- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover (May 27, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1591843316
- ISBN-13: 978-1591843313
From Publishers Weekly
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.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"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.'"
-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
-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
Product Description
There are 168 hours in a week. This book is about where the time really goes, and how we can all use it better.
It's an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time. With the rise of two-income families, extreme jobs, and 24/7 connectivity, life is so frenzied we can barely find time to breathe. We tell ourselves we'd like to read more, get to the gym regularly, try new hobbies, and accomplish all kinds of goals. But then we give up because there just aren't enough hours to do it all. Or else, if we don't make excuses, we make sacrifices. To get ahead at work we spend less time with our spouses. To carve out more family time, we put off getting in shape. To train for a marathon, we cut back on sleep. There has to be a better way-and Laura Vanderkam has found one.
After interviewing dozens of successful, happy people, she realized that they allocate their time differently than most of us. Instead of letting the daily grind crowd out the important stuff, they start by making sure there's time for the important stuff. They focus on what they do best and what only they can do. When plans go wrong and they run out of time, only their lesser priorities suffer.
It's not always easy, but the payoff is enormous. Vanderkam shows that it really is possible to sleep eight hours a night, exercise five days a week, take piano lessons, and write a novel without giving up quality time for work, family, and other things that really matter. The key is to start with a blank slate and to fill up your 168 hours only with things that deserve your time.
Of course, you probably won't read to your children at 2:00 am, or skip a Wednesday morning meeting to go hiking, but you can cut back on how much you watch TV, do laundry, or spend time on other less fulfilling activities. Vanderkam shares creative ways to rearrange your schedule to make room for the things that matter most.
168 Hours is a fun, inspiring, practical guide that will help men and women of any age, lifestyle, or career get the most out of their time and their lives.
It's an unquestioned truth of modern life: we are starved for time. With the rise of two-income families, extreme jobs, and 24/7 connectivity, life is so frenzied we can barely find time to breathe. We tell ourselves we'd like to read more, get to the gym regularly, try new hobbies, and accomplish all kinds of goals. But then we give up because there just aren't enough hours to do it all. Or else, if we don't make excuses, we make sacrifices. To get ahead at work we spend less time with our spouses. To carve out more family time, we put off getting in shape. To train for a marathon, we cut back on sleep. There has to be a better way-and Laura Vanderkam has found one.
After interviewing dozens of successful, happy people, she realized that they allocate their time differently than most of us. Instead of letting the daily grind crowd out the important stuff, they start by making sure there's time for the important stuff. They focus on what they do best and what only they can do. When plans go wrong and they run out of time, only their lesser priorities suffer.
It's not always easy, but the payoff is enormous. Vanderkam shows that it really is possible to sleep eight hours a night, exercise five days a week, take piano lessons, and write a novel without giving up quality time for work, family, and other things that really matter. The key is to start with a blank slate and to fill up your 168 hours only with things that deserve your time.
Of course, you probably won't read to your children at 2:00 am, or skip a Wednesday morning meeting to go hiking, but you can cut back on how much you watch TV, do laundry, or spend time on other less fulfilling activities. Vanderkam shares creative ways to rearrange your schedule to make room for the things that matter most.
168 Hours is a fun, inspiring, practical guide that will help men and women of any age, lifestyle, or career get the most out of their time and their lives.
About the Author
Laura Vanderkam is the author of Grindhopping: Build a Rewarding Career Without Paying Your Dues. Her journalism has appeared in The Huffington Post, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, and Reader's Digest among other publications. She lives in New York City with her husband and their two young children.
