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The Time Bandit Solution: Structured Time & Workflow
You may not realize you are at the mercy of Time Bandits - people who steal your precious time, not with malice or intention, but with crippling effect on your own pursuits. They steal 40-60% of your time. And because your worst Time Bandits are probably your family, colleagues, clients, bosses, and friends, we can't just say no - we would risk offending them, or worse, losing clients or getting fired.
Thus, The Time Bandit Solution is a step-by-step lesson on how to recover stolen time you never knew you had. It is designed to teach you the arts and skills for graciously negotiating with the Time Bandits to prevent interruptions from sapping your productivity and satisfaction. The Time Bandit Solution also explains how the damage they cause lingers well beyond the interruption itself, how the stress of interruptions subtracts joy from your most important endeavors, and how to redeploy the time you recover.
Do you often think or say, 'I have too much to do, and not enough time to do it'? If so, this book is for you. If you find yourself frustrated by too many interruptions and feel powerless to prevent them, you want to read this book.
With The Time Bandit Solution, you will free yourself from the distress of unwanted, unnecessary and unproductive interruptions, and recapture the time to do what you must and what you dream of doing.
Thus, The Time Bandit Solution is a step-by-step lesson on how to recover stolen time you never knew you had. It is designed to teach you the arts and skills for graciously negotiating with the Time Bandits to prevent interruptions from sapping your productivity and satisfaction. The Time Bandit Solution also explains how the damage they cause lingers well beyond the interruption itself, how the stress of interruptions subtracts joy from your most important endeavors, and how to redeploy the time you recover.
Do you often think or say, 'I have too much to do, and not enough time to do it'? If so, this book is for you. If you find yourself frustrated by too many interruptions and feel powerless to prevent them, you want to read this book.
With The Time Bandit Solution, you will free yourself from the distress of unwanted, unnecessary and unproductive interruptions, and recapture the time to do what you must and what you dream of doing.
- GenresNonfictionBusiness
249 pages, Hardcover
First published August 12, 2014
5 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Edward G. Brown
10 booksMr. Brown had no time to write this book, which is exactly why he wrote it. Bronx born and bred, Ed co-founded the #1 firm in culture change management consulting and training for the financial services industry, Cohen Brown Management Group, now in 50 countries and 12 languages. Its past and present clients include companies such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Royal Bank of Canada, CIBC, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citibank, Barclays, Prudential Life, and Merrill Lynch. He has personally authored and delivered many of Cohen Brown's programs. In his early career, Ed created and owned one of the largest business management firms in the U.S. for musicians, entertainers, and professionals. He was also a major record producer, a producer of two television specials, and a songwriter, publishing and producing a Record of the Year. He shepherded Don Ho to become Hawaii's all-time greatest performer, with whom he also owned prestigious restaurants and night clubs. Ed has been a founder of banks and a real estate developer, among many other remarkable endeavors. Ed lives in Malibu with his wife Shari.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 17, 2015
Mary's Netgalley Catchup: 2 of 80
Heeeey! I read this a long time ago and never gave it a review or said I finished it. I remember a bit about this book, though.
I remember that it was probably not exactly meant for me. A lot of it was about blocking off time, which I tend to already do. But for as much as the author talks about not wasting time and blocking off time for what you want to do, there's a lot of filler in this book. A. Lot. So it's weird because it talks about not wasting time and in turn.....wastes my time....?
And to be honest, there's nothing new here. The author tries to insert his personality, but it doesn't come off incredibly well. It's borderline arrogant and maybe he has a reason for it (I haven't looked into it, nor remember) but I remember thinking a lot "Yes, yes, I understand you're amazing. Please get on with it." But all these time management solutions? Ironically in a book probably meant for business people, I learned all of them in my Business Admin degree program. The intended audience for this book probably already knows these tricks.
Also, it would be more beneficial for someone stressed at work or with a lifestyle that breeds interruptions. I have none of this. My work is nearly stress free, I don't have kids, and not a lot of people vying for my time. Just a lot of self-inflicted projects that I want to find time for in my free time. Not much help here.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Heeeey! I read this a long time ago and never gave it a review or said I finished it. I remember a bit about this book, though.
I remember that it was probably not exactly meant for me. A lot of it was about blocking off time, which I tend to already do. But for as much as the author talks about not wasting time and blocking off time for what you want to do, there's a lot of filler in this book. A. Lot. So it's weird because it talks about not wasting time and in turn.....wastes my time....?
And to be honest, there's nothing new here. The author tries to insert his personality, but it doesn't come off incredibly well. It's borderline arrogant and maybe he has a reason for it (I haven't looked into it, nor remember) but I remember thinking a lot "Yes, yes, I understand you're amazing. Please get on with it." But all these time management solutions? Ironically in a book probably meant for business people, I learned all of them in my Business Admin degree program. The intended audience for this book probably already knows these tricks.
