lifestyle. That is an acronym for Definition, Elimination, Automation and Liberation. These topics go on to form the four main sections of the book.
   
   Ferriss is very enthusiastic about the ideas he presents. However his plan is mostly relevant to aggressive business savvy young singles like him. There are a few mentions of one family, but there was no real information about how to address the challenges that families would face. This gives the books a very self-centered and self-indulgent feel.
   
   Never the less the discussion of the role of work in a persons life is important. Many people work for works sake, without ever considering what they would rather be doing and how to achieve it. He does address many of the fears that would hold you back from making that kind of change.
   
   "The 4-Hour Workweek" includes extensive discussion of starting the kind of business that would be suited to the this "New Rich" lifestyle. This is also limited by a very narrow range. The only kinds of businesses discussed involve web advertising, outsource manufacturing and contract fulfillment. Clearly this can work for many people, but is the really the only way, or is it just the only thing the author has done?
   
   There is a lot to be gained by thinking about the subjects raised in "The 4-Hour Workweek", and the Ferriss's recommendations will be useful to some readers. However the plan is only suitable to a small subset of people. The book is strongly based on the authors experience. It be honorable that he is only recommending things that he has done himself, but it limits the value of the book to people in his demographic. The occasionally preachy tone is a only a mild annoyance.



4. I've read a couple of other books about making money, but they all fell short for me in one way or the other. This book I love! It's has all the information you could want - phone numbers, websites, step by step instructions on getting yourself whittled down to that 4 HOUR WORKWEEK and making some cash in the process- PLUS it's witty and well written. If I could just find my NICHE...!



5. I would go so far as to call this book subversive. That's pretty much the best word for it. If, like me, you've grown up being told about the benefits of hard work, 8 till 8 days, 6 days a week, just one holiday a year, and just pay a shedload of taxes like everyone else to support cretins in government, then this book comes as a revelation. For years now I've suspected that this treadmill was a lie (and I'm pretty successful too) generated by adevertisers who want us to consume and governments who want a share of the sweat off our brow, then along comes this young guy and tells it like it really is.
   
   I can see why some people will detest this book, but to appreciate what Ferriss is saying, you really have to think that the western treadmill might oil the wheels of the economy, but all it does to the individual is grinding down the individual with years of crushing effort.
   
   Read this book, and have a life not just a career.

5 comments about Getting Organized.

1. The author defenitly provided me with fair suggestions to organzie myself better, however, most the suggestion were common things. However, do not compare yourself with me because prior purchasing this book, I still was a great organized person; it's just that I like to be perfect.



2. When I took over the daily operation of a National Guard Armory I wasn't sure what I was getting into. The Armory had a staff of one, Me! I needed to get organized fast! The administrator whom I was replacing had his own system in place. I was fortunate, I was able to work with him before he left for his new assignment. The National Guard runs and thrives on chaos and a crisis management system. Every day there was a new crisis to cope with, mostly the making of the higher headquarters. There was always too much useless work and never enough time to get it accomplished. At least once a day I would get a phone call from higher headquarters about some useless piece of paperwork the just discovered they needed yesterday at the latest and now wanted everybody to jump through hoops! Short and long term planning were never practiced, just given lip-service. Winston's book was a great starting point. It helped me get ahead and stay ahead of the Puzzle Palace Jockeys. There is something here for everyone. If you learn just one new idea and put it to work for you, the price of the book will have been well worth it!



3. This book is so outdated as to be laughable. She talks about carbon paper and white-out! Computers are treated as something for technologists. She says Sidekick is the most popular software. In fact it is no longer marketed or supported. Memory typewriters are compared favorably to computers! However, her Two-List Time Plan was worth the price of the book.



4. I have read many books in my life, many of which I have made the grand statement that my life was altered afterwards. None has had such an impact in such a short period of time. In the beginning of the book, Ms. Winston provides readers with a self-evaluation. My wife and I sat down and did it together, and reluctantly added up our points. We ranked in the "Disorganized to the point of Chaos" category.

   But, in the past two weeks or so, we have begun to implement the author's suggestions, many of which boil down to common sense. One reviewer is harsh in his criticism because of dated material, because of her suggestion to use carbon paper to make back-up copies of all correspondence. I, too, was surprised at this anachronism in a newly revised edition, but I forgave her for all of the other great advice. If you too are disorganized "to the point of chaos", BUY THIS BOOK. It may change your life, too.




