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David Allen
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Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and the Business of Life Kindle Edition

by David Allen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 340
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The companion to the blockbuster bestseller, Getting Things Done.

Since its publication in 2001, Getting Things Done has become, as Time magazine put it, "the defining self-help business book" of the decade. Having inspired millions of readers around the world, it clearly spoke to an urgent need in an increasingly time-pressured society. Now, in the highly anticipated sequel Making It All Work, Allen unlocks the full power of his methods across the entire span of life and work. While Getting Things Done functioned as an essential tool kit, Making It All Work is an invaluable road map, providing both bearings to help you determine where you are in life and directions on how to get to where you want to go.
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  1. Print length
    321 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  5. Publication date
    December 1, 2008
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. File size
    8616 KB
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A rehashing of old—if successful—ground from his 2001 book Getting Things Done, Allen revisits his simple yet comprehensive system of organizing every aspect of one's life for career, professional and personal development—even addressing how to plan a vacation, choose a babysitter or arrange eldercare for a parent. The author's inarguable premise is that a complete and current inventory of commitments organized and reviewed in a systematic way can sharpen focus and allow for wiser decision making. Allen cautions that the book does not provide answers to tricky life choices; its methods will aid in developing the self-assurance to trust one's own solutions. Readers are guided through the process of obtaining control and perspective, organizing tasks and goals to reach the Getting Things Done (GTD) holy grail of an empty in-basket and e-mail inbox. Although the book purports to expand on the principles of GTD, there's very little new material in this latest offering, which serves more as a sales tool for the first one than for a project all on its own. Those seeking organizational nirvana would do best to invest in the original and give this one a pass. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001AO0GRC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books (December 1, 2008)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 1, 2008
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 8616 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0143116622
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 340

About the author

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David Allen

David Allen

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David Allen is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on personal and organizational productivity. His thirty-year pioneering research and coaching to corporate managers and CEOs of some of America’s most prestigious corporations and institutions has earned him Forbes’ recognition as one of the top five executive coaches in the U.S. and Business 2.0 magazine's inclusion in their 2006 list of the "50 Who Matter Now." Time Magazine called his flagship book, "Getting Things Done", “the definitive business self-help book of the decade.” Fast Company Magazine called David “one of the world’s most influential thinkers” in the arena of personal productivity, for his outstanding programs and writing on time and stress management, the power of aligned focus and vision, and his groundbreaking methodologies in management and executive peak performance.

David is the international best-selling author of "Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress-Free Productivity"; "Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life"; and "Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and the Business of Life".

He is the engineer of GTD®, the popular Getting Things Done® methodology that has shown millions how to transform a fast-paced, overwhelming, overcommitted life into one that is balanced, integrated, relaxed, and has more successful outcomes. GTD’s broad appeal is based on the fact that it is applicable from the boardroom to the living room to the class room. It is hailed as “life changing” by students, busy parents, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. David is the Founder and Chairman of the David Allen Company, whose inspirational seminars, coaching, educational materials and practical products present individuals and organizations with a new model for “Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life.” He continues to write articles and essays that address today’s ever-changing issues about living and working in a fast-paced world while sustaining balance, control, and meaningful focus.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
340 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Chris P. Kunicki
5.0 out of 5 stars If you want mastery, you want this book
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2010
Verified Purchase
As a precursor: I am a long time GTDer who has fallen off the GTD wagon a few times, but I am still a loyal advocate and am proud to say I have been brown belt for some time now (and working towards blackbelt).

This is simply David Allen's best works ever. However, you won't know it right away, hence some of the below stellar reviews from others. Let me explain. I think that there are two mistakes made with the portrayal of this book: (Confusion #1) You can use this book as a starting point for GTD. I don't agree. Anyone new should start with book #1. Book #1 is about the overall value of GTD and its overall implementation. (Confusion #2) If you are new to GTD this book will be a good introduction. Again, I disagree. This book is for those actively engaged in living GTD and those who are beyond the initial learning process (maybe after 2 months of GTD living). While the first book goes into the wisdom of GTD, its mostly about implementation. This is a vital first step to changing the way you manage your life. This second book "Making it all work" is about "living" GTD. It is about taking GTD to a "higher level". I think most of the thoughts expressed in the second book will be lost on the average reader if they don't have some experience with GTD beforehand.

