economics-times

This book has helped me organize and keep track of time. It has changed my perpective on time. I always though I managed time in a reasonable manner, but this book has told me other wise. It's very helpful, but not for you little sister. Younger children findi t boring because they really don't need to manage their time. I do recomend it for the working adult, it has worked wonders with my father.

Author Alec MacKenzie has updated the mother of all time-management books, which fist hit the shelves in 1972. Despite the fact that time management has become a multi-million-dollar industry since this title was originally published, The Time Trap still stands as one of the most effective guides to getting it together. Why? Because MacKenzie tells you flat out what the problem is: You. He doesn't offer sympathy, create excuses or complain about how modern technology has put us on a treadmill. Instead he tells you, in plain English, how to record how you spend your time, how to identify time-wasting activities, and how to change your behavior to make yourself more productive and efficient. Nowhere will you find a self-help book with more practical techniques or less BS. Small-business owners and time-pressed executives are the perfect audience for this book, but we [...] recommend it to any stressed-out professional or student.

THE TIME TRAP

I would recommend this book to anyone who works for a business company that has even a little management trouble. This book teaches you how to manage your time, avoid time consuming problems, keep organized, and much more. It tells you the top twenty biggest time wasters like drop-in-visitors, pointless meetings, and telephone calls. It teaches you how to solve these and many other problems that may not be as common as the twenty-magor wasters. This book is the newer addition of the best seller The Time Trap that came out in 1972. This one tells you better ways to solve problems and new problems that can be solved. This is the best time management book out still from when it came out in the 90's.

I read this book in seventh grade just to read a book and so I would not recommend this book to any of the seventh graders because they would probably think it was lame and pointless.

I dont' want to mess up the review rating here, but it keeps saying there are 11 reviews and showing only 2. Could someone at Amazon please return the other nine, or change the 11 to 2?

I like my ratings organized.

:)

I would call this the thinking person's guide to getting organized. I was delighted by the intelligence and breadth of this approach. And, I am actually reading the book. I often buy self-help books, and then I don't read them. I am reading this every day and it is changing my life. I find good sense and inspiration on every page. I highly recommend it.

Five stars!

What a fabulous book! I have read many books on how to get organized. Each time I would follow (or at least try to follow)the steps that were supposed to clear up the clutter in my life. Shortly thereafter, however, the clutter would return. This is the first book on organizing that really helped me understand what the root causes of disorganization are, rather than focusing solely on the symptom of clutter. Using the tools and messages of this book I have started to change my habits and am now getting more satisfying and lasting results. Marilyn Paul has a wonderful writing style that is easy to read, and almost soothing. Her tone is non-judgemental and empathetic. She has a true understanding of the organizational issues many of us face. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants less clutter of any kind in their life.

I just finished the 3rd edition of MYT, and was quite impressed. I haven't seen the first two editions, but this one certainly fills the bill, if you're looking for solutions to time-pressure problems. That the book is funny, is a real bonus. It makes it easier to get through every chapter. I found the section found "Thinking Your Way Out of Timetraps" to be the best part of the book. After all, much of what we face on a daily basis is self-induced. You can blame your boss, you can blame other people, but when you really get honest with yourself, as you learn in the book, most of the time pressure you feel is a result of your own activities and beliefs. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

I encountered the Dummy's version of Time Management and was of disappointed. It seemed like it was just one ad after and another for the various products that the author was touting. The Idiot's version of Time Management in comparison is devoted to the reader. I didn't detect that the author had any affiliations with any products or services, and even if he does, it doesn't come through in these pages. Instead, I encountered one chapter after another of sound logic, action steps, and encouragement. If the book is lacking in any area it would be on using technology to enhance your use of time. But, you can always make the argument that tools of technology change so fast, that such discussion is better handled in newspaper and magazine articles anyways. The bottom line, this is an excellent book on time management and certainly worth the time it takes to read it.

This is the best of all the time management books. For one, the author is a bonafide expert, having written several books tangential to the topic. The advice in here is very solid. Chapter after chapter, tip after tip, there is much that would benefit any reader, anywhere. The pace of society doesn't seem to be slowing down, and as the author says, it is up to each of us individually to carve out space and time we need to live the kind of life that we desire. This book is easy to read, fun to read, and ultimately, has lasting impact. You can only read it in byte size amounts like the author says, it will still work.

I haven't completely read the book yet, but it's been very helpful so far. The book is definitely a page turner and does not get too wrapped up on dry theory. The author rapidly fires through most all of the key topics for project management, often citing experts in the field that you can read to learn more.

