Comments on: Book musings

By: Ruth

Ruth — Mon, 15 May 2023 19:14:06 +0000

In reply to Laura Vanderkam. I would love content on how to break things down into smaller chunks. Honestly, there are probably books about that, but they usually focus on more traditionally "work" topics. How do I break a family/parenting project down? This seems especially complicated since usually several of the steps depend on getting buy-in from small children, which is notoriously fickle. A book that looked at different types of projects and how to break them down, and what kinds of dependencies work for different situations would be wonderful!

By: Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 20:35:40 +0000

In reply to Sandra Wald. @Sandra- thank you for reading my newsletters! I'm glad you like them.

By: Sandra Wald

Sandra Wald — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 23:04:08 +0000

I’m intrigued by the idea of a rhyming dictionary! I will have to check this out. Your email updates is the one I most look forward to each Saturday!

By: Margaret Handel

Margaret Handel — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:59:23 +0000

I’d love to find a book about the time management of professionals who have unique or “non-traditional” jobs and work cycles. Military personnel, first responders, transportation workers (sailors, truck drivers, pilots), farmers, explorers/field scientists, etc. As a professional with a non-typical work cycle myself, time management was one of the things I struggled with the most when I began working and it would be fascinating to see what other people do to make their time work for them.

By: KDR

KDR — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 15:07:10 +0000

This might be a niche interest, but I’ve been fascinated by the discussion in recent time management books (including possibly yours?) about how the industrial revolution and capitalism changed our perception of time. This has included discussions of how clocks standardize time, and how in the ancient world people saw time as circular, not linear. I’d love to know more about these concepts because I feel like our understanding of time as linear and segmented is so fundamental to how we think about life.

By: Louisa Rogers

Louisa Rogers — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 16:35:10 +0000

Don’t ideas also come to you while you’re playing the piano, going on a run, etc.? Seems you could have a notepad right by you for those occasions when ideas pop up.

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 08:30:40 +0000

I would love to read another money book! There are so many seasons of life with money and discussing the trade-offs in each season (with case studies!) would be interesting.

By: LauraK

LauraK — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 20:34:51 +0000

I really like your last thought about what productivity looks like. I have a research writing group I meet with and I was explaining that the lessons I’m working on for a stats textbook may start in one direction but then go in another direction. One of the members suggested keeping the objective written at the top to help me focus, but I actually think that it is ok to go down the digger rabbit holes and see which product I like best. I am trying to stop myself from thinking that it is wasted energy because that takes away from the creativity and joy.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 19:22:18 +0000

I loved this thread and it was a good reminder to focus on long and short term goals! All too often the immediate takes over and the dream goals don’t get addressed!
I love all your books, but my favourite one is ‘I know how she does it’. As a Mum of three with a career I loved the perspective of mothers achieving great things in their career whilst still spending quality time with their family. I always set my goals in career, family and self every week and would love another book on making careers/family work in a post pandemic era:)

By: Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:22:11 +0000

In reply to Molly Beck. @Molly - another of my favorite topics!