Also, it would be more beneficial for someone stressed at work or with a lifestyle that breeds interruptions. I have none of this. My work is nearly stress free, I don't have kids, and not a lot of people vying for my time. Just a lot of self-inflicted projects that I want to find time for in my free time. Not much help here.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2014
√ Avoid the Energy Vampires
Interruptions, interruptions. They are "bandits" stealing your time everyday. If you let them, a lot of your productivity will go right down the drain. You will have to get your momentum back, figure out where you were, and maybe redo some things. Be sure to call these interruptions what they are--thefts of your time. You can't deal with the bandits effectively if you don't call them what they are.
To counteract these nasty time-wasters, schedule blocks of time that you can work undisturbed. Mr. Brown calls this "Time Locking." Educate your clients and your colleagues, so that they will understand, and not be offended.
It's also important to schedule "Quiet Time." In Hawaii, the author began to understand the important of this time for reflection: "I embraced my need for Quiet Time as a poet embraces a muse."
This book is a lot like an autobiography. The author has lots of stories about his clients, and how he managed their businesses. "So, I my 30's, I simply said to my LA life, 'Enough! I disolved all my partnerships, sold off my assets, said goodbye to my clients - movie stars, athletes, singers, and all." We then hear about the author's encounter with the famous Don Ho, and see the photo of the nicely bronzed author (or is that Don Ho?)
The tone of the book is too much about the author and his successes, and too little about solving the reader's problems. Honestly, who cares about the author's success with Don Ho, or with Roy Rogers? The author strikes me as a nice man, but his personal stories seem oftentimes intrusive.
Besides the time-locking idea, one should embrace an emotional tool-kit, which the author calls, "Focal Locking Martial Arts," with special emphasis on positive affirmation. This is part of a mental hygiene process. For example, Mr. Brown relates a scuba diving incident, in which he was forced to stay in a decompression chamber to prevent the "bends." He relied upon his emotional toolkit to help him cope with that situation.
There are many decent ideas in this book, but you have to wade through a lot of text to get to the essence of the material. As interesting as the stories are, I really wished the principles were more concisely (and more briefly) stated.
√ All in all, an "okay" book, with decent ideas. Ironically, I found it too time-consuming to get to the core message of a book on saving time.
Interruptions, interruptions. They are "bandits" stealing your time everyday. If you let them, a lot of your productivity will go right down the drain. You will have to get your momentum back, figure out where you were, and maybe redo some things. Be sure to call these interruptions what they are--thefts of your time. You can't deal with the bandits effectively if you don't call them what they are.
To counteract these nasty time-wasters, schedule blocks of time that you can work undisturbed. Mr. Brown calls this "Time Locking." Educate your clients and your colleagues, so that they will understand, and not be offended.
It's also important to schedule "Quiet Time." In Hawaii, the author began to understand the important of this time for reflection: "I embraced my need for Quiet Time as a poet embraces a muse."
This book is a lot like an autobiography. The author has lots of stories about his clients, and how he managed their businesses. "So, I my 30's, I simply said to my LA life, 'Enough! I disolved all my partnerships, sold off my assets, said goodbye to my clients - movie stars, athletes, singers, and all." We then hear about the author's encounter with the famous Don Ho, and see the photo of the nicely bronzed author (or is that Don Ho?)
The tone of the book is too much about the author and his successes, and too little about solving the reader's problems. Honestly, who cares about the author's success with Don Ho, or with Roy Rogers? The author strikes me as a nice man, but his personal stories seem oftentimes intrusive.
Besides the time-locking idea, one should embrace an emotional tool-kit, which the author calls, "Focal Locking Martial Arts," with special emphasis on positive affirmation. This is part of a mental hygiene process. For example, Mr. Brown relates a scuba diving incident, in which he was forced to stay in a decompression chamber to prevent the "bends." He relied upon his emotional toolkit to help him cope with that situation.
There are many decent ideas in this book, but you have to wade through a lot of text to get to the essence of the material. As interesting as the stories are, I really wished the principles were more concisely (and more briefly) stated.
√ All in all, an "okay" book, with decent ideas. Ironically, I found it too time-consuming to get to the core message of a book on saving time.
September 3, 2014
As a teacher, I'm constantly being pulled in many directions and my time is often not my own a majority of the day. I suffer from "time management malpractice", as the author of The Time Bandit Solution dubs it. While looking for new tricks to put in my hat and pull out when someone popped into my room during a rare non-meeting planning time and asked, "Hey, got a second," The Time Bandit Solution: Recovering Stolen Time You Never Knew You Had looked like it might hold a few granules of truth for me. After reading the book twice (the first time on my e-book was challenging due to the formatting of the text, but the second time through PDF allowed me to both enjoy as well as see the amazing graphics displayed throughout the text), I can truthfully say that The Time Bandit Solution will help anyone with issues with time.