The author points out that most projects fail because of poor definition. It's unfortunate his book doesn't fully describe how to prevent this, especially when it comes to really connecting to customers and understand what they need out of the project. This might be very obvious if your customers of the project work in your same firm. Of course you may also be the customer of the project. If you're not though, you're going to need more than this book to deliver the *right* product.

If more project people read, practised and internalized the principles in this book, fewer projects would be out of control. I've been through the text completely, twice, and refer to the sample forms and checklists, often. Have recomended the text to client project leaders who are new to the concept. The Checklist for Managing Projects in the Appendix is a must have for the PM controlling the team. The first few chapters speak to the people side of project management. The middle section is devoted to the computations, PERT, and other statistical measures of project tracking. The final chapters ease back into the management styles needed, dealing with resistence, how to mold the team, and leaves the reader fairly optimistic that the project can be had on time and on budget.

Project Planning Scheduling And Control - Revised Edition James P Lewis McGraw-Hill ISBN-1-55738-869-5 If you are, or want to become a project manager or indeed do any work in connection with the management of projects then this book is essential reading matter. As the tittle implies this book is predominantly about the project planning, control and the techniques used to help achieve the management of successful projects. It does however also discuss, although in less detail, other management areas, including the management, motivation and control of people working on projects. The topic of this book is such a huge subject it is unrealistic to believe that it is possible that one book could cover, in depth, every conceivable area in relation to this subject. Indeed there are hundreds of books on the market that discuss single project management techniques in detail and as such this book does not attempt to make the reader an expert in every possible area of this subject. This book does however attempt to impart knowledge, to the reader, to a level that they are able to understand and apply the tool and methods discussed within. Because of this book can be a useful aid to both a new comer to the subject or a manager that has been working form many years. Neither type of reader will be left grappling for understanding or be left feeling that they are being treated far below their level. If a reader wishes to gain a deeper understanding of any of the topics discuss this book also contains many references and recommendations of books to read to do so. As well as explaining much of the current knowledge of this topic it aids the teaching of these ideas by making you think about the ideas that are being expressed with the aid of stories of real life situations and anecdotes By doing this James Lewis is able to display the advantages, pitfalls of these methods and the common misconceptions and misunderstandings that can make the application of these ideas a success or failure. I can only recommend that every one connected with project management reads this book and retains a copy on their desk for future reference guidance.

A great book! The author is big on automotive history, so you will know more about the industry and the people that formed it. Walter Chrysler just seems to be the man he tells the story around. I have found interest in other people from this time frame to read about too from this book.

Stop whatever you're doing. Take a week off from work and read this book! Rarely is a massive biography a pleasure to read. Usually, even the most critically acclaimed biographies are long on tedious detail and short on page-turning storytelling and exquisite style. Vincent Curcio's biography of automotive pioneer Walter Chrysler is the exception to all these norms. Fascinating, impeccably written and completely engrossing, this sweeping tale is more than just a biography. True to its title, it is also a panoramic view of Walter Chrysler's times. Don't be put off by the length, even though index and all, it is 699 pages long. Even if you don't think you're interested in the automotive industry, read this book anyway. We [...] join the ranks of critics and industry insiders who've praised it and promises you will not be able to put it down.

I picked up this book after reading Bill Vlasic's "Taken for a Ride", about the DaimlerChrysler merger. This book goes back to the beginning of the story, tracing Walter Chrysler's beginnings through the early decades of his car company. Chrysler's life, which was never less than flamboyant, is the ideal subject for a biography (why did no one write one before?), and Vincent Curcio has brought a colorful and engaging style to the story. The book's focus shifts between the company's business decisions, always daring if occasionally foolish, and Chrysler's personal life, which is wildly entertaining. My only complaint about the book is that it might have been a little bit shorter; even Walter Chrysler has trouble filling up 600+ pages. But it's a delight to read nonetheless.

I was really excited to get this book, hoping it would get me more organized, especially as far as keeping my house tidy and organized. However, aside from a few exercises that helped me prioritize my needs, I was quickly disappointed as there is really nothing in this book I didn't already know.

For instance, as for keeping house, who doesn't know that dishes need to be done after every meal? Or that vacuuming should be done twice a week? I needed and hoped for a book that would help me find a way out of my rut that gets me past KNOWING what I need to do into DOING it. For that, I highly recommend either *Sink Reflections* by Marla Cilley, or *Conquering Chronic Disorganization*, by Judith Kolberg.

