From the Inside Flap
As a society, we have arrived at a point where almost all information is available to almost everyone. Information is no longer scarce. We receive too many e-mails with far too much irrelevant data. In the next five years, the amount of information available is expected to increase tenfold, thanks mostly to the Internet. So, how can you avoid the feeling of being inundated with information? Do you ever wish you could get yourself organized and handle information in a smarter way?
Information Overload explains it all.
Written by renowned information management expert Guus Pijpers, Information Overload reveals how the mind works, how it can be used to think optimally about your business, and how to improve business performance through better information management practices, with an insightful look at:
The peculiarities of information, people, and their memory
Why information deserves separate attention in our daily work and life
How people collect information and the most salient barriers to information use
The symptoms and causes of information overload
Ways in which our senses and feelings deal with information
Why we should move toward having healthy information behavior
Innovative and ahead of its time, this guide helps you take control of all the information that enters your life, get better informed, and have more time for the important issues you face within your business. Information Overload is an essential road map to seeking and finding the information that's important to you, as well as tips and tricks on sanely navigating our information-flooded society. Find out how people handle information. Discover your own information behavior. Communicate information more effectively to others. Do it all with the forward-thinking guidance found in Information Overload.
From the Back Cover
Praise for Information Overload"The Information Universe is expanding in a similar way to the physical universe. Despite information being so pervasive it is one of the most important and yet least understood phenomena of our times. This foundational book by Guus Pijpers is an interesting, unconventional book that contributes to better understanding the information phenomena and, more importantly, provides insights on how better to manage it. Read it and be enlightened."
—Professor Martin Curley, Director, Intel Labs Europe
"This is a book for all brainworkers and their managers. Guus Pijpers's Information Overload is an excellent brain-manual. It gives information on the impact of data overload and how to better manage it. The book itself avoids causing information overload, because it is neatly divided into bite-sized chunks. You can start anywhere, stop reading when you learned something new, see how you can apply it yourself, do it, and return to the book."
—Dr. Theo Compernolle, MD, PhD, independent international consultant, coach, trainer, keynote speaker, and adjunct professor-at-large at INSEAD
"Pijpers creates valuable and new insights on how to structure information and make more effective use of it. I highly recommend this book for executives and anyone engaged in the twenty-first century, as well as those who want to make better decisions and¿improve their lives in the information age."
—Boet E.J. Kreiken, Managing Director, KLM Cityhopper,and former CIO, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
"Easy to read and with good humor, Guus makes the reader aware of the many processes in brain and body that are of great help to handle the everyday growing load of information and to avoid information stress!"
—Hugo Peters, General Manager, Human Resources, ING
"By focusing on the limitations of the human brain to cope with vast quantities of data, Guus Pijpers offers a unique perspective on the 'information overload' problem and discusses strategies to fight it. While his work reflects solid theoretical underpinnings, it also provides the reader with practical advice on how to become a 'smart information worker,' develop appropriate information behaviors, and use IT tools to address the human bottleneck. This is really an important book for all managers and their knowledge workers, especially those who need to sift through large amounts of data in search of relevant information for their daily work."
—Professor Ramon O'Callaghan, Dean, TiasNimbas Business School, Tilburg University