5. This book is an overly-detailed, almost academic discussion of organizational theory. Some of the basic organizational principles include listing a project's "processes or system[s] into manageable parts" , breaking down projects into prioritizing projects by how aggravating they are, tackling the #1's first, etc. Her discussion of how to compose and analyze the daily to-do list is overly-detailed -- for example, calling a student's mother to determine why he didn't show up for class yesterday is an immediate task that just cropped up, while getting in touch with an equipment supplier is "a basic, medium range task." What does that mean?? And I don't think most of us struggle with figuring out what is really important and what isn't; what we need is something that will help us accomplish what is most important. The financial planning section is overly detailed -- assess income, analyze fixed expenses, prepare a budget, etc. I'm consulting a Getting Organized book because I need to get motivated and empowered to plow through the pile of clothes on the floor and the pile of papers on my desk -- This book is better-suited for folks who are already organized and want to be even more so. This book might be a good choice if you are already reasonably organized and are looking for detailed discussions of the processes that might enable you to become more organized in all aspects of your life. If you are currently at a lower level of organization, I recommend Don Aslett's books on clutter; for me, they have been much more readable and useful.

5 comments about Totally Organized.

1. next to Flylady's book and her website. This book gives real practical advice, page after page, and I've read a lot of organizing books! It is extremely helpful for mothers with children. If I were to only have one organizing book, this would definitely be it. I highly recommend it.



2. As an extrememly unorganized person, I was looking for a book that would map out exactly what to do one step at a time. I get overwhelmed very easily. The day after ordering this book, my friend sent me a website link about organization, and I found that it was exactly what I was looking for. It talked about slowly getting to the organizing point that I want to be at and how to get there, baby steps. The website is flylady.net, and I found out that the lady who does this website has a book here on Amazon as well, called Sink Reflections. After being on her website, I wish I had bought that book instead, which I still plan to. From the website alone, my house has never looked better, it's still not even close to perfection, but at least now I feel it is somewhat presentable if someone were to show up at my door. Though Totally Organized may be helpful to many people, I find that I need more direction, and more mapped out steps. I would recommend you check out flylady.net before you make a decision.



3. I keep my copy by my bed. It's got great practical solutions and drawings to demonstrate. I give this book as gifts to those of my friends who won't be offended by the "self-help" implications of receiving it! I've implemented lots of the ideas.



4. ive read like 10 guides in this vien. this one should b read with other guides. its not the only guide u need.



5. This book had a lot of very practical ideas. You can tell that the author had real life experience with these situations and found solutions that work for ordinary people. My favorite was the idea to spend 5 minutes in each room. That really helped my with my biggest problem, the endless clutter. I would recomend this book to anyone who would like to streamline their life and feel more in control.

5 comments about The Spiritual Art of Being Organized.

1. In The Spiritual Art Of Being Organized, Claire Josefine reveals that having and living a successfully organized life necessitates a foundation of spiritual underpinnings. Josefine emphasizes the necessity for a conscious approach to organizing our daily lives with an emphasis on living simply. Of special note are the "12 Basic Principles of Organizing". Offering a text laced with humor, poetry, quotes, and non-judgemental advice to understanding our clutter, The Spiritual Art Of Being Organized is welcome and highly recommended reading for anyone who feels overwhelmed with life's chaos and persistent disorder despite all of their previous attempts at trying to set up organizing systems without first modifying their own beliefs and behaviors in order to use those applied systems to clean up and clean out the debrie of their lives. Easy, accessible, inspired and inspiring reading!



2. This book was very helpful to me because rather than addressing merely the do's and don'ts of household organizing, it deals with the underlying attitudes that cause chaos in the first place. Have you ever seen the supposedly humourous placard hung in a disaster of a home, declaring that "A clean house is the sign of a sick mind?" Claire Josefine's book shows how the opposite is true, without making any such judgments about the psychology of slobs, of course. She only points out that if we are not fearful of letting go, or afraid of having it all together and getting on with our lives, we can eliminate clutter and disabling excuses based on confusion. A tidy home, or desk, or time schedule, is actually the sign of a healthy mind.
   Claire's book doesn't dwell exclusively on these spiritual or psychological factors, however; she also gives us the tools to pare down, simplify, order, and prioritize effectively. The book is about half of each: self-help attitudinal assistance, and hands-on training for practical application.
   All in all, an extremely helpful book. It would make a lovely gift for somebody who seems overwhelmed by the logistics of life. And the beautiful cover makes the volume itself welcome on any coffee table--part of your newly appealing decor!