One big problem with this book is that it only offers one way to battle disorganization. If you are Chronically Disorganized like me, you've already tried that way and it's a bad fit. That's why it doesn't work in the first place.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organizing Your Life is too basic and assumes that once you know what you're supposed to do, everything will magically fall into place. That may be true for some, but for chronically disorganized people, I feel this book is truly lacking.

This book has some solid advice, but a lot of it is extremely basic. It's more appropriate to someone who is approaching organizing their life for the first time, not someone who is looking for new and innovative storage or time management solutions. A lot of the book is composed of questions to ask yourself - it's good for self-assessment but tedious if you already have an idea where you are and what you want. Most of the suggestions you already know - file away needed papers, throw away unnecessary ones, plan your meals weekly, use closet organizers and drawer trays. There are some good resource references though.

I cannot recommend another book as highly as this one. Although it sounds rather silly to say that a Complete Idiot's Guide can change one's life, I must say that this one does.

While this book has many bits and pieces of good advice, it certain, as another review puts it "not the holy grail of time management books". When reading time management books, don't expect magic formulas that will ameliorate everything. Remeber, you have to do the hard work. One thing I found helpful is to always carry an agenda and to look at it before I lift a finger.

Not only is this book about time management, if you follow its suggestions, you'll find it makes your whole life easier. I plan on buying this even though it's available at the library. This is a book I will re-read often. The ideas about "being there" are useful, not only that, they are indispensible for achieving results.

If you are a manager,excutive or a business owner the techniques in book can save your life.It puts in perspective the cost of being time efficent and simply techniques on how to get there.Although Griessman takes a serious look at time management problems and the solutions,it is a quick and enjoyable read.Its well written with an excellant content page so you can get right work.This book will pay for its self-IMMEDIATELY.You may wish order two, one for the office and one for home.

So I heard about this book from a friend, so I picked it up for a recent trip to NYC. I cracked it open @ the airport as I waited for my flight. "David Paulson's" letters are so quirky and bizarre, its hilarious. I just kept thinking, how does this guy come up with some of these scenarios and inquiries. Corporate America is just so white collar and by the book, it's refreshing that a handful of companies even played along. At one point I was lauging out loud for 5 minutes straight at JFK as I sat at the gate. I ended up taking the book into work and it was water cooler chat for a week. This is an excellent conversation piece or just a laugh out loud book to keep in your guest bath. I highly recommend this book.....

This book is a collection of send-ups that will keep you laughing for quite awhile. What happens to marshmallow fluff when you microwave it for ten minutes, and then freeze it? What happens when you complain about being on hold for too long? Can you make a fighting robot out of stolen spoons? It's all here. Paul Davidson has put together a collection of hilarious original letters, and their responses, to some of America's largest corporations. You'll read and re-read this for a long time. And if you don't, perhaps you can send him a letter of your own!

This is the funniest, wittiest and original book I've read in ages. With so much mundane humor out there it's refreshing to see some fresh and original humor. I read this book in one sitting, laughing out loud. Paul Davidson has a rare gift. I look forward to his next endeavor.

Moore is president of the conservative Club for Growth and has been a vociferous spokesperson for slashing taxes and reducing the size of government. He is well known for twisting the facts and employing faulty statistics to prove his point. An example of this is relying upon per capita income rather than the more widely accepted (and more revealing) family income.

Clearly, many of the trends described in the book are what most people, including myself, would agree to be improvements over the past 100 years. From educational and environmental improvements to declining poverty rates for the elderly, these are good things.

However, many of the improvements they list could be ascribed to the big government they loathe. The improvements in the environment which Moore and Simon laud did not come about because industry volunteered to restrict their emission of pollutants. Those improvements came about because of government legislation and adequate tax revenues to enforce it. For example, Detroit automakers refused to increase fuel efficiency until legislation required it, just as they refused seatbelts. It could also be argued that the improvements in education are the result of government intervention. Likewise, elderly poverty rates. Even the Internet we are using this very moment was ultimately derived from the Department of Defense.

Moore and Simon also never discuss the growing disparity in wealth in the United States, in which inequality has grown since the late 1960's. This inequality, as quantified by the Gini Index, shows the U.S. with greater inequality than any other industrial or "wealthy" nation. While those at the top control ever more wealth, there is less for those at the bottom of the ladder. Sure, the poor in America are mostly better off than in a third world country, but it doesn't follow that that's good enough.

In all, I'd say there are some reasonable points made here, but Moore and Simon paint a picture that is somewhat brighter than reality.

