Lists for Life: The Essential Guide to Getting Organized and Tackling Tough To-Dos [Paperback]

Rory Tahari (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

Who hasn’t ever walked out the door with that “am I forgetting something” feeling? Let’s face it, everyone could use a little help getting more organized and dealing with life’s daily demands. Written by Rory Tahari—a powerhouse businesswoman who not only oversees a company with annual global revenues of more than $500 million but also manages a bustling household with young children and various philanthropic endeavors—Lists for Life breaks big moments down into easy, manageable steps so readers will never feel overwhelmed again. Featuring approximately 100 “lists for life” on topics including parenting, moving, traveling, car ownership, financial planning, taking care of your home, preparing for a hospital stay, planning a funeral, and much more, this handy guide leads readers step by step through life’s most stressful events and provides helpful checklists for creating and balancing an organized existence. Lists for Life helps eliminate moments of panic and is practical and portable enough to keep within reach at all times. For anyone from busy moms to overscheduled newlyweds to on-the-go working women, Lists for Life is a must-have resource for every time-crunched, over-extended individual.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rory Tahari is the vice chairman and creative director Elie Tahari. Since joining the company in 1998, she has elevated the Elie Tahari label from one of the fashion industry's most enduring brands to one of its most successful. Rory oversees the company's strategic development and works closely with the company's chairman, Elie Tahari, in developing new retail concepts and product collections. Creatively, she oversees advertising, marketing, and public relations on a global level.

Prior to joining Elie Tahari, Rory had a career in television production and earned her BA in Journalism at Boston University. She is currently a board member of The Presidential Forum on Renewable Energy, the non-profit organization Friends in Deed (a support group for people who have life-threatening illnesses and their loved ones), and is involved with several charities, including New Yorkers for Children. This is her first book.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

I have been a compulsive list maker since I was old enough to write. Some detractors might suggest the word obsessive, but I like to think that I am highly functioning and effi cient. Other list-obsessed women I'm aware of (Madonna) seem to back up my claim. In any case, from the packing list I compiled for summer camp as an eleven-year-old to the college application checklist I already have handy for my kids (who are all under the age of ten), I like to deal with life's challenges one step at a time.

For years, I was a personal resource library for friends and family who needed information. The minute someone got pregnant, engaged, bought a house, or experienced any other milestone, my phone would start ringing. I was always happy to dash off a list and was proud that my checklists were helping others navigate life. When I started getting calls from friends of friends asking me to share my checklists for life's diffi cult moments, I realized it was time to go public.

So here it is.

This book isn't a beach read; it's not chick lit. Instead, it's more of an owner's manual for some of life's biggest events and transitions. Keep it on the shelf with your reference books, in the kitchen near your day calendar, by your bedside, or anywhere that's handy. When you find yourself in need of a road map, tear out the appropriate chapter, tape it to your computer, and let me help you break down an overwhelming or challenging situation, step by step. I know that sometimes the toughest part of tackling a to-do can be fi guring out how to get started, and I hope that the following checklists, resources, action items, and suggestions will have you on your way to a more organized and less stressful life. Copyright © 2009 by Deep Water Productions, LLC

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 143912468X
• ISBN-13: 978-1439124680
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 4.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #566,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rory Tahari breaks down life's challenges and time-consuming tasks into easy-to-achieve steps in her first book, LISTS FOR LIFE: The Essential Guide to Getting Organized and Tackling Tough To-Dos . Rory offers checklists for moving smoothly through some of life's biggest events and transitions--moving to a new home, planning a wedding, taking a vacation, preparing for an emergency, handling a funeral, or just trying to keep your life organized.

For anyone from busy moms to overscheduled newlyweds to on-the-go working women, Lists for Life is the essential guide for busy individuals trying to cope with never-ending to-do lists.

"Most of us are juggling a host of responsibilities and feeling crunched for time," says Rory. "My hope is that LISTS FOR LIFE will help busy people meet the challenges of everyday life by providing them with a starting point, an idea of all the possibilities, and a sequence to follow, so they can enjoy life instead of feeling overwhelmed."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pointless and Confusing, October 23, 2009

By 

Lori Smart "Amazon Queen" (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lists for Life: The Essential Guide to Getting Organized and Tackling Tough To-Dos (Paperback)

(What's this?)

Lately, I've been on a mission to get organized, so when I saw this book, I thought I'd give it a try. The bulk of the book is geared toward weddings and pregnancy, which are important parts of life, but only short periods of time. The author also recommended buying other planning guides for these events, so my question was, then what's the point of putting the lists here? Also, some of the lists were just plain weird. It's almost like the author doesn't really run her own household, but simply questioned their household staff as to what they do every day and threw it all into a book. Seriously, who cleans their bathroom windows every week or vacuums under their bed and under furniture every week? Does ANYONE wipe fingerprints off doors & woodwork weekly? That's stuff for seasonal cleaning, or you'd go nuts! Then there's the Preschool Interview guide consisting of 48 questions. Seriously, who does that?? I mean, I can see 10 or so, but 48? Really? It's preschool! They play with clay, sing songs, take naps & eat crackers! My advice? Don't buy this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful lists, but not for everyone, December 10, 2009

By 

Thomas E. Davis (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lists for Life: The Essential Guide to Getting Organized and Tackling Tough To-Dos (Paperback)

(What's this?)

These detailed lists are primarily useful for young adults. They often need reminders about essential steps in the complicated life events that normally take place in their twenties.

The book starts with getting married, buying a home, moving in, maintaining the home, having a baby, and caring for young children. These lists consume the first 145 pages of this book. The remaining 108 pages consist of lists for traveling, buying and maintaining a car, getting medical care, getting divorced, dealing with a death, and preparing for a variety of disasters.

Since I'm in my mid-50s, I've been through a lot of these passages, and it's been my experience that far more information than the book provides is needed to manage such important events. I therefore judge it to be of limited usefulness for older people. Still, it is a handy starting point, so it is potentially helpful, especially for those who are just now embarking on their adult lives.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Little Listy book, not practical for me, October 22, 2009

By 

LG "family" (CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lists for Life: The Essential Guide to Getting Organized and Tackling Tough To-Dos (Paperback)

(What's this?)

Although I think this book is a good idea, it just doesn't work for me. I write list all of the time but picking up this book to cross-check and see if I have everything down is just not something I will do. I find my list to be very specific and personal not generic. The list in this book are more like guidelines for major events in life.

There are no reproducable list as the book is too small. It does have examples for things like kids chore lists and home contact information.

I am sure some people will find this book helpful. It is nicely organized and small. It might be a good book for a young couple getting married, buying a house, having children etc.