3. that along with two others, Choosing Simplicity and How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free, I reread yearly for perspective and motivation. The Spiritual Art of Being Organized by Claire Josefine is the one that is read first. Without organization, it is pretty hard to simplify or to be happy, wild and free. With the author's gentle guidance, you will find her 12 organizational steps, i.e., Think!, K.I.S.S., Create and Use, Habits and Schedules, Be Realistic, etc., will help you to create the best system for you. Each of the author's 12 basic principles has its own chapter which explains the reasoning for the step, ways of integrating it into your lifestyle, and a question/answer conclusion providing additional clarifications as to how it works. Appropriate quotes from others are included at the beginning, and sometimes within, each chapter. You can pick and choose the principles that are best for you at the moment in time when you are reading the book, or you can choose to take advantage of all 12 at the same time. The 12 principles are followed by a chapter on clearing clutter, something those of us with organizational skills that are not as finely tuned as we wish they were can definitely use to our advantage.
   
   This little book will help you to enjoy a simpler, better-organized life. Recommended.



4. The Spiritual Art of Being Organized examines the problems and underlying psychological issues surrounding office and home clutter. The author suggests that often we put off putting items away in their rightful place thinking that we simply don't have time. We think, I will get to it later, right now the dog needs water, supper needs to be made, or I'm late for work. However, the author points out that one stray bill or one dirty cup quickly evolves into more and more clutter. Soon, even the mere thought of cleaning up this massive mess is too overwhelming and potentially time consuming to even consider dealing with the resulting clutter. With this book, the author aims to illustrate how to create and apply practical, useful storage systems while making use of realistic clean as you go methods that reduce impending clutter while not adding significant time to already busy schedules. The author also guides the reader through the cleaning and organizing of current clutter in short rational blocks of time to reduce the overwhelming nature of this task.
   
   The Spiritual Art of Being Organized is a great organizing resource that teaches the reader to think about clutter in a different way. We often think about cleaning as time consuming. However, with proper forethought and planning, cleaning can actually make our lives easier and give us more time for other activities. This book will be useful to even the most chronic disorganized chaotic individual.



5. I loved this book. Claire doesn't come in like a bulldozer and demand that you throw away everything you haven't touched in 6 months. She is gentle, encouraging the reader to look at the reasons for their clutter or disorganization vs. demanding a completely clutter-free outcome. She touches on time management, gratitude, decision making, and asking for help. After reading this book I felt a sense of clarity and a purpose when it comes to dealing with my "stuff," my time management, and my decision making process.

5 comments about A Simple Choice : A Practical Guide for Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity.

1. I really liked the book, written straight fromn the heart. Though it's relatively not so thick but 'it got a little bit of everything'. The appendix cited a number of recommended resources that are also valuable to know. It made me wish I could be like those people who have attained such comfort through 'simple living'.



2. This a a great book with ideas and time savings for me. The title so describes the book, good choice! I love it!



3. Readers gain various tips and insights into saving time and money with this book. Various tasks become more simple and less expensive. This book speaks more on how to save money than on how to free yourself from the greed and dependency that it provokes.



4. Do you sense that life is going by and you're not really living it true to yourself or your personal convictions? If so, you may be suffering from spiritual bankruptcy...While we can't ever free ourselves fully from all of life's demands, we can discover a sense of balance in our lives. Or we can identify ways to shift between the two extremes - finding a time and a place in our lives for contemplation, and then alternating that with other times of busyness and distraction." ~Deborah Taylor-Hough
   
   In order to simplify her life, Deborah Taylor-Hough had to rethink her entire lifestyle. With five children and medical bills that loomed over her, she made some tough decisions that required her to put away her pride and look more realistically at how she intended to survive. Her courage is inspirational and the decisions she made showed that her priorities were her family and her commitment to her belief system.
   
   If you are dealing with a lack of meaning even with great wealth or societal emptiness despite an elegant lifestyle, this book takes a look at survival on the edge of bankruptcy and a search for contentment in a less than materialistic lifestyle.
   
   If you long for a life of contentment, it may be a life of simplified choices and a life where family becomes more important than keeping up with every other family on the block.
   
   While this isn't as far as building your own house or "Walden Pond," it is a realistic view of life and how to avoid falling into debt by taking practical and necessary actions like avoiding the temptations at malls or not watching certain channels on TV.
   
