Getting Things Done

by Edwin C. Bliss

For all the people who waste time and wish they didn't. The no-nonsense guide to managing yur time at home or in the office. Learn how to cut paperwork to a minimum. Concentrate on important matters. Delegate responsibility. Schedule your day. And Other ways to improve your work-time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Productivity, Self Help, Personal Development, Management, Reference

196 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Edwin C. Bliss is an internationally recognised expert on time management who lectures extensively and works as a business consultant.

Reviews

[Daniel Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The format of this book was unexpected: a series of short essays on time management ideas, arranged in alphabetical order.

In their day, some of these ideas would have been groundbreaking. The very first chapter, "After-Action Reports," gives a tool to improve your performance at any event that repeats.

Some of the sections anticipated the wave of time management that developed in the 1990s and 2000s. In "Categories of Time Use," Bliss describes a way of dividing time that matches the four quadrants of time management Stephen R Covey wrote about in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. However, he adds a fifth category, "Busy Work," which is the seed of David Allen's Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.

Other reviews here have said that there's good tips to be found in this book, but Bliss doesn't go into anything in enough depth. I agree with this. But what it means is that an enterprising writer could use this as a sourcebook, writing entire books on time management subjects based on most of the chapters.

It's worth a read and it won't take long.

[Krishna Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful time management book - it talks about all the different ways a person can save time by prioritizing tasks and handling them in ways to reduce time consumption. It addresses topics like procrastination, meetings, paper work, etc. The only downside of the book is that it was written in a pre-Internet era and hence does not talk about time management issues around email and other web-based distractions of the modern workplace.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread, was surprised I hadn't marked and rated it before. Easy to read and implement approach which also works well in adding to existing system that you are using. Tips are quite useful.

[Maryann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to read a lot of books about motivation. This one is different because it focuses on the goal of the project, not the motivation to do it. I loved this easy read.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the book back in the days before email, when the computer age was in it’s infancy. Good ideas on time management.

[Colleen Wainwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Allen's GTD system owes much to the simple, straightforward work of Ed Bliss. That said, if you're looking for a soup-to-nuts system, David Allen's Getting Things Done should be your first (and possibly only) stop; if followed with fanatical adherence, it produces fantastic results. Or so I hear from my friends who have been able to achieve this mythical state. And yes, I half-hoped that reading this book would Change My Life, and no, of course it didn't. What book can, right? Or at least, what book about productivity?

[Valen-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually am hesitant about books the strongly emphasize productivity, but it was highly reccomended so I gave it read. Some parts that stressed how much we should take advantage of every minute we have felt like a lot, but I found many useful tips on how to handle procrastination, and lots of realistic and understanding advice about how making time for rest, pleasure, and social life is also vital, which I appreciated. Also liked that the writer got to the point and was as concise as possible with his ideas.

[Vroomfundel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice practical overview of time management practices, informative as well as motivating.

A bit out of date, of course, deals with paperwork rather than computers and emails but the core principles are still valid - you just need to add a finishing touch of Randy Pausch or sth to be well equipped with time management techniques for the 21st century

[Polina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although dated a bit in some parts regarding paperwork and written communication (as we live in the age of email now), the book has still given me many important distinctions and timeless principles that I will be incorporating in my daily routine to make it even more productive.

[Chris Billotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was a quick little read. I thought this was the original book where the whole "GTD" started, and maybe it is, but it just glosses over things. Apparently I should have waited for the David Allen book to show up in the thift store. Well, next time.

[Brianna Goldenstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of great tips though it is dated - you can easily make the conversion from mail to emails, paper files to efiles. Time management is something I am currently working on and this book gave me some excellent and useful nuggets. It's worth the short 200pg read.

[Michelle Beese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

[Rob Savidge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old book, but still very useful. There's no mention of computers or email, but the tips offered still have value.

[Gamze Golden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Waste of time:(

[Phani Kanth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little outdated, but worth your coupe of hours.

[Rhez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outdated but it was published before I was born so that's understandable. The principles are what matters and it was worth a read.

[Michael Toleno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was on my dad’s bookshelves. I don’t know if he recommended it to me. Getting Things Done: The ABC’s of Time Management is composed of several dozen chapters, in alphabetical order, with simple titles like “Speed Reading” (the book advocated simply not reading what you don’t need to read), “Delegate,” and “Schedule Your Day.” I’m sure that I’m butchering the titles and don’t know why I can’t remember more. Most of the chapters would still be applicable today, even though personal computers, cell phones, and the Internet were still a long way off when the book was written. I applied lots of these ideas during my whole life, many of which I can’t even tie by memory to the book.

The book explained the four quadrants of priority for tasks based on urgency and importance, a concept that the Seven Habits series explained many years later (without credit, I think). I’ve heard that this concept was articulated decades before Getting Things Done. The book discussed the “salami technique” of dividing complex or overwhelming tasks into smaller pieces, and many more tips and ways of tackling projects.

I should search for this at my parents’ house, or try to get a copy from a library, to see what nuggets I can pass on to my sons, who are now starting to have heavier workloads with school and activities.

As with all of my pre-2000 books, the “Date finished” may be a few years off. The cover image matches my memory.

[Geoffrey Liddell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this out of the pile of rubbish in the tea room at work and it's taken me 2 years to get around to reading it....

I read the 1991 edition and it's quite amusingly dated. It's also full of trash, but I think I have (temporarily?) benefitted from it.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basic but good advice on time management.

[Jakub · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set of straight to the point tools and tips on time management. Very generous for 2 hours lecture. Copy I read was from 1992 so some of the things seem to be a little outdated but most of the content is still applicable.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved it
It was quirky and deceptively simple and I got some great tips from it