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The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing
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...more
Hardcover, 112 pages
Published
September 13th 2012
by Workman
(first published January 1st 2012)
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I should've been studying Latin instead of reading this.
Yes, Latin is compulsory in Italy. Now do you see why I procrastinate?
Jokes aside, this was very very interesting. It was a gift from my Dad - he knows me so well - and I'm grateful for that. I don't think I would have ever gotten anywhere near this book on my own - it looked too much some weird brand of that self-help shit that I despise.
However, it was so very cool to see my irrational tendency not to do things when I should do them ratio...more
Yes, Latin is compulsory in Italy. Now do you see why I procrastinate?
Jokes aside, this was very very interesting. It was a gift from my Dad - he knows me so well - and I'm grateful for that. I don't think I would have ever gotten anywhere near this book on my own - it looked too much some weird brand of that self-help shit that I despise.
However, it was so very cool to see my irrational tendency not to do things when I should do them ratio...more
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Breve ensayo sobre cómo la procrastinación (el "arte" de dejar sistemáticamente las cosas importantes e incómodas para más tarde), aun siendo un problema con el que hay que lidiar, puede utilizarse en nuestro propio beneficio. El primer capítulo, que es el que le otorgó a su autor el premio Ig®Nobel de literatura en 2011, está disponible en la red en Structured Procrastination y es altamente recomedable para los que tenemos la manía de hacer listas de 10 elementos y hacer los tres últimos y otro...more
Published by HighBridge Audio in 2012
Read by Brian Holsopple
Duration: 1 hour, 48 minutes
Are you the kind of person who has the best of intentions but continually puts important projects aside to do other things? Is your work environment organized horizontally (stuff spread all over the desk, open chairs and any other flat surface) rather than vertically (in a filing cabinet)? Do you find that even though you put things off you still get a whole lot of stuff done - just not the stuff that you wer...more
Read by Brian Holsopple
Duration: 1 hour, 48 minutes
Are you the kind of person who has the best of intentions but continually puts important projects aside to do other things? Is your work environment organized horizontally (stuff spread all over the desk, open chairs and any other flat surface) rather than vertically (in a filing cabinet)? Do you find that even though you put things off you still get a whole lot of stuff done - just not the stuff that you wer...more
John Perry is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Stanford University and co-host of the syndicated public radio program "Philosophy Talk". He is the author and editor of several books and countless articles that can be accurately described as 'hard core academic philosophy'.
Professor Perry achieved an esteemed academic career (industriously teaching, writing and publishing) in spite of being what can accurately be described as a 'hard core procrastinator'.
How? "The Art of Procrastination" expl...more
Professor Perry achieved an esteemed academic career (industriously teaching, writing and publishing) in spite of being what can accurately be described as a 'hard core procrastinator'.
How? "The Art of Procrastination" expl...more
Hi, my name is Michael, and I'm a procrastinator. So when I heard about this book from a friend, I felt a brief flame of hope that this would help me conquer what ails me, finish my dissertation in a timely manner, and ride off into the sunset in a blaze of glory. Or something like that.
This book is mostly an affirmation of the idea that you can be procrastinator and still get things done. Perry introduces the theory of 'structured procrastination', based on Robert Benchley's quip that "Anyone c...more
This book is mostly an affirmation of the idea that you can be procrastinator and still get things done. Perry introduces the theory of 'structured procrastination', based on Robert Benchley's quip that "Anyone c...more
The Art of Procrastination by John Perry, Professor Emeritus at Standford U, should be read by all procrastinators. It is a very well written book that helps you understand your nature, while missing the annoying guidance of self-help books. I was reading this instead of studying for the LSAT, exactly what a structured procrastinator would do. :)
Here are some Qoutes from the book:
Quote 1:
John Perry-What is the secret to happiness?
Pat Suppes- The secret of people who have managed to be happy is t...more
Here are some Qoutes from the book:
Quote 1:
John Perry-What is the secret to happiness?
Pat Suppes- The secret of people who have managed to be happy is t...more
Jul 23, 2012
Shannon Babu
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
procrastinators and people otherwise pressed for time
Recommended to Shannon by:
Workman Publishing
I received an ARC of this book via Twitter contest, then promptly put it on my shelf of owned TBR material. The book kept gnawing at the back of my head - of course I should read it, they were nice enough to send it to me, they'd love the feedback, it's a short enough little tome... So FINALLY I read it and saw myself in nearly every page - which is a bit embarrassing. I did find quite a few useful tips for actually accomplishing things that I'd heretofore put off: I very much enjoyed the bird-b...more
You can read more reviews at my blog, The Armchair Librarian!