   Deborah Taylor-Hough is a beautiful soul who has written a very practical guide for women who want to find a new balance in their lives. She also gives advice about tripling many recipes and freezing meals for the future (see her cookbooks), like before you give birth to a baby or know you are going to go through a time of stress. There are also recipes for making your own instant coffee mixes and homemade dry onion soup mix. Now I know why one house had closets that were scented with cloves - it keeps away moths.
   
   If you have children you may enjoy the recipes for craft dough, soap crayons and homemade paper crafts. If you want to refresh your laundry or even make your own laundry soap, this author has the recipes. I have used her recipe for Spa Milk Bath, but I also use essential oils. I found that sea salt is relatively inexpensive at a health food store and even the addition of oatmeal in a cheesecloth bag and buttermilk can make a completely wonderful spa experience.
   
   This book encourages you to be happier with less possessions and more quality family time. When you remember your childhood, what are the happy things you remember? I remember running around barefoot, swimming in African rivers and eating lemon meringue pie. I didn't care about the size of our house or the clothes I wore. I remembered the freedom to enjoy life and how my mother taught me to make strawberry jam.
   
   Other great ideas:
   
   Family cookbooks
   Debt proofing your holidays
   Winter picnics
   
   I loved this idea because it reinforces the ideas that happiness has nothing to do with how much money you earn and it has everything to do with being creative and maximizing the talents you have and rearranging your priorities.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



5. I am a Stay at Home Mom and found many of the tips helpful. It is a little slow and boring at times to just sit and read but it does have many helpful tips and I would still recommend it.

3 comments about The Procrastinating Child: A Handbook for Adults to Help Children Stop Putting Things Off.

1. Parents are increasingly concerned about how well their kids are performing. There are two strong motivations for this attitude. First, we parents want our kids to be better than we were . . . or at least give them more opportunities. Second, we know, as adults, how fast the world is moving now. If our kids put things off, the opportunities may pass them by. If you're a dedicated parent today, you may well be facing the challenge of a child who procrastinates just a bit more than you'd like to see.

   Who better to write this book than the author of "The Procrastinator's Handbook," a book that has made quite an impact over the past two years? Emmett digs right into the subject in a highly readable style Allow me to quote from the introduction, where the author best describes what you'll see. "The teen who puts off sending in his college application might procrastinate because it has become a habit (chapter 1). Or he may not have learned any self-motivating skills (chapter 2); he may feel overwhelmed by all the papers to fill out (chapter 3); he may hate this type of task (chapter 4); or he may feel he doesn't have time (chapter 5). He may be waiting for a whole day free of interruptions so he can do it perfectly (chapter 6), or have some fears and anxieties about going away to college (chapter 7). He might not know where all the forms are because they're scattered all over his desk, bedroom, and locker (chapter 8), and he may be so swamped with other activities that he can't focus on this task (chapter 9)." Chapter 10 is Hope for the Future.

   The author emphasizes some points we must consider as we begin to read-and use-this book. Children hate having ideas forced on them. No single theory or technique works for every child. Children don't always think and act the same way you do. [You should have seen the way my teen-ager rolled her eyes when I showed her the book I was reading!]

   Your head will bob up and down as you read through these pages. Yes! Yes! But, what to do? Not a problem. The book is full of advice and counsel, including "Ideas to Discuss" and "Ideas in Action" at the end of each chapter. They're presented as a teamwork process; this is something you do WITH your child, not TO your child. The Tips call-outs enhance the value of this volume.

   This book is small (5.5 by 8 inches), but powerful. You can make a difference with the knowledge you gain in these pages-for your child and for yourself.




2. This was the first book of Rita Emmett's I experienced. What a gift! My adolescent son is now in the saddle following directions - now - right away. There are many gentle ways to end putting things off from your kid - and this book is a great tool. It was my first reading of Rita's books. Then I actually experienced one of Rita's seminars. She is a great teacher, effective and fun, a terrific value. Also this author lets non-profit organizations use this book as a fundraiser. I am looking into that for one of my actions in fundraising. Rita Emmett's website has details.



3. After reading many books on how to help my kids be more organized and do better in school, I found many practical tips in this book. It is interesting that a book by someone who is a professional organizer was more effective at helping my kids be better students than most of the books I read by people with advanced degrees in education and psychology. Basically, the author suggests setting up a system of age appropriate rewards for kids in exchange for getting tasks done on time. It is simple, but it works. I would also recommend the book Assertive Discipline, by Lee Canter and Marlene Canter as another good book with practical advice on how to get children to get chores and homework done on time.