Here are a few of my take-aways:
-I've always said, "Your emergency isn't my emergency," but I tend to feed on the frenzy surrounding me. Brown calls this "panic transference." This has caused untold stress and hits to my own health. I know now, thanks to the handy quiz, that I'm a Type B living in a Type A work environment.
-Quiet Time can help resolve challenging decisions in life and career. It sounds obvious, but when was the last time you allowed yourself to sit-alone-in silence and ruminate?
-Time Locking seems impossible for me, both as an educator as well as a parent. However, I did like the chapter dedicated to the yeah...but people like me.
A few years ago, a former principal went to the Harvard Leadership Institute and came back with many of these same principles.
Time is invaluable. We all get the same number of hours a day. What we do with them allows us to either live fulfilled lives, or challenging lives dutifully filling other people's requests. I choose to live the first life.
E-book compliments of Netgalley.
Here are a few of my take-aways:
-I've always said, "Your emergency isn't my emergency," but I tend to feed on the frenzy surrounding me. Brown calls this "panic transference." This has caused untold stress and hits to my own health. I know now, thanks to the handy quiz, that I'm a Type B living in a Type A work environment.
-Quiet Time can help resolve challenging decisions in life and career. It sounds obvious, but when was the last time you allowed yourself to sit-alone-in silence and ruminate?
-Time Locking seems impossible for me, both as an educator as well as a parent. However, I did like the chapter dedicated to the yeah...but people like me.
A few years ago, a former principal went to the Harvard Leadership Institute and came back with many of these same principles.
Time is invaluable. We all get the same number of hours a day. What we do with them allows us to either live fulfilled lives, or challenging lives dutifully filling other people's requests. I choose to live the first life.
E-book compliments of Netgalley.
August 4, 2014
This isn't your typical time management self-help book. It's more about how to handle your time interruptions so they come at times when you want them, not when your "time bandit" wants to spring them on you.
I enjoyed this book, though it focuses mostly on time interruptions at work and how to handle them. I don't have a typical work environment, so while the ideas expressed in this book were very interesting and would work in an office environment, it doesn't really apply to me and my work. It did make me think about my job and how the interruptions affect me, but my interruptions tend to be very important and actually do require me to drop everything else to attend to them, then go back to what I was doing. The interruptions are my "Critical Few" and what I'm working on tends to be my "Minor Many", to use terms from the book.
I was kind of hoping that this book would be more about how to "find time" so I could do more outside of work, like read. :) This book didn't discuss time saved outside of work, but I did find it interesting and the stories the author told were pretty intriguing.
I would recommend this book to someone who is going crazy at work with a lot of interruptions all of the time.
My thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for the eARC of this book to read and review.
I enjoyed this book, though it focuses mostly on time interruptions at work and how to handle them. I don't have a typical work environment, so while the ideas expressed in this book were very interesting and would work in an office environment, it doesn't really apply to me and my work. It did make me think about my job and how the interruptions affect me, but my interruptions tend to be very important and actually do require me to drop everything else to attend to them, then go back to what I was doing. The interruptions are my "Critical Few" and what I'm working on tends to be my "Minor Many", to use terms from the book.
I was kind of hoping that this book would be more about how to "find time" so I could do more outside of work, like read. :) This book didn't discuss time saved outside of work, but I did find it interesting and the stories the author told were pretty intriguing.
I would recommend this book to someone who is going crazy at work with a lot of interruptions all of the time.
My thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for the eARC of this book to read and review.
October 5, 2015
I was a bit turned off by the tone of The Time Bandit Solution in the beginning. Brown spent so much time trying to convince me that this book was going to change my life. He came across as pushy, and all I really wanted him to do was get to the point already.
However, once Brown did get to the point, wow, there was a whole lot of good advice to love. The gist of this book is simple: you don't get anything done if you are interrupted all the time. So you have to find a way to convince your most common Time Bandits (usually your boss[es], coworkers, clients, spouse, children, etc.) to allow you to have uninterrupted stretches of time to concentrate on whatever task you need to get done. And since that is a seemingly impossible task, Brown spends most of the book giving advice, guidance, and scripts for how to go about the convincing your Time Bandits that mutual uninterrupted time will be mutually beneficial.
So most of this book, ultimately, is about how to sell; in this case, you are selling an idea to someone who may be reluctant to agree with you. And Brown clearly knows how to sell. His advice is really good. I actually felt like I learned a lot from this book about how to interact with people more effectively, as well as how to structure my day most efficiently. Here are some of my favorite pieces of advice:
***If someone objects to what you're selling, rejoice! You are on your way to closing the deal, because the person is actually opening herself up to being convinced or persuaded.
***All objections to any sale belong to one of four categories:
1) No Need--I'm already too busy or We already have a good plan in place.
2) Distrust--How do I know you aren't just taking advantage of me?
3) Inconvenience--This isn't a good thing to discuss at this time.