Ok, having stated that info up front: if you are a practicing GTDer, this book is a must read. My advice is to read it slowly. Maybe one chapter a day or every other day. This book is not a sit and read in one sitting. Its a "pour yourself a cup of coffee in the morning and think" about GTD book. It will help you to examine each aspect of GTD in greater detail. It will confirm if you understand or don't understand various concepts. It will help you to compose questions you can use in each step (actions, review, focus, roles, goals etc) to question if you are doing the right thing. In other words, it creates a conversation with yourself that exposes if you grasp or fail to understand various GTD principles. It will for sure expose areas for improvement and I feel that there is ample accompanying advice that lest you move forward.

I personally struggled with grasping and defining the "Areas of focus and responsibility" and this book along with some of the great interviews on GTD Connect (online) really brought it all into focus and made it clear. After completing this book, I realized that some of the GTD criticisms I have heard in the past (like how to prioritize, etc) are all wrong. The problem is that you need to be much further up the horizons for prioritization to kick in.

One surprising chapter is Chapter 19 "Making It All Work - in the Real World". This chapter is short, but a Gem. Its like a 5 minute conversation with David Allen and him walking you through the reality of GTD living and emphasizing the truly key components of any good GTD system.

I will now read this book once a year. I don't see much need to read book #1 again from year to year, as #1 is the introductory level and book #2 moves you to mastery.

So, don't let the first few chapters turn you off to the book, keep through to the end and you will be happy you did.

As a side note, I read this via the kindle device, the kindle app on my iPhone and the Kindle app for the mac. It was a very good reading experience. The exception being that there are some useful appendixes that contain useful checklists. They don't format well on the kindle.
34 people found this helpful
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Lisa Shea
4.0 out of 5 stars A nice follow-up
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2011
Verified Purchase
In 2008 I purchased David Allen's book "Getting Things Done" - a book that combines time management, organization, and prioritization in one well structured package. I loved it and implemented some but not all of his suggestions. In 2011 a friend of mine suggested that I read David's third book, "Making It All Work", which expanded on the same themes and provided further information.

It's important to be clear up front that this book is based on that first book, refers to it fairly often, and is covering much of the same material. He does attempt to structure the book so that newcomers can "catch up" along the way, but I'd suggest people read the first book first. As it turns out, since three years had passed between me reading that first book and this one, I appreciated the catch-up material. That being said, he spends the first 26 pages just yammering about why his system is so brilliant and beloved, and it's only after 26 pages that you even are told what his system is all about. That was frustrating. He should have begun with an overview and summary so the reader could relate to the things he was saying.

That being said, again the core of what he's explaining is extremely valuable. Anyone can learn these skills, and they make common sense. Your brain is great at being creative - so let other systems manage to-do lists and tracking things to remember so your brain isn't bogged down with those tasks. You don't try to memorize if your car needs gas or what its mileage is - you use gauges for that so your brain can be free to do the more important tasks of driving. So use calendars and lists to manage your life for you.

Free up your brain's time. Redundant thinking on the same to-do topics is a waste of time. Studies also show that the brain works best when it concentrates and focuses on one task. So help your brain do that.

The book uses the same type of important / urgent grid as other systems, here calling the grid perspective and control. The key is to try to work on things that are important and that you have control over. For each task on your list, figure out the next small step you can take so that you can easily scan and perform those tasks.

The focus aspect of this is key. Be mindful of what you're doing at any point in time. Journal your thoughts. Brainstorm and write down ALL ideas without judging them. The more you practice brainstorming and writing, the easier it gets.