2 comments about Following Through: A Revolutionary New Model for Finishing Whatever You Start.

1. If I could give this book 10 stars I would. One of the three most powerful books I've ever read. If you're like me, you'll see yourself on every page. I finally understand why I haven't followed through on all my life changing plans and, more importantly, I learned the techniques to ensure that from now on I do.



2. This book goes beyond the traditional, logical approach to habit change, approaches we all know would work but somehow we're not able to follow them. Yet the authors (and I don't know them, I'm not affiliated with them in any way) explain the problem of having trouble following through very logically (from the way our brain is designed to work; the "it must be ME" self-blame; and fairy tale ending). They come up with some great tools I'm using to follow through with some success (it's not fairy tale perfect, but far better than I was doing) through situational cues, "spotlighting", willpower leveraging, and concrete, workable ideas I've not found elsewhere. (Such as perhaps the weirdest -and they are NOT all "off the wall" - of choosing to eat three doughnuts if I'm going to eat one. It makes me stop and think of the consequences in terms of nutrition and calories far more than I would having ONE doughnut here and there, and I eat far less overall having to consciously choose three.)
   
   The ideas in this book will help make good intentions realized. They are just tools, that still need to be used, but they go far beyond the traditional willpower and discipline and "make a plan". I've read a lot of those books, and you need the basics, but this book goes beyond them to getting it done.

1 comments about Making Minutes Count Even More.

1. Along with the prequel to this book, Every Minute Counts : Making Your Math Class Work, you get a TON of useful tips, strategies and techniques to help your math students learn. Every new math teacher should read it and even experienced teachers may get some good ideas from it. I recently lent my copies to a new teacher at our school. They were given to me when I was fairly new to the profession by another experienced teacher.

4 comments about Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time.

1. Donna Otto's Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time has dummied down the business model of time management and organization into a format that anyone can easily apply. Her common-sense approach to organizing life management is written in a conversational format for the reader.
   
   She shares her own experiences to de-mystify how use a day planner and make it work, how to personalize her organizational tips to accommodate your own style or how to unravel the confusion and paralyses of clutter, holiday pressures and every-day household responsibilities.
   
   Donna's well-rounded view of organizing includes adding prayer time. This additional aspect to her secrets ensures a time of rest and nourishment to the soul through adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Anyone who is at the beginning a new job, a family or project will appreciate Donna's encouragement as they embark into the unknown to accomplish their goals.



2. You can't remember what time an important meeting is. You missed your niece's birthday AGAIN, and you have to sidle into the closet past shelves with protruding rolls of wrapping paper and clothes left from ten years ago. You know you should do something about it, but every time you think about it, the project sends you running for chocolate to stave off depression. Sound familiar? Me, too.
   
   Home- and life-management expert, Donna Otto, finds it familiar too because she helps people like us organize our lives. She shares her strategies in Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time, an update to her former book, Get More Done in Less Time. Donna offers ideas on managing your time, household, closets, and papers, but she also guides you in teaching your children how to help, making Christmas less stressful, and inspiring your prayer life.
   
   Otto spends four chapters on organizing a day planner which helps with time, finances, planning, shopping, and more. She includes forms that you can copy for everything from shopping lists to birthdays to calendars to camping lists. Though the chapters on the day planner seemed a little much for my quiet lifestyle, others might find them helpful.
   
   Utilizing humor, quotations, and anecdotes, Otto writes directly to her readers. Most of the book applies to the home, though some chapters overlap to the office, such as the chapters on efficiently caring for paperwork and some of the day planner chapters. Many of her ideas are useful and sensible without requiring a lot of money. - Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book Previews.com



3. I just finished reading this book and I loved it! Donna's writting style is easy and fun to read. She gives many practical advises and motivates to become organized. Great book! I am going to reread it many times!



4. Right off, I have to say that Donna Otto is perhaps the most organized person on the planet. This woman's custom-made super planner is beyond anything I've ever seen on the market. Her planner contains her entire life and she has everything from her plans for the day, month, and year through important addresses and phone numbers for all sorts of occasions to detailed plans and reminders about how she is going to achieve her short and long term goals for her intellectual, physical, emotional, financial, social, spiritual, and family pursuits. This planner even has built in quick methods for creating shopping lists and counting calories.
   
   Wow! We may not all become as organized as the author but Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time definitely contains a good deal of food for thought. I found the sections on goal planning and actually examining what was eating up my time particularly useful.