4) I don't understand--How does this all work?
***Don't do things "as they come up." Match your most difficult and energy-consuming tasks to your peak energy levels during the day.
***Make sure to do homogenous and repetitive tasks (like email or phone calls) at the same time, all at once.
I also really appreciated Brown's "psychotherapeutic techniques" for developing resilience and keeping a positive attitude.
It isn't the easiest thing to convince your Time Bandits that uninterrupted quiet times are beneficial for everyone--especially in my case; my Bandits are three very young children. But I did learn why having uninterrupted time to complete a task is so very important. And that, in turn, helped me have some insight into why I've been so frustrated doing bits and pieces of twenty different tasks at the same time. (Welcome to parenthood.)
Ultimately, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a bit dense at parts, but, overall, I thought Brown was incredibly insightful and gave very practical advice.
However, once Brown did get to the point, wow, there was a whole lot of good advice to love. The gist of this book is simple: you don't get anything done if you are interrupted all the time. So you have to find a way to convince your most common Time Bandits (usually your boss[es], coworkers, clients, spouse, children, etc.) to allow you to have uninterrupted stretches of time to concentrate on whatever task you need to get done. And since that is a seemingly impossible task, Brown spends most of the book giving advice, guidance, and scripts for how to go about the convincing your Time Bandits that mutual uninterrupted time will be mutually beneficial.
So most of this book, ultimately, is about how to sell; in this case, you are selling an idea to someone who may be reluctant to agree with you. And Brown clearly knows how to sell. His advice is really good. I actually felt like I learned a lot from this book about how to interact with people more effectively, as well as how to structure my day most efficiently. Here are some of my favorite pieces of advice:
***If someone objects to what you're selling, rejoice! You are on your way to closing the deal, because the person is actually opening herself up to being convinced or persuaded.
***All objections to any sale belong to one of four categories:
1) No Need--I'm already too busy or We already have a good plan in place.
2) Distrust--How do I know you aren't just taking advantage of me?
3) Inconvenience--This isn't a good thing to discuss at this time.
4) I don't understand--How does this all work?
***Don't do things "as they come up." Match your most difficult and energy-consuming tasks to your peak energy levels during the day.
***Make sure to do homogenous and repetitive tasks (like email or phone calls) at the same time, all at once.
I also really appreciated Brown's "psychotherapeutic techniques" for developing resilience and keeping a positive attitude.
It isn't the easiest thing to convince your Time Bandits that uninterrupted quiet times are beneficial for everyone--especially in my case; my Bandits are three very young children. But I did learn why having uninterrupted time to complete a task is so very important. And that, in turn, helped me have some insight into why I've been so frustrated doing bits and pieces of twenty different tasks at the same time. (Welcome to parenthood.)
Ultimately, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a bit dense at parts, but, overall, I thought Brown was incredibly insightful and gave very practical advice.
June 25, 2015
The Time Bandit Solution offers a remarkable antidote to time-pressed individuals in any workplace. With its colorful, magazine-like presentation, the book introduces us to the fundamental reason of why we have too much to do and too little time available: interruptions.
Interruption is anything that causes us to put anything we are doing to a halt. These interruptions usually come from our colleagues, family members, clients/customers, and even ourselves. Collectively these individuals are being referred to in this book as: Time Bandits.
Here are some of the good reasons why you should read this book:
1. It offers a practical step by step ways on how to manage time bandits.
2. This book will teach you how to negotiate with time bandits so they will respect your time for your tasks.
3. It will give you helpful insights on how the steps work.
4. The book is written in highly personalize perspective of its author Edward Brown, making this work entertaining too.
5. The advice is very easy to follow but just like any advice it requires the will from the reader to reap the benefits.
6. The book is worth the money you will pay for it. The lessons from this book will guarantee you to make additional time for highly important things. This additional time can be use to earn, learn, and enjoy more out of life.
While those are the good things why you should read this book, it is not a perfect one. For one thing, I found the some color pages of the book too striking especially for ebook. Second, I found some spelling errors in some sentences; but hopefully those were already rectified.
Overall, this is a very good work in its field. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to make the most of their 24 hours in a day.
Interruption is anything that causes us to put anything we are doing to a halt. These interruptions usually come from our colleagues, family members, clients/customers, and even ourselves. Collectively these individuals are being referred to in this book as: Time Bandits.
Here are some of the good reasons why you should read this book:
1. It offers a practical step by step ways on how to manage time bandits.
2. This book will teach you how to negotiate with time bandits so they will respect your time for your tasks.
3. It will give you helpful insights on how the steps work.
4. The book is written in highly personalize perspective of its author Edward Brown, making this work entertaining too.
5. The advice is very easy to follow but just like any advice it requires the will from the reader to reap the benefits.
6. The book is worth the money you will pay for it. The lessons from this book will guarantee you to make additional time for highly important things. This additional time can be use to earn, learn, and enjoy more out of life.