John Perry is my brother by another mother. There is no other way to explain how this book is basically a one hundred-page expose on the inner-workings of my procrastinating little mind.
I don't normally like philosophy books, but Perry's tongue-in-cheek style, written in a colloquial, bantering manner, made a believer out of me. He coins an interesting theory, called structured procrastination, which is pretty much what I am.
A structur...more
John Perry is my brother by another mother. There is no other way to explain how this book is basically a one hundred-page expose on the inner-workings of my procrastinating little mind.
I don't normally like philosophy books, but Perry's tongue-in-cheek style, written in a colloquial, bantering manner, made a believer out of me. He coins an interesting theory, called structured procrastination, which is pretty much what I am.
A structur...more
It's probably stereotypical of me to say that this has been sitting on my desk for a year before I read it. I received the ARC at Book Expo last year, and it was sitting in the bottom of a pile on my desk. (I can't even claim I forgot about it, because I knew it was there all along.)
If you're a procrastinator, much like myself, we already know all this—we do a lot of less important things rather than one big important thing. Our desks tend to look cluttered ("organized chaos," as I like to call...more
If you're a procrastinator, much like myself, we already know all this—we do a lot of less important things rather than one big important thing. Our desks tend to look cluttered ("organized chaos," as I like to call...more
Feb 20, 2013
Rose
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
arc-or-galley,
netgalley,
non-fiction,
psychological,
self-improvement,
reference,
philosophy
Initial reaction: Quick little guide for understanding the structured procrastinator and horizontal organizer, whether you are one or know someone who is. I did like Perry's respective musings and explanations, though I'll admit I didn't really learn much that I didn't already know about procrastination (and I'll admit I'm guilty of it myself). Still, I think this book is worth picking up just to see Perry's thoughts on the matter, and he does give good resources/thoughts about the subject.
Full...more
Full...more
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Seldom have I read a book that so perfectly nails my personality right on its ADD head:
"You have to get into the habit of forcing yourself to analyze, at the time you accept a task, the costs and benefits of doing a less-than-perfect job... Often the answer will be that a less-than-perfect job will do just fine, and moreover it's all I am ever going to do anyway."
He organizes his mail using the same exact system I do! Things go into piles, bills more easily located than all other mail. Correspon...more
"You have to get into the habit of forcing yourself to analyze, at the time you accept a task, the costs and benefits of doing a less-than-perfect job... Often the answer will be that a less-than-perfect job will do just fine, and moreover it's all I am ever going to do anyway."
He organizes his mail using the same exact system I do! Things go into piles, bills more easily located than all other mail. Correspon...more
Not exactly a self-help book, but it makes life easier for chronic procrastinators by lightly pointing out that even they also accomplish a lot. Witty, funny and hilarious at points John Perry also highlights the many good outcomes of procrastination. I am also highly impressed by his idea of 'Horizontal Organiser' as against a traditional 'Vertical' one, and his corresponding idea of using a lazy susan instead of a conventional filing cabinet. At least i came to realize that i am the traditiona...more
I knew it. We (that would be procrastinators) actually do something. We're not just lazy bums. Granted, usually we do things to avoid getting more pressing stuff done. Then again, nobody's perfect. Or are we? Apparently perfectionism leads to procrastination. Sounds right to me.
In The Art Of Procrastination John Perry takes the reader on a trip through the mind of procrastinators. Being rational by nature is what sets humans apart from other animals, of course that doesn't necessarily mean that...more
In The Art Of Procrastination John Perry takes the reader on a trip through the mind of procrastinators. Being rational by nature is what sets humans apart from other animals, of course that doesn't necessarily mean that...more
Looking for a self help book to help you become less of a procrastinator? Don't look here! Inside you will find, instead, a short quick read that will assure you that it's okay to procrastinate, because while putting off one task you are usually completing another task, and really isn't that what being productive is all about? Perry does give one tip for helping the procrastinator manage life more easily - to do lists. Guess who's got a to do list right in front of her that was made before this...more
I certainly feel a little more validated as a procrastinator. I have gotten things done in my life. I do get things done in my life. Just not always in the order that would seem to put me out of the category of 'procrastinator.' And as I look at my desk, I realize that I am also a horizontal organizer. I never even thought about the difference it makes. Perry picks up on a lot of nuances about the life of a procrastinator; though he makes it clear that some forms of procrastination are extreme a...more
Uneven, but worth generally enjoyable and worthwhile (at least if you occasionally struggle with procrastination). I'd give Perry's original essay on "structured procrastination" five stars, but some of the later chapters are hit and miss (at their worst, they reminded me of a somewhat cleverer version of the sort of advice a high-school guidance counselor might give you.) That being said, I got this book from Goodwill, and only spent about an hour reading it, and it was definitely worth my inve...more
This book is adorable. I recognize myself on almost every page. I recognize the core idea of "structured procrastination" (by coincidence I had read Peter Benchley's 1936? essay with a similar argument and tone just this fall).