Stephen Moore, leader of the Club For Growth, and the recently deceased Julian Simon, made famous by his bet with Robert Ehrlich and also from his solution for airline overbooking, have contributed once again to the dragon-slaying of the social justice mythology. Their rigorous compilation of data on the continued ability of free market economies to create an ever rising surplus for all people is unsurpassed. I read Simon's "State of Humanity" a couple of years ago and it was equally as informative. Alm & Cox's "Myths of the Rich and Poor" also correlates with the data presented in this book.

An interesting phenomena occurs when you present this book to die-hard socialists. They continue to disclaim its validity by eg. citing the disparity between CEO compensation and the bottom 25% of the population. In fact they present you with statistics of their own which seemingly refute the data in this book. When you probe and ask them how their statistics were compiled they become evasive and fuzzy, but they continue to rely on them to underpin their position. They engage in the fallacy of inductive logic which consists of reasoning from the particular to the general i.e. if they used the Canadian health care system for a cough and they were satisfied with the results of their medical care then ipso facto such a system is good. In addition it's better than the U.S. system because it's cheaper, etc. They ignore all the other inputs and outputs that any cursory economic study would investigate. It's almost like they would suffer an emotional crisis if they had to accept relity i.e. like the conclusions in this book. Why this is so would be worthy of continued discussion, but the need to denigrate solid evidence seems neccessary in order to retain their sense of self.

Emotional trauma, provided by irrefutable evidence contrary to a belief system, seems to erode one's certainty in adhering to a false construct; but results are uneven and take long periods of time to penetrate society. Statistics, such as we have here, are younger than our century, and have only been subject to accurate number crunching coincident with the rise of the main frame computer (in the 60's). The authors should continue to educate the people. A constitutional republic such as ours works best with the input of an educated citizenry. Kudos to Moore and Simon, may he rest in peace.

It is fashionable to bemoan the state of the world. The conventional wisdom is that global warming, Terrorism, drug abuse, crime, AIDS and all the rest of the crises threatening humanity lead us to the conclusion that the "good old days" were somehow better, safer and saner than today.

But, if things are so bad why is infant mortality going down around the world? If things are on the edge of anarchy why are proportionately fewer of us hungry, or sick today than one hundred years ago. If things are going to hell in a handbasket why is our life expectancy steadily improving?

These are inconvenient questions. The answers are tough on the prophets of doom.

Luckily, the conventional wisdom is wrong. Stephen Moore and Julian Simon prove this convincingly. Facts are often inconvenient. But, if you want to know the facts, this is the book for you.

I read about this book in CFO & CIO so I picked up a copy. For a book written by a professor and a consultant, I found it to be very practical and easy to understand. As a turnaround manager I read a lot of business books and strategy publications and was pleasantly surprised at how approachable, yet valuable the book was. I checked out the documents featured on the book's website (...) and found them to be very useful and comprehensive. In fact, I will probably use some of these documents as frameworks for a project I am currently working on for my client.

Overall, I think the book does a great job at outlining a practical framework and approach to portfolio management. What's more, the book's concepts and tools seem fairly easy to implement....which is always a good thing.

Many organizations approve any project that sounds like "a good idea". This "soda straw" perspective is a sure way to over-task people, make project cost and delivery unpredictable, and ensure a poor reputation for the organization executing projects. While business leaders do not set out to cripple and distract their organizations, the lack of an institutionalized process frequently yields poor results. While this book addresses the narrow space of project alignment with organizational objectives, the authors propose a framework and tools that organizations with the commitment to follow it through can use to get optimum results from their project portfolio. Specifically, the approach offered by the authors helps organizations align their project portfolio with corporate objectives, align individual projects with one another, and enable organizational flexibility.
The process provides a certain rigor, but those seeking to implement this process in their organization should consider 1) first implementing a functional basic project portfolio management process, 2) ensuring that the process proposed in this book is a good match to their organizational culture, and 3) that in implementing this process they do not over-engineer their project portfolio management process.
Those proposing this process for adoption, or who are conducting a project portfolio alignment workshop, may wish to visit the book Website (HBSP), which has Microsoft PowerPoint slide presentations and graphics available for download. This Website is a useful adjunct to the book.
This is a useful book for project portfolio managers in organizations who want more rigor in their project portfolio management process.