While those are the good things why you should read this book, it is not a perfect one. For one thing, I found the some color pages of the book too striking especially for ebook. Second, I found some spelling errors in some sentences; but hopefully those were already rectified.
Overall, this is a very good work in its field. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to make the most of their 24 hours in a day.
October 7, 2014
Time heals all wounds.
Time wounds all heels.
Killing time.
Give it time.
The sands of time.
Time on our hands.
A race against time.
Wasting my time.
All in good time.
Find the time.
Going down to South Park gonna have myself a time.
We sure are obsessed with time. Clocks, calendars, apps, books, movies, poems, idioms...Is it because there never seems to be enough of it? Or because we feel its loss so acutely?
I love my son, but his Asperger’s is a time-stealer, not only from me, but himself which is why when I saw the title of this book, The Time Bandit by Edward G. Brown (Greenleaf Book Group) I was intrigued. I'm sure you know people who steal your time and even if it's unintentional, we can be time bandits as well.
The book itself wasn't all that new or unique, but the ideas were well-presented, articulate and detailed; perfect for organizing your time at work or home. The biggest time stealer of all? Distractions and there are more everyday. It doesn’t matter how organized we think we are, we can all do with ways to use time more effectively.
As for time wounding all heels, that's what The Marx Brothers said and we all know how wise they were.
Next time you say, "Do you have a minute?" or someone says the same to you, remember, there are only 1440 minutes per day, don't steal too many, or have them stolen. I don’t know if time is a friend or enemy or frenemy, all I really know is, you only have the time you have.
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana." ~Groucho Marx
http://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/10/06/t...
August 11, 2014
Here's the thing: After reading this book, I sort of feel like I gained some of my today and lost even more. Just hoping I'll recover more of my today to make it worth.
I hardly read books about time management, because more often than not, they just throw some advices at you about how to get rid of distructions and interruptions and how to get the best out of your life by focusing on urgent things, in a longer amount of time that you are spending reading this paragraph. At the end, this wasn't too different, but at least, it offered better solutions. Looking at this way, I think I can recommend this book to another victim of time bandits.
On the other hand, I feel like about a 10% of the book was unnecessary and another time stealer, which is the reason it is not a 5/5. I just skimmed and scanned the parts after chapter 10:00 and I don't feel like I lost anything. In fact, I think I could skim some more and save about half an hour more of the three hours I spent reading this. Just saying.
I hardly read books about time management, because more often than not, they just throw some advices at you about how to get rid of distructions and interruptions and how to get the best out of your life by focusing on urgent things, in a longer amount of time that you are spending reading this paragraph. At the end, this wasn't too different, but at least, it offered better solutions. Looking at this way, I think I can recommend this book to another victim of time bandits.
On the other hand, I feel like about a 10% of the book was unnecessary and another time stealer, which is the reason it is not a 5/5. I just skimmed and scanned the parts after chapter 10:00 and I don't feel like I lost anything. In fact, I think I could skim some more and save about half an hour more of the three hours I spent reading this. Just saying.
October 24, 2014
I received this book as part of the Goodreads’ First Reads Program for the purpose of a fair review.
Overview: Mr. Brown takes us through his secret of being a more productive person in life. The secret is so simple that I’m amazed more parents haven’t recognized it. After all how many times have you sent your children into quiet time?
Likes: Mr. Brown, included many examples of his theory working, including himself. The grafts, checklists, and other visual aides made for an easily beneficial read. I rather enjoyed his chapter naming scheme.
Dislikes: There were a few things that I didn’t understand, but as they don’t work for me now, I have time to gain that understanding.
Conclusion: This is a helpful book. One I think many need.
Overview: Mr. Brown takes us through his secret of being a more productive person in life. The secret is so simple that I’m amazed more parents haven’t recognized it. After all how many times have you sent your children into quiet time?
Likes: Mr. Brown, included many examples of his theory working, including himself. The grafts, checklists, and other visual aides made for an easily beneficial read. I rather enjoyed his chapter naming scheme.
Dislikes: There were a few things that I didn’t understand, but as they don’t work for me now, I have time to gain that understanding.
Conclusion: This is a helpful book. One I think many need.
August 11, 2014
Easy to read, clear, with many examples of either strategies to be put in place to take care of, or to prevent. The problem in my opinion, is that the whole thing is applicable in the life of an "employee" but it becomes more difficult if you are a self-employed person and if you do not work in the United States.
Facile da leggere, chiaro, con molti esempi sia di strategie da mettere in atto per curare, sia per prevenire. Il problema secondo me, é che il tutto é applicabile nella vita di un "dipendente" diventa piú difficile se sei un lavoratore autonomo e se non lavori negli Stati Uniti.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND SMITH PUBLICITY-GREENLEAF BOOK GROUP FOR THE PREVIEW!
