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John Perry

The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing Hardcover – August 28, 2012

by John Perry (Author)

95 ratings

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This is not a book for Bill Gates. Or Hillary Clinton, or Steven Spielberg. Clearly they have no trouble getting stuff done. For the great majority of us, though, what a comfort to discover that we’re not wastrels and slackers, but doers . . . in our own way. It may sound counterintuitive, but according to philosopher John Perry, you can accomplish a lot by putting things off. He calls it “structured procrastination”:

In 1995, while not working on some project I should have been working on, I began to feel rotten about myself. But then I noticed something. On the whole, I had a reputation as a person who got a lot done and made a reasonable contribution. . . . A paradox. Rather than getting to work on my important projects, I began to think about this conundrum. I realized that
I was what I call a structured procrastinator: a person who gets a lot done by not doing other things.

Celebrating a nearly universal character flaw, The Art of Procrastination is a wise, charming, compulsively readable book—really, a tongue-in-cheek argument of ideas. Perry offers ingenious strategies, like the defensive to-do list (“1. Learn Chinese . . .”) and task triage. He discusses the double-edged relationship between the computer and procrastination—on the one hand, it allows the procrastinator to fire off a letter or paper at the last possible minute; on the other, it’s a dangerous time suck (Perry counters this by never surfing until he’s already hungry for lunch). Or what may be procrastination’s greatest gift: the chance to accomplish surprising, wonderful things by not sticking to a rigid schedule. For example, Perry wrote this book by avoiding the work he was supposed to be doing—grading papers and evaluating dissertation ideas. How lucky for us.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A splendid way to avoid one’s work.”
—Ben Schott, author of Schott’s Original Miscellany

“Do not put off reading this charming guide to more effective procrastination. Dr. Perry is the Fabius Cunctator in our war against the Hannibal of the undone. Be gone, elephants of nagging duty.
—P. J. O’Rourke, author of Holidays in Hell

“Insightful, sensible, and amusing.”
—Harry G. Frankfurt, author of On Bullshit

“John Perry is the wittiest philosopher since Marx (Groucho), and he brings to this book a delightful combination of wisdom and humor.”
—Thomas Cathcart, coauthor of Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . .

“The Art of Procrastination is a gem—its practical wisdom as spot-on as its humor. Now that I’ve devoured this hilarious and insightful tome, I not only know that I’m a structured procrastinator, but I’ve also picked up some invaluable tips on how to fool myself into being more productive, which to put to use someday.”
—Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction

“What are you waiting for? Read this book!”
—Patricia Marx, author of Starting from Happy

“John Perry’s book is lively, funny, engaging and wise. And—fortunately for procrastinators—short. It’s just the thing for a moment or two away from the task at hand!”
—Timothy A. Pychyl, PhD, author of The Procrastinator’s Digest

“I intend to write a rave about The Art of Procrastination just as soon as I’ve cleared my desk this afternoon—or at least by first thing tomorrow—because reading this straight-talking, badly needed book has changed my life.”
—Bruce McCall, writer and illustrator for The New Yorker

“There are lessons both deep and funny to be found in our capacity to put things off, and Perry is the ideal guide—a writer of superlative wisdom and wit. Forget whatever you were supposed to do next, and read this book.”
—Mark Kingwell, PhD, coauthor of The Idler’s Glossary

“The Art of Procrastination rings startlingly true. Perry reconstructs the inner dialogue of the procrastinator with a droll, lighthearted style that has inspired me to try his strategies (alarm clocks, self-deceptions, and self-forgiveness).
—Patrick Byre, CEO, Overstock.com

About the Author

John Perry is an emeritus professor of philosophy at Stanford University and currently teaches at UC Riverside.
He is the co-host of the nationally syndicated public radio program Philosophy Talk, and winner, in 2011, of an Ig Nobel Prize in Literature for the essay “Structured Procrastination.” He lives with his wife in Palo Alto, California.

Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 1st edition (August 28, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0761171673
ISBN-13: 978-0761171676
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.5 x 7.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 95 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1075 in Personal Time Management
- #1372 in Popular Psychology Personality Study
- #642 in Time Management (Books)

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Michael Gaines

Fun Read But No Real Value

January 10, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

We're all procrastinators. Rarely do we find ourselves in moments of high productivity, especially centered on the tasks most pressing at the time. Even now, writing this review (which I should have written days ago), I'm distracted by the constant buzzing of my phone.

Identifying that you're a procrastinator is one thing. Coping with it is another. Actually changing that is something John Perry won't be able to tell you about.

The Art of Procrastination justifies your procrastinating lifestyle and makes you feel content by rephrasing it to "Structured Procrastination". I was thoroughly engaged with his conversational writing style and witty humor but failed to gain any real value from him.

He does provide some practical skills to improve your production and offers an alternate way of looking at the procrastination problem. However, it's his writing style that kept me reading, not his advice.