My favorite chapter though is the one on "Horizontal Organization", which argues that spreading your papers out on a desk or table and grouping or stacking them is just as legitimate an organizing system as the more familiar vertical filing cabinets and drawers. I felt ver...more
My favorite chapter though is the one on "Horizontal Organization", which argues that spreading your papers out on a desk or table and grouping or stacking them is just as legitimate an organizing system as the more familiar vertical filing cabinets and drawers. I felt ver...more
Jun 16, 2013
TheIron Paw
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
procrastinators or those living/working with a procrastinator
Shelves:
philosophy
This is not a self-help book - it just makes us procrastinators feel better about ourselves (although it does provide suggestions as to how be be more effective procrastinators). This is a light hearted look at procrastination from various standpoint (won an IgNoble prize). Funny with lots to think about. It might be of special interest to academics as the author (a philosophy professor) draws many examples from academic world. As a sidenote: I listened to the audio version (to distract me from...more
Perry wrote a short and sweet little book about structured procrastination. It reminded me of my professor's essay on gossip in college--kind of an ethics of everyday life mixed with a little humor. I think he starts out strong, by the middle i felt like he made procrastinators out to be a bit shallow/manipulative, and then finished ok. Quick read, accessible, and I felt like most of it was thoughtfully written. Like I said, in the middle or so, he kind of comes off, maybe, a little smug, which...more
This very short book (good for procrastinators) was absolutely amazing! Rather than trying to be a "fixit", it explains methods to embrace the Art of Procrastination, as well methods for interacting with others like you, or unlike you. The writer is a professor, and so many of his anecdotes relate directly to those in academia, where it appears procrastination is rampant. Some of his little stories had me laughing out loud with the connection to the web browsing holes that I also find myself in....more
The title makes this sound like just a humorous book, but it's more. It is entertaining, but it explained to me why all the filing systems I try don't work for me, which is related to why I can't move stuff out of my email inbox until I've dealt with it. Dan always says, "Set up folders in your email so that all your emails from Mary Lou automatically go into a Mary Lou folder." I tell him no, now I can explain to him that I just don't think that way and that there are other people who don't thi...more
I loved this little book (93 pp), as I consider myself the worst procrastinator. I have read some stuff on procrastination, trying to figure out a solution. But nothing seems to work. This book is tongue-in-cheek in many places, but also makes serious points. The main one is to not beat yourself up if you are a procrastinator. Most procrastinators actually get quite a lot done. The key is to channel and structure your procrastination using some psychological tricks. .... alright, back to that pr...more
I am a procrastinator.
I've had this book sitting next to me on the end table since I brought it home from BEA in June.
I didn't pick it up until August.
'nuff said....
This would seem to be the perfect book for me, as it promises to offer ingenious strategies for being productive. Alas, I do not seem to be a structured procrastinator. Does that make me an unstructured procrastinator? The author doesn't say.
This is a small book, so a fast read. Luckily, the author knows his audience and keeps the c...more
I've had this book sitting next to me on the end table since I brought it home from BEA in June.
I didn't pick it up until August.
'nuff said....
This would seem to be the perfect book for me, as it promises to offer ingenious strategies for being productive. Alas, I do not seem to be a structured procrastinator. Does that make me an unstructured procrastinator? The author doesn't say.
This is a small book, so a fast read. Luckily, the author knows his audience and keeps the c...more
This reader must admit that the word "mañana," Spanish for "tomorrow," is a beautiful term. It even has a nice ring to it.
Yet I must agree with author John Perry. As he says in his book The Art of Procrastination , and subtitled A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing, there is a fine art to this. In fact, most good dawdlers at least aspire to be structured procrastinators, and Dr. Perry does a good job of explaining this in his book.
The title to this book may sound funny, and...more
Yet I must agree with author John Perry. As he says in his book The Art of Procrastination , and subtitled A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing, there is a fine art to this. In fact, most good dawdlers at least aspire to be structured procrastinators, and Dr. Perry does a good job of explaining this in his book.