Most of us have "stuff" all over the place waiting to be handled. By gathering things into one place, then sorting them, and setting up "homes" for them all, it helps make life much more manageable. You can even make a list for when you're "brain dead" - so that when you're exhausted you can simply choose an item and make some progress.

Be sure to scan the lists weekly to see if some items should be crossed off, and if new ones should be added on! That way you keep your lists under control and a part of your regular schedule.

Was it worth me getting this new book instead of just re-reading the initial one? I like to think that the more varied ways I read about something, the more it sinks in. I'm not sure if just re-reading a previous book would have made as much impact on me as hearing it in a different way. So while I do feel the intro was long winded and could be better written, I enjoyed the book immensely and it's revitalized my interest in mapping out my projects more thoroughly. So it did its job!
50 people found this helpful
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JLA
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book if you are looking for a deeper understanding of GTD
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2009
Verified Purchase
I started using GTD about two years ago after carrying around a Franklin Covey planner for several years. I struggled to stick with the Franklin Covey system in a fast-paced job where priorities shifted frequently.

GTD, in contrast, is a much more practical system that encompasses every aspect of personal work flow. Unlike my experience with Franklin Covey, it has stuck. It works beautifully.

Over time, I've come to appreciate that successful implementation of GTD is really more about habits of the mind than clever systems for managing lists and files. The concepts in GTD may seem like common sense, but applying that common sense systematically and comprehensively can be a long journey.

"Making it All Work" dives deeper into the subtleties of those mental habits. It has sharpened my GTD implementation, and given me even greater respect for the elegance, simplicity, and power of Allen's system.

The book also goes into much greater detail on the horizons of focus, something that most people don't pay a lot of attention to until they have been working with GTD for a while. I suspect that many GTD "veterans" will find this to be the real value of the book.

GTD is not "hard," as one reviewer wrote. It is actually very simple. Changing mental habits so that one is always asking "is this actionable," "what is the successful outcome," and "what is the next action" takes time and persistence, but it is not very difficult.

If you are new to GTD, put this book on your wish list and order "Getting Things Done" first. Try implementing the system for a few months, paying attention to the elements of the system that seem to come less naturally to you, and THEN order Making it All Work. I don't think that you will regret it.
41 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Chris B
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent follow up to Getting Things Done
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is a really excellent book, an awesome follow up to Getting Things Done (GTD). GTD is by far the best system for getting organised. This book focuses more on the 'Why' the methodology works , whereas the original Getting Things Done book covers the 'How'. Highly recommended reading
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Jorge Herrera
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time
Reviewed in Mexico on April 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
Don't waste your time reading this, it provides absolutely no value at all. If you're interested on GTD, re-read the original Getting Things Done book, and that's more than enough.

Some highlights of my experience reading this book:
* You don't know GTD no matter how much you have studied and practiced it.
* The author literally thinks he saved the world and recreated the wheel after creating GTD and we all should be thankful and hailing him. Thank god we had David Allen.
* Lots of executives of huge giant companies relied on his advise. He probably saved all these companies from failure.
* Fancy words used all over the place instead of making it simpler to read.

just read the original book and stay away from this one.
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Tiago M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for reviewing and deepening your understanding of GTD
Reviewed in Brazil on June 17, 2018
Verified Purchase
If you have already read Getting Things Done, this will be a great review and a wonderful guide to deepen your understanding of everything involved with getting control and perspective of your life. If you haven't read Getting Things Done yet, this book will show your how far you're behind and why you need to catch up. I have been rigorously using GTD since 2014 and I can honestly say that my life is divided between pre- and post-GTD.
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PB
5.0 out of 5 stars received in time
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2013
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received in time
perfect packaged
correct price.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Suresh Nair
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Summary...
Reviewed in India on July 22, 2014
Verified Purchase
yes i Would recommend this Book..

Considering the Over all GRAB done..this book is excellent

It is although too big ....should have been summarised and shortened further...
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