If you're a fan of, (or recent convert to) this system of productivity then the set of 3 CDs makes reviewing very straightforward.

Having the author, David Allen, read a streamlined version of his book highlights where he believes the emphasis should be placed.

I tossed up if I should buy the CDs when I was also buying the book. Having purchased both I am very pleased with the decision.

Ardeet

I didn't expect a whole lot from this book since it's priced so low. I just happened to buy it on chance. This is a GREAT book!

First off, I have a hard time organizing. I've read Covey and a number of other books, which motivated me and helped me recognize certain things but I still always had "to much to get done" even using his systems. I've always felt like I was ADHD, every time I started a task, project or worked on something, there was always something else distracting me; something on my mind.

If you feel like that any time you're under pressure or need to get something done, you will benefit from this book. It really doesn't tell you things you don't know, it just causes you to recognize them when you need to, not after the fact. It gives you a different perspective and common sense approach to getting things done.

I'm 29. I own my own business (S-Corporation) which keeps me very busy, but I have a career with a Fortune 100 company and things are ALWAYS on fire and changing there. I'm also taking classes toward an MBA to boot. This book has helped me get to a position where I feel like I just have a normal job and nothing else controling my life. On top of that, my hobbies are also complicated and time consuming.

I don't have ADHD, I just didn't have this book!

You just have to have the discipline to follow its reccommendations. That means doing your weekly review, for example. You have to maintain your system. Anyhow, I'm using the system and I love it. I will say the book is a bit dry there in several parts, but hey what can you say? Its hard to keep a book on organization fascinating.

I found this book to be one of those rare works that significantly changed how I view the world, including how I work. Allen's unique contribution to the field of self-management is his practical bottom-up approach. His argument is that most of us are so overloaded, stressed, and distracted by the stuff (communications, commitments, and information) entering our lives, that we can't get our heads above water long enough to think about the big picture - am I doing the *right* job, am I living my values, etc.

Another contribution is Allen's insights into how our minds work, esp. the idea that trying to use our brains as reminder systems (instead of idea-generating ones) has significant complications. This leads to his fundamentals, stated (ironically) at the end:

* keep everything out of your head;
* decide actions and outcomes when things first emerge on your radar, instead of later; and
* regularly review and update the complete inventory of open loops of your life and work.

The rest of the book shows how these principles are made real via his five workflow stages (collect, process, organize, review, and do). This is his third contribution: Most books on time management don't cover all aspects of how work flows into our lives, covering (for example), only the 'organize' portion.

Finally, I say "potentially life-changing" in the title because getting on top of our "stuff" has a surprising payoff: Many people adopting Allen's methodology find their energy and creativity are dramatically freed up, leading to pondering (and progressing on/changing) those bigger-picture issues. In my case I quit my steady job and changed careers to become a workflow consultant.

Highly recommended!

This is not a time management systtem as much as a "stuff" management system. "Stuff" is defined as anything that is where it isn't supposed to be and/or hasn't been accomplished but you haven't put a plan together to move it forward.

"GTD" presents a very good system to organize many of the practices you already follow into a coherent, usable system. However, you will likely add a couple of twists to whatever you currently do to identify and accomplish all of your responsibilities:

- Writing everything down
- Addressing "next actions" immediately (!)
- Creating systems to track your "to do's"
- Creating reminders that pop up when you need them

You may not implement everything in the book, but it is well worth the price and the few hours to read it. I have been giving this book away to people ever since I finished it. I just bought 50 to give to friends and clients.

Get the book. Then Get Something Done...