Utility of the Information
The value of the book, in my view, lies in the following attributes:
•The authors present complex ideas in an easy-going, not scholarly style, making the book easy to read. They use graphics to communicate concepts like frameworks and tools, and they employ a case-study approach to illustrate application.
•The framework consisting short- and long-term objectives along with organizational trait objectives provides for a balanced perspective.
•The alignment tools provide an approach to view projects in a portfolio view. This allows the portfolio management team to align projects and the portfolio with organizational direction, improve project efficiency, manage risks, and achieve flexibility.
•The framework and tools consciously align the project portfolio with organizational goals, bringing focus to the portfolio.
•Workshop attendees can use the tools to gain fresh a perspective of projects instead of a traditional, organizational alignment point of view where, say, projects are always associated with the division who sponsors the projects.
•Incorporates a change management perspective by asking how much change an organization can digest in a given time period.
•Supports and promotes program management by forcing analysis of the interdependencies of projects and project deliverables.
•Supports and promotes spiral (iterative development) through the "project chunking" perspective.
•Aids the risk management process by balancing project benefits versus risks in the project proposal and review process.
•Portfolio managers or teams can apply the framework and tools in a step-by-step fashion, reducing anxiety about "how to eat the elephant". This stepwise approach supports workshop breakout sessions.

Application of the Framework and Tools
Several questions arise when one considers if one can apply an authors approach to solving business problems; is the approach practicable.

Position of the Framework in the Larger Project Portfolio Management Context
If the project portfolio management process includes 1) understanding supply and demand (people, money and projects), alignment of decision boards with authority, project assessment, and continuous process improvement (IPS Associates and Stanford APM), this framework fits toward the end of that process spectrum. This book does not describe the overall project portfolio management process, or how to implement project portfolio management in an organization. This book really answers the question "Now that I have a project portfolio management process in place, how do I mature my portfolio alignment and balance process?"

Feasibility, Suitability and Acceptability
For organizations which have implemented project portfolio management and wish for more rigor in the project-business alignment sub-process, this book is a credible offering. One would expect that if a portfolio management team applied all the tools in this book to their portfolio that the result would be 1) a considerable time investment and 2) a better aligned portfolio. The portfolio management team must therefore be willing to take the time to 1) learn several tools and 2) apply the tools in a step-wise and iterative fashion over time.
The framework, tools and examples emphasize application in a business (for profit) context. Practitioners in governmental or other not for profit organizations will need to critically review, tailor and possibly adapt the framework and tools to their purposes.
Organizations with a small number of projects and who have portfolio management team members who are more inclined to make decisions quickly, who are not possessed with an engineering or analytical mindset may think that they do not need or have the patience for such a process. Team members may respond to this approach saying "I'll just use my business experience and common sense to achieve balance in my portfolio". While this statement may or may not be true, I would expect this response in some cultures. One approach to this may be for the portfolio management support office to compile the data, apply the tools, and make a staff recommendation to the portfolio management team for decision.
While the authors bring both academic (McFarlan is a professor) and business experience (Benko is a consultant) to this book, they cite no studies to support the effectiveness of their approach. Therefore, organizations which require empirical evidence of process effectiveness before accepting or implementing a new business process may be resistant to implementing this process.

References, Footnoting and Bibliography
This book is well referenced, footnoted and indexed. This increases the utility of the book for one who has first read and understood the book.
One can often tell when an academic was on the team of authors; the footnoting is excellent, and the Notes section (Benko and McFarlan 221-30) is a useful resource for exploring other sources of information for further research. Specifically, the notes section is ample at nine pages, the lexicon is helpful with three pages of content, and the index is well populated with nine pages of indexed words.

This book provided a useful framework for helping me think about the biggest challenge facing my company: growing the business while reducing costs. Connecting the Dots provides a unique approach by focusing on the project portfolio. Through greater alignment, organizations better focus on their goals while reducing costs through improved efficiency. It's a clever solution that breaks the logjam between growth and cost cutting that paralyzes a lot of organizations.

The other new idea which I liked was how the book thought about the future. With an interesting historical context, Benko and McFarlan basically recommend that companies should focus on "adapting not predicting." They counsel companies to build "traits" into their organization. These characteristics reflect the future of the networked economy. It will require most organizations to take some time to wrap their heads around the concept and translate it into tangible goals for the company but I have already begun experimenting with the concept.

Overall, the book gets you thinking about the importance of your project portfolio and how it can help you prepare for uncertainty. It then provides interesting tools and techniques for achieving greater alignment.

The book is an easy to read and engaging. It's written almost like Warren McFarlan's speeches. Lots of historical references and analogies. Moreover, the book doesn't "preach at you", rather it understands that each business has it's own context. And they reconginze that you don't need to adopt all their recommendations and techniques.

For conceptual thinkers, I'd skim chapters 5 and 6. They are for people who like to slog through the details. I found Chapter 1 was a great overview and Chapter 4 provided concise summaries of all the tools and techniques. If you are looking for a practical but novel approach to producing results, I recommend this book.