The ideas Perry offers aren't new or controversial. I enjoyed the read but even to his own admission, this book is the product of his own struggles with procrastination.

6 people found this helpful

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Didaskalex

Procrastinating does not mean doing nothing, nor is it the worst flaw a person can have!

September 9, 2012

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

***** "Everyone procrastinates sometimes, but 20 percent of people chronically avoid difficult tasks and deliberately look for distractions--which, unfortunately, are increasingly available. Procrastination in large part reflects our perennial struggle with self-control as well as our inability to accurately predict how we'll feel tomorrow, or the next day."--Psychology Today
*

Procrastination is the act of willfully delaying the doing of something that should be done, and in some people it is a habitual way of handling any task. As kids we were asked not to postpone until tomorrow what can be done today, inscribed on school homework books. The avoidance of doing a task which needs to be done, or procrastination not only affects a person's work, but may probably involves guilt feelings. Trying to disguise our avoidance by looking busy doing things that may be interesting, would not contribute towards the goal, rather than filing our tax return, for example, before the mid April deadline!

Searching Amazon.com for books on Procrastination, you may retrieve a thousand, but John Perry is the only author who calls it, an art. The versatile philosopher and creative thinker, who has earned the hearts as well as the minds of his readers and students, is the winner of Ig Nobel Prize in literature, described as, "first makes people laugh and then makes people think." And as a master procrastinator, since I was 7 years old, I was waiting for this book popularizing on his essay which earned him this American parody.

Celebrating a distinguishing feature of human character flaw, The Art of Procrastination is a charming, challenging, engaging book, slim but full with funny arguments and bright ideas. "Most procrastinators are nice folks who get a lot done, albeit by not doing other things they should be doing," Perry says. "You may be a procrastinator, but you aren't a serial killer or a child-molester or someone who steals food from hungry nuns." What is procrastination's greatest gift? It is the chance to accomplish surprising, wonderful things by not sticking to a rigid schedule.

Dr. Timothy Pychyl elaborates on what prof. Perry referred to, writing,"people diagnosed with ADHD are characterized as 'having difficulties completing tasks on time, organizing work,...'. Quite a few readers ... have discussed their own ADHD in relation to procrastination. ... What surprises them and me is how little formal research has been conducted exploring the relation of ADHD to procrastination."--Psychology Today. Indeed, the eminent scholar offers innovative strategies, effective tactics and funny advise to abate the consequences of dawdling, lollygagging and postponing syndromes!

15 people found this helpful

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Laraine Walker

Fun book that works

March 22, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I read this book as a way to avoid doing my taxes. Now the book is finished and I just have to make a phone call and visit my bank to finish my taxes. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.
John Perry's goal is to help procrastinators feel good about themselves. Part of this process is pointing out how much procrastinators really do get done and how good it is that some other things don't get done. On the way you learn some tricks that will help you learn to live productively with your procrastination without getting over it. At least, not yet.

2 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

This is a great little book!

September 13, 2012

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Right off the top of my morning checklist, I am reviewing this book - how's that for not procrastinating? Or at least following best practices of structured procrastination? You will get this after you read this "short and sweet" volume. It's well written, packed with good advice, and even covers, as an example, the procrastination involved in buying a printer (my industry), and stresses the importance of finding time to watch Jon Stewart and David Letterman (two of my favorites). It was a fun, entertaining read which really did offer some good advice, as well.

3 people found this helpful

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Tessara Dudley

Funny and encouraging

June 27, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book is quite funny. Having read the original essay online some time ago, I've been meaning to read this book for a while and, true to form, have now done so as a way of putting off other, more important reading and writing. This was quite a good little diversion, and did indeed make me feel somewhat better about my own habit of procrastinating. I recommend it to any procrastinator looking for a fun little read and self-esteem boost, but not to any wishing to learn how not to procrastinate anymore—it's not at all that kind of book.

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Johan P.

Hilarious and very helpful to procrastinators like me

April 30, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Love the style of writing, laughed out loud so many times. The author accurately describe me and the way I act in so many regards when it comes to procrastination and makes me feel okay and even good about my method of dealing with tasks. He also sheds amazing insights on why I am like this and how to utilize this “character flaw” even better :) amazing book and hilarious to read

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NANCY

I could have sworn I wrote it.

March 12, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

If I didn't know better, I would think John Perry had been following me around. Haven't finished it yet but I'm already feeling the pressure being lifted from my Guilt Glands. I may even LOOK for ways to "structurally procrastinate" in order to accomplish what I have on my mental and hard copy to-do lists. Thank you, Mr. Perry. There is obviously a segment of society that doesn't need this book, but I don't know any of them anyway. However, it is recommended for all the rest of us. I may get around to doing that.....
someday.

2 people found this helpful

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