Tag Archives: book review

book review: Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life

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My book review of David Allen’s Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life here got me thinking about the book in more detail.

The hardest thing about the book was also its greatest asset. The fact it was an audiobook meant that it was right there with me which not only kept me moving through the book, and mindful of the principles, both good things. I am finding having a hard copy of books with me at the points that I feel like reading harder than it once was (bad for GTD itself perhaps, but there you go), so the audio allows me to use those moments when I have a gap, but when my head is too active to enjoy nothingness.

The negatives were that it was hard to get into a groove with it because in this book unlike in the audio version of the Getting Things Done book, the quotes were included in the audiobook as well as the hard copy, and the chapters are short sharp pointers; profound but not deep, and still practical enough to have you going “Now there’s a thought.” on more than one occasion

Allen claims in the introduction that after writing Getting Things Done, he started to think about the why of the approach, why the principles he was teaching seemed (at least to him it seems) universally applicable and as such started to put together principles and essays about their application. These are those essays. They are solid as an introduction, or as a review. There is depth to them which makes the format of an audiobook without chapter markers at the end of each point hard.

It is worth while as a read even if you have no direct interest in GTD. In Allen’s words;

This program will likely validate much of what you already know and do that works. But it will also challenge you to apply that awareness in a much more conscious and consistent manner and that’s where the real power lies.

In my own words it is as much about mindfulness as file folders.The spiritual angle is tangible and makes it a lot less a business book and much more a life book.. Thinking about my own choices and the impacts I have has been useful, given that really there is nothing new under the sun. As he says

If God is all and you’re part of that, just relax

This isn’t a sponsored post but my advice is if you want to buy/borrow a copy, get a hard copy.If you want to buy this it is on Amazon.

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The day after the remains of the day — a review of sorts.

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I’m not all that good at finishing books when I can’t stand the main character. This is particularly true is the same character holds the narrator role in the novel as well and its in first person. This time, I made it through and was rewarded.

Let me be clear here. I don’t have to love the character or agree with them. In fact many of my greatest reads have been when I needed to find the hook of compassion or respect deep in the book or look for an angle with a minor character. Not so this one. I have not seen the movie as yet. From memory it too was a prize winner.

I can see why this book won the Booker prize. The fact that Kazuo Ishiguro could write the butler, Stevens so well that I found myself getting frustrated with him in my dreams last night is testement to the good writing.

I was expecting an intensely English gentlemen story. I was looking forward to a tale of the English country-side and the English folk generally. I got small portions of both of these expectations as well as a large dose of a review of classism through the eyes of a man who doesn’t quite fit and doesn’t know why he doesn’t fit. It is a story of lost opportunities. It is sad.

Below is my review as posted on Shelfari

It was an interesting read. Stevens, the elderly butler is narrator and chief character. He is extremely aloof and quite arrogant, but does tell an interesting tale in his journey to the West Country of England in the 1950′s. His reminisces about his service to his prior master pre-occupy his travels as does his assessment of butlering generally (of which he is quiet harsh, except of his own.

It was a good read if a bit slow going at points and the various parts of the characters did not come together till quite late, but when they did it all fitted nicely

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