The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done [Hardcover]

Dave Crenshaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2008

In a compelling business fable, The Myth of Multitasking confronts a popular idea that has come to define our hectic, work-a-day world. This simple yet powerful book shows clearly why multitasking is, in fact, a lie that wastes time and costs money. Far from being efficient, multitasking actually damages productivity and relationships at work and at home.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

The growth of email and text messages, among other innovations, has made time management at work more of a challenge. Keeping up with all of this simultaneous communication can become counterproductive. Business coach Crenshaw (founder, Fresh Juice Strategy) addresses the myths about multitasking and argues that it can in fact cost valuable time to employees. Crenshaw frames his book in the form of a fictional case study: "Phil," a consultant, is about to meet with the manager of retail clothing chain "GreenGarb: Clothes Mother Nature Intended" about improving employees' time management skills. Crenshaw's point is that the notion of multitasking is a false construct that costs both time and money. In fact, employees are "switch tasking" (switching back and forth between two or more tasks). Crenshaw claims that "background tasking" (doing two or more tasks, with only one of them requiring mental effort) could be more efficient and effective. Currently, employees lose time owing to interruptions by coworkers, distractions from new technologies, lack of attention to colleagues when they are speaking, and juggling home and work. The author also provides exercises for employees to measure their efficiency and effective use of time. Bibliographic citations are included, but a glossary would have been helpful. Overall, readable and thought-provoking; recommended for public and academic libraries.—Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ., Jamaica, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"This little book was both a pleasure to read and offered some very practical advice in the form of a modern day fable." (Oliver Starr, Editor, Getting Things Done Times)

"Are you a master of juggling e-mail, voice mail, cell-phone calls and the like? No, you're not, says this slim fable-cum-manifesto against multitasking. The author, a business coach, gently ridicules the idea that anyone can concentrate on two things at the same time." (Andrea Sachs, Senior Reporter, Time Magazine, November 2, 2008)

"This simple yet powerful book shows clearly why multitasking is, in fact, a lie that wastes time and costs money. Far from being efficient, multitasking actually damages productivity and relationships at work and at home." (businessskillbooks.blogspot.com, November 24, 2008)

"I applaud Crenshaw for taking on a popular buzzword and small-scale plague not only in business life, but also our day-to-day world. Multitasking is indeed a myth. I would be tempted to be more vigorous in my rhetoric and say that multitasking is a fraud and a thief." (businesscoach.us.com, November 24, 2008)

"Crenshaw's on a mission to reduce distractions, interruptions, and fire-fighting at work, and create environments that let employees see through tasks with their full attention before moving onto the next thing." (blumerlamotte.blogspot.com, October 13, 2008)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (August 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470372257
• ISBN-13: 978-0470372258
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #420,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A highly sought-after author, speaker, and business coach, Dave Crenshaw is the foremost expert in helping clients become invaluable in an ever-changing market. He has helped CEOs and employees worldwide gain thousands of hours of productivity and boost both their business and personal bottom line.

Dave Crenshaw's often humorous and entertaining approach always hits right on the head with audiences. His speeches to audiences around the globe are described as life changing. Dave has appeared in the news worldwide, including TIME magazine, SIRIUS XM Radio, Forbes, and BBC News.

Dave's first book, The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done, is a time management best seller available in many languages worldwide. His second book, Invaluable: The Secret to Becoming Irreplaceable, is also an organizational behavior and motivation bestseller.

Dave is the founder of Invaluable Inc., a coaching and training corporation dedicated to helping companies, their leaders, and their employees become truly invaluable. He is also President of the International Association of Productivity Coaches.

Dave lives in the shadow of Utah's Rocky Mountains with his wife and children.

To learn more about Dave, visit www.DaveCrenshaw.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Multi-tasking is a myth and this book does not add much, October 26, 2008

By 

Bas Vodde (Singapore) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done (Hardcover)

"The Myth of Multi-tasking" is another business novel. This time about multi-tasking. My first response to this book was excitement. Finally, a new book on the subject of multi-tasking. I bet it will state all latest research, describe experiments done, check on the brain activity to physically prove multi-tasking is a myth etc etc. I was disappointed. None of the above is included in this book (ok, some quotes taken out of research) and instead it's an average story about a consultant helping a CEO.

The book describes the story of Phil who is called in my Helen for some reason. He convinces her that multi-tasking is not efficient (as she seemed to believe) and teaches her different ways of organizing her work so that she does not need to "switchtask" and becomes more effective. Of course, she believes the consultant, changes all her habits and her company and a happy end.

The book is easy to read. It's also small, you can read it in about an hour!! There is not much more than the above story in the book and some quotes from different research (of which some are actually interesting). One thing that annoyed me is that the author decided to rename "multi-tasking" to "switchtasking". I kept wondering why he couldn't call it simple "task switching" which is the common term for this.

The book didn't bother me. I got a couple of useful research quotes out of it and one interesting game to "prove" multitasking is inefficient. The book is small and therefore it might be easy to read. Don't expect much though. 3 stars.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I'd read this 10 years ago!, October 8, 2008

By 

Book Lover - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done (Hardcover)

As a busy mother of three and manager of a family business, I've spent years feeling like there is not enough time in the day, and no possible way to do everything that needs to get done. I believed that if I wanted to get anywhere in life I had to be a master "multitasker," but I was stressed-out, spun-out, and I saw no end in sight.

Today, I have to say that The Myth of Multitasking has totally changed my life.

Reading this book was a complete eye opener for me. I've learned how to examine my day, and see just where I'm losing precious time. I have to say that I was initially shocked at how ineffective I was. I was not only spinning my wheels at work, I was doing my family a huge disservice by not giving them the complete attention they deserve. Admittedly, a lifetime's worth of bad habits are hard to break, but this short fable literally gave me more time for my family, my work, and my life.

Highly recommended for anyone, but especially moms who work.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Investment!, September 14, 2008

By 

K. Sorensen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done (Hardcover)

As an owner of a growing business, my time is very precious. This book is a quick, enjoyable read and has already yielded a high ROI (Return On time Investment)! By following the simple principles outlined in this book, I have seen improvement in stress levels and productivity at work and home. We plan on purchasing extra copies and using them as a key part of our upcoming employee training.