Facile da leggere, chiaro, con molti esempi sia di strategie da mettere in atto per curare, sia per prevenire. Il problema secondo me, é che il tutto é applicabile nella vita di un "dipendente" diventa piú difficile se sei un lavoratore autonomo e se non lavori negli Stati Uniti.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND SMITH PUBLICITY-GREENLEAF BOOK GROUP FOR THE PREVIEW!
August 19, 2014
Business books are always interesting to explore, usually a chapter is good for the first page and then repeats itself for the remainder. This one is full on interesting tidbits, but certainly needs to be scanned, not devoured. It does have one of the best graphic presentationsI have ever seen for a book of this nature. Good illustrations, graphs, scripts and aids makes it much easier to digest and understand. Ed Brown's background is fascinating and hovers on the brink of boastful, but he has earned the right to toot his horn. There are some good thoughts here.
September 5, 2014
The central idea of this book is how to get back more time by diplomatically controlling and, if possible, eliminating interruptions. It's a useful book for work environments, especially if everyone present is co-operative.
Mr. Brown also includes many episodes of his colorful life and friends, including the singer Don Ho. This was interesting reading as well.
Mr. Brown also includes many episodes of his colorful life and friends, including the singer Don Ho. This was interesting reading as well.
September 25, 2019
A quick and easy read, where the author shares the common issues that distracts us from focusing at work. He proposed solutions for it, of which I found most helpful is that without setting deadlines, the tasks tend to drift and never get done.
It's also important that others around us have the same mindset and are willing to respect our Time Locks.
Overall a good read and reminder on what it takes to focus.
It's also important that others around us have the same mindset and are willing to respect our Time Locks.
Overall a good read and reminder on what it takes to focus.
June 27, 2023
There are maybe 3 interesting or important chapters in this book. Most of the information is unhelpful for the majority of people.
January 25, 2015
Time Bandit Solution, as a main idea is great. Everybody is able to win hours a day if creates locked hours without interruptions. It's also good if he could make an agreement with colleagues and clients, because it's their interest as well.
But there isn't any new in these ideas in 2015. It's a well-known self-management tool to work without interruptions, but the author presents everything as his own, instead of connecting to many other similar stuff. To present them as his own, he gave unique, strange names for ordinary things like "focus" ("Focal Locking") or "disorder" ("Mental Leakage"). Additionally, the table of urgent and important things already had a name: it's the Eisenhower Matrix (https://blog.weekdone.com/focus-your-...)...
The book was incredibly overwritten with unnecessary chapters. Practically Edward G. Brown wrote an autobiography in the name of time management. He prides himself and his career in long, irrelevant pages: he had to fly to Hawaii to rest from the pressure of the biggest stars... But he even made another world star in Hawaii... He can write something good about himself in any moment, for example if it's important asking people effectively to take the TMS system, there is a story at once about the author's debate skills, he was the best in high school, of course better than the teachers... There is a complete sales-course in the book too: a ten pages guide about how to ask people something. And he persuades the reader through twelve pages that it's hard to concentrate (even without interruptions)...
The whole pattern, how the author presented the Time Bandit Solution could be effective in a personal time-coaching course. In a personal situation an interesting teacher is very important, and could be great if he could tell some story, some personal experience, and create personal authenticity. But for a book, where the reader is less interested in the author's personality, the author should have to be much more concentrated to the point - especially in a book about time management...
But there isn't any new in these ideas in 2015. It's a well-known self-management tool to work without interruptions, but the author presents everything as his own, instead of connecting to many other similar stuff. To present them as his own, he gave unique, strange names for ordinary things like "focus" ("Focal Locking") or "disorder" ("Mental Leakage"). Additionally, the table of urgent and important things already had a name: it's the Eisenhower Matrix (https://blog.weekdone.com/focus-your-...)...
The book was incredibly overwritten with unnecessary chapters. Practically Edward G. Brown wrote an autobiography in the name of time management. He prides himself and his career in long, irrelevant pages: he had to fly to Hawaii to rest from the pressure of the biggest stars... But he even made another world star in Hawaii... He can write something good about himself in any moment, for example if it's important asking people effectively to take the TMS system, there is a story at once about the author's debate skills, he was the best in high school, of course better than the teachers... There is a complete sales-course in the book too: a ten pages guide about how to ask people something. And he persuades the reader through twelve pages that it's hard to concentrate (even without interruptions)...
The whole pattern, how the author presented the Time Bandit Solution could be effective in a personal time-coaching course. In a personal situation an interesting teacher is very important, and could be great if he could tell some story, some personal experience, and create personal authenticity. But for a book, where the reader is less interested in the author's personality, the author should have to be much more concentrated to the point - especially in a book about time management...
December 19, 2014
I requested this book because I really need to manage my time well. What I got was a book that was about time management, but focused on time management in the workplace. Oops.
