Vanderkam (
Grindhopping) offers a new system of time management: if readers want to make more time to spend with their children, get fit, or write that novel, they must slash nonessential time wasters and minimize tasks that are not core competencies, a business term for what a company does best and must prioritize. She offers solid and even excellent career advice, about both how to make the most of time at a current job and how to manage time to get ahead. And there is something curiously fascinating about her bizarrely brutal approach to time management (There's little point... in spending much time on activities in which you can't excel). But given that the author seems to be targeting a very rarefied echelon of upper-middle-class working moms (like herself), the book might have very limited appeal. More alienating, though, is her insistence on pummeling the life out of life. Vanderkam's vision may yield plenty of time to pursue worthy activities, but it's a life leached of color or spontaneity.
(May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"24/7 adds up to 168 hours-one week-and, according to Laura Vanderkam, author of
168 Hours, it is the ideal unit by which to examine our lives. Most of us complain about not having enough time to do what it takes to feel successful at home or at work.
168 Hours posits that if we look at the data objectively-how we really spend each hour in an average week-we all have 'enough.'"
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Bookpage "Having it all is hard work; it's a process of evaluating the present and setting future goals. New York City-based author Vanderkam (
Grindhopping) uses time surveys and relates countless stories of friends and clients who have achieved breakthroughs in creating time to enjoy life. Some of her suggestions include focusing, making the most of downtime, and committing enough time, energy, and resources to make activities meaningful. The best chapters offer parents ideas for building quality time with their children. Checklists and charts break up this rather hefty book and offer a new context for thinking about time. Worthwhile."
-Deborah Bigelow,
Library Journal "Within a few pages, Laura Vanderkam's crisp, entertaining book convinced me I had time to read it. Then it convinced me I had time to reread
War and Peace. In the original Russian. Thank you, Laura, for freeing up my schedule."
-Martha Beck, bestselling author of
Steering by Starlight "We so often live our lives day by day. Laura wants us to think about doing it hour by hour. Living this mantra by example, she gets more done in a day than most of us do in a week."
-Seth Godin, author of
Linchpin "
168 Hours is filled with tips and tricks on how you can be more efficient every day. By being more productive at work and home, you'll create more free time to focus on the truly fulfilling activities in your life, rather than the simply mundane."
-Laura Stack, author of
Find More Time "In
168 Hours, Vanderkam packs mounds of real-world case studies and experience to substantiate her system-and I fully agree. You can improve your mastery of time with this invaluable book."
-Dave Crenshaw, author of
Invaluable and founder of Invaluable, Inc.
"
168 Hours should be an eye-opener for every one of us who leads a busy, hectic life. Reading it made me appreciate how much 'true' amount of time I really have and how to use it wisely and optimally to boost productivity, efficiency, and joy."
-Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of
The How of Happiness "Laura Vanderkam shows us how to use our only real wealth-our 168 hours a week- to make our lives richer, not busier. That's a wonderful gift, because it's what genuine success is all about."
-Geoff Colvin, author of
Talent Is Overrated "Laura Vanderkam's fluid style and perceptive eye are just the right tools to help create the life of your intentions.
168 Hours is the antidote to 'living for the weekend.'"
-Marc and Amy Vachon, authors of
Equally Shared Parenting "This book is a reality check that leads any reader to say, 'I do have time for what is important to me.' Full of real life examples, Laura Vanderkam teaches how to pack what matters most into both your work and home life. A must read if you are looking for life-changing strategies to make your next minute, hour or 168 Hours more meaningful."
-Jones Loflin and Todd Musig, Co-authors of
Juggling Elephants "We predict that
168 Hours will fly off the shelves and into the hands of anyone who has ever uttered the words: 'I'm SO busy!' or 'If only I had more time!' Vanderkam's approach is incredibly powerful and resonant given the average American watches 4 hours of television. A day!"
-Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, Co-Creators of Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) and Co-Authors of
Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