The title to this book may sound funny, and...more
I always liked John Perry's Dialogue on Personal Identity; I used it many times when teaching philosophy. So I have a soft spot for him. But this book it dumb; there is nothing to it. The first chapter, which was the spark for the book and a long-time stand-alone essay, is perhaps worth reading online. The rest of the book is transparently just filling out pages. I concede that the tone is (very) mildly amusing, and you get to like John Perry a bit, but it's not really worth the time, even if yo...more
John Perry's essay (reprinted as Chapter 1) provoked thought. It wasn't thought-provoking. It wasn't deep. But it left me thinking, "Hmm." I so wanted to know if he was going to develop the concept of akrasia. He didn't. He admits he merely wrote to the book to help "structured procrastinators" feel better about themselves. I aspire to virtue. I'm not satisfied by vice. Not even the lesser vices.
I'm glad I borrowed the book from the library. Not worth owning. Not even a digital copy.
I'm glad I borrowed the book from the library. Not worth owning. Not even a digital copy.
Short, amusing, and well worth a read. Especially if, like me, you're a bit of a procrastinator. Okay, maybe more than a bit. I checked this book out of my library several weeks ago and have procrastinated on reading it. The book is due back today and can't be renewed again.
I know my library's policies though. They have a one day grace period. So I won't actually accrue a fine on anything due today as long as I return it tomorrow. Well, actually, before the next opening time after tomorrow. Due...more
I know my library's policies though. They have a one day grace period. So I won't actually accrue a fine on anything due today as long as I return it tomorrow. Well, actually, before the next opening time after tomorrow. Due...more
I'm getting stuff done! Really!
I do feel less guilty about my style of getting things done. He gives some helpful hints on how to deal with the biggest productivity suckers, while letting the rest of it go. He points out that guilt, depression and trying to make yourself someone you aren't you aren't, aren't really very conducive to productivity. Also, looking for productivity boosters can be a huge time waster ITSELF! Woah!
I do feel less guilty about my style of getting things done. He gives some helpful hints on how to deal with the biggest productivity suckers, while letting the rest of it go. He points out that guilt, depression and trying to make yourself someone you aren't you aren't, aren't really very conducive to productivity. Also, looking for productivity boosters can be a huge time waster ITSELF! Woah!
Not as much practical advice as one might hope, but it is amusing. The main takeaway is it's useless to feel awful about being a procrastinator. Instead, recognizing that procrastinators still get lots of things done and use that tendency to structure procrastination - to avoid things that seem urgent but aren't really, and focus on other things that are more pertinent to one's productivity and happiness. There are a few useful tips in this direction, but again, not many.
A droll, entertaining and short book about us procrastinators, with marvelous examples of structured procrastination and horizontal organization, among many others. Perry's theory is that procrastinators actually get a lot done, just not, perhaps, the most important things on their to-do lists. Though not a justification for such behavior, it sure made me feel a lot better about the way I approach things!
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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John R. Perry (born 1943) is Henry Waldgrave Stuart Professor of Philosophy at Stanford University and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. He has made significant contributions to areas of philosophy, including logic, philosophy of language, metaphysics, and philoso...more
More about John R. Perry...
John R. Perry (born 1943) is Henry Waldgrave Stuart Professor of Philosophy at Stanford University and Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. He has made significant contributions to areas of philosophy, including logic, philosophy of language, metaphysics, and philoso...more
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“When I was a young philosopher, I asked a senior colleague, Pat Suppes (then and now a famous philosopher of science and an astute student of human nature), what the secret of happiness was. Instead of giving me advice, he made a rather droll observation about what a lot of people who were happy with themselves seem to have done, namely:
1. Take a careful inventory of their shortcomings and flaws
2. Adopt a code of values that treats these things as virtues
3. Admire themselves for living up to it
Brutal people admire themselves for being manly; compulsive pedants admire themselves for their attention to detail; naturally selfish and mean people admire themselves for their dedication to helping the market reward talent and punish failure, and so on.”
—
2 people liked it
1. Take a careful inventory of their shortcomings and flaws
2. Adopt a code of values that treats these things as virtues
3. Admire themselves for living up to it
Brutal people admire themselves for being manly; compulsive pedants admire themselves for their attention to detail; naturally selfish and mean people admire themselves for their dedication to helping the market reward talent and punish failure, and so on.”
“I really have nothing against rationality, or even doing what you think is best, or doing what is more likely to satisfy your desires. I have tried these strategies at various times, occasionally with good results. But I think the ideal of the rational agent is the source of lots of needless unhappiness. It's not the way many of us operate; it's certainly not the way I operate. And operating the way we do usually works just fine, and really isn't a reason to hang our heads in shame and despair.”
—
1 person liked it
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