To summarise the Time Bandit Solution, to manage your time, get rid of distractions by time-locking. What is time locking? It's setting aside a period of time where you are not interrupted by anything. The first part of the book was basically about how you can convince your bosses, clients and colleagues how to let you organise your time so this is possible.
While it was rather repetitive at first (especially since I was convinced of the benefits early on, and didn't think the rest was applicable), the last part of the book was slightly better. The author went on to talk about decision fatigue, scheduling, and all that. While I don't think I'll be using his focusing meditation exercise, I did manage to pick up some helpful tips about how to schedule my time.
I do have a thought though. Other books I read say that for studying, it's best to vary what you do and what you revise. Same goes for practicing sports. For example, it's best to practice a random mix of irons, drivers, putters and such in golf than to spend the whole practice on iron, the next one on drivers, etc. But here, the main focus is on setting aside a block of time to do one thing. The compromise that I can find is that in this one block, you can have variation, but you have to have only one purpose. Either that or the skills for study and work are different.
Basically, this would be an excellent book for someone who wants to learn how to be more effective in the office. The author goes into detail about what you should say, what you should write to convince your boss. For the rest of us, you can just skim and pick what you need.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
To summarise the Time Bandit Solution, to manage your time, get rid of distractions by time-locking. What is time locking? It's setting aside a period of time where you are not interrupted by anything. The first part of the book was basically about how you can convince your bosses, clients and colleagues how to let you organise your time so this is possible.
While it was rather repetitive at first (especially since I was convinced of the benefits early on, and didn't think the rest was applicable), the last part of the book was slightly better. The author went on to talk about decision fatigue, scheduling, and all that. While I don't think I'll be using his focusing meditation exercise, I did manage to pick up some helpful tips about how to schedule my time.
I do have a thought though. Other books I read say that for studying, it's best to vary what you do and what you revise. Same goes for practicing sports. For example, it's best to practice a random mix of irons, drivers, putters and such in golf than to spend the whole practice on iron, the next one on drivers, etc. But here, the main focus is on setting aside a block of time to do one thing. The compromise that I can find is that in this one block, you can have variation, but you have to have only one purpose. Either that or the skills for study and work are different.
Basically, this would be an excellent book for someone who wants to learn how to be more effective in the office. The author goes into detail about what you should say, what you should write to convince your boss. For the rest of us, you can just skim and pick what you need.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
March 19, 2015
XXX I received this book from Cohen Brown Picture Company, Publisher as a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks, Looking forward to an excellent read!
I work for the state government. In 2005 we had 34 employees - perhaps a little fat, but not more than pinch an inch. By Fall of 2011, we were down to 13 employees, hadn't even had cost of living raise since '06, and had no petty cash. Staff had to take up collections for essentials like toilet paper and Christmas light bulb replacement. (We are open 7 days a week, and try to man two Admissions desks and clean up after many visitors.) Things are better now - staffing is up to 21 persons. Five of us, however, will retire this year. As soon as I read the last page of this book, I carried it up to the Director and insisted that he read it NOW.
Thank you Edward G. Brown! Some of your hints are common sense and we have attempted to employ them over time, but a great deal of you advice is going to be very helpful around here. And not just at work, at home much of your advice is also relevant, and my retirement come December 26th will be much more enjoyable! Thank you. You have made a great deal of time more accessible to us all here at the Space History Museum.
I work for the state government. In 2005 we had 34 employees - perhaps a little fat, but not more than pinch an inch. By Fall of 2011, we were down to 13 employees, hadn't even had cost of living raise since '06, and had no petty cash. Staff had to take up collections for essentials like toilet paper and Christmas light bulb replacement. (We are open 7 days a week, and try to man two Admissions desks and clean up after many visitors.) Things are better now - staffing is up to 21 persons. Five of us, however, will retire this year. As soon as I read the last page of this book, I carried it up to the Director and insisted that he read it NOW.
Thank you Edward G. Brown! Some of your hints are common sense and we have attempted to employ them over time, but a great deal of you advice is going to be very helpful around here. And not just at work, at home much of your advice is also relevant, and my retirement come December 26th will be much more enjoyable! Thank you. You have made a great deal of time more accessible to us all here at the Space History Museum.
November 22, 2014
The Time Bandit
By Edward Brown.
Ever feel that your time is being robbed or you face constant interruptions. This book, may give you the strategies you need to reclaim your time from the interruptions you face daily.
While it appears different from other books on time management, but it does have some lessons to be learnt. Brown uses titles such as “Time Bandit”, “Quiet Time” and “Time Lock”, to describe the strategies and issues in place. Brown provides good advice mostly how to go about the convincing your Time Bandits that mutual uninterrupted time will be mutually beneficial.
For a book on managing time, and dealing with people and things that rob time, it could be shortened, so as to not rob the reader’s time. It is repetitive in places, and spends substantial time at the beginning of the book convincing the reader that they have a problem.
