This is not really a motivational book. It is practical and usable information for organizing and processing the mental clutter for your corporate and home life. Some of it feels outdated since it was written in 2002 and focuses heavily on the world of paper files, email, and mentions older programs. But, he is pretty clear though that you need to use the system that you'll actually use. I manage nicely with an iPhone and the 2Do app with minimal paper (though he did convince me to set up and use my file drawer anyway.) The base information is timeless and easily applied to modern programs.

Like many books of this nature it has about 5 minutes of principles and spends hours explaining how and why to apply it. Don't be discouraged by this. It takes about halfway through the book to figure out that having a simple and usable method for organizing your life is far better than the way that most of us wing it or rush from fire to fire. I've been applying this and it's started to lift the crushing weight of my to do list and let me focus on being productive.

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i expected to get a book based on production with minimal stress...however, i got book on book time mangement... Read the title people. if youre tryna get a stress free book, skip this. This is book that repeats stuff about making systems to get things done. Also, you got 7 hours for him to tell you about. way too long

I found this to be a very useful book. I think it has helped to eliminate some stress from my life. Very clear cut instructions and practical advice.

I found out about this book from the short video on YouTube of David Allen training some Google executives. I find his approach to work flow realistic and practical: get the "today" stuff under control as a means to allow for higher levels of thinking and strategy. As he says in the beginning of the book, even if you don't take his approach whole cloth you will likely find plenty of "tricks" in this book that you can use in your existing approach to your work. Beyond that, there is also a benefit to looking over someone else's shoulder at their approach to work. Just hearing how someone else approaches to-do lists and in-baskets can help you think through your own. I've found Allen's book very helpful to my work, and my only criticism is his use of his own terminology and "business speak." I don't know if words like tickler file, capture, stake in the ground, collection buckets, open loops, etc. are common to most workplaces, but they were not common to mine. Having any one of Allen's terms used in a sentence was not tough, but when he strings them together it can make it hard to follow on the first read-through. Once you get used to his terminology you're fine. It's a MINOR criticism and should not be prohibitive to your getting this great resource. Finally, I always appreciate it when an author will read the unabridged audio of his/her own work. Enjoy.

I tried to listen to this thing for the first 20 to 30 minutes. This one is completely unmotivating. I take that back... I was so bored listening to this thing that I thought of things I could get instead of falling asleep to this man's monotone voice. If that's what motivates you by all means...