It is worth reading for people that feel that they face constant interruptions, or cannot get blocks of time to work on projects.
By Edward Brown.
Ever feel that your time is being robbed or you face constant interruptions. This book, may give you the strategies you need to reclaim your time from the interruptions you face daily.
While it appears different from other books on time management, but it does have some lessons to be learnt. Brown uses titles such as “Time Bandit”, “Quiet Time” and “Time Lock”, to describe the strategies and issues in place. Brown provides good advice mostly how to go about the convincing your Time Bandits that mutual uninterrupted time will be mutually beneficial.
For a book on managing time, and dealing with people and things that rob time, it could be shortened, so as to not rob the reader’s time. It is repetitive in places, and spends substantial time at the beginning of the book convincing the reader that they have a problem.
It is worth reading for people that feel that they face constant interruptions, or cannot get blocks of time to work on projects.
December 9, 2014
Ed Brown is a salesman. This comes through loud and clear in this book. He takes a simple concept and made it into a product that he can sell through seminars, and now through a book. The solution is so simple that it would really only take a few moments to understand the concept and keep it. Therefore, much of the book is filled with anecdotes and promotion of the book itself.
As one reviewer said, Brown spends way too much time in the beginning of the book to promote the book. I, too, almost put the book down, but kept reading out of obligation to the publisher who provided the book for me to review. In the end, I was glad to have finished it, and this book got one more star than what I was intending to give in the beginning.
So, wade through the self promotion, and you'll find a nugget of gold by the end.
Copy provided by Smith Publicity -- Greenleaf Book Group, through NetGalley for an honest review.
As one reviewer said, Brown spends way too much time in the beginning of the book to promote the book. I, too, almost put the book down, but kept reading out of obligation to the publisher who provided the book for me to review. In the end, I was glad to have finished it, and this book got one more star than what I was intending to give in the beginning.
So, wade through the self promotion, and you'll find a nugget of gold by the end.
Copy provided by Smith Publicity -- Greenleaf Book Group, through NetGalley for an honest review.
January 13, 2015
This is one of the rare non-fiction books that I actually didn't skim through to just get highlights when I first start reading as it grabbed my attention and kept it.
There is a lot of useful information that can help both the business person, a company, or an enterprising, entrepreneur who is just getting started. The author teaches us the essentials of managing out time, by teaching us what things are draining our time. Sometimes, it is outward distractions such as co-workers, or bosses, and other times you will find it is yourself. Many of us have not learned how to organize, prioritize, and delegate. This book helps us to learn when and how to do each one.
If you are self-employed, or work for either small or large companies, this book should be one of the first you pick up and keep handy.
There is a lot of useful information that can help both the business person, a company, or an enterprising, entrepreneur who is just getting started. The author teaches us the essentials of managing out time, by teaching us what things are draining our time. Sometimes, it is outward distractions such as co-workers, or bosses, and other times you will find it is yourself. Many of us have not learned how to organize, prioritize, and delegate. This book helps us to learn when and how to do each one.
If you are self-employed, or work for either small or large companies, this book should be one of the first you pick up and keep handy.
November 11, 2014
Very helpful book for managers and employees to understand where the time goes during the course of a workday. It's easy to underestimate the time that gets wasted in interruptions and stops and starts. The Time Bandit Solution addresses all the issues that lead to job burn out when employees are trying to keep up with an increased workload. I'd recommend this book for anyone who wants to really address time management and increase their productivity.
November 13, 2014
Thanks to Cohen Brown Picture Company and NetGalley for the arc of The Time Bandit Solution: Recovering Stolen Time You Never Knew You Had by Edward G. Brown. This non-fiction, self-help book contains good ideas for using time wisely. The basic idea can be very helpful when an assistant or helper is available to monitor interruptions, visitors and/or phone calls. It is most useful when alone time presents itself and this will help you be at your most productive. Good advice!
September 16, 2014
Useful tactics for solving a real problem. But the author takes a long time to get to the point. Almost gave up on this book. First one third of the book is just the elaboration of the blurb - eminently skippable. The rest is ok. Mixes up existing stuff from various sources to create a workable method.
October 14, 2014
While I liked the premise of the book and the some of the methods mentioned, I thought the author rambled sometimes with too many personal examples. However, a reader can manage to funnel the good stuff and use it to manage time better.
http://everydaygyaan.com/the-time-ban...
http://everydaygyaan.com/the-time-ban...
October 2, 2014
I am not sure if I got a bad copy but it was too hard to follow & read. There were lots of duplicate paragraphs. I eventually just gave up trying to read it all together.
August 31, 2015
Well written. Very helpful and unique. Keeping by the bedside. Won via Goodreads Giveaway.
November 13, 2014
Basic practical advice for the novice. Not for those who already understand the meaning behind the title. Great for those who flounder about unaware.
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