First Things First by Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of First Things First
Book Review: Integrity in the Moment of Choice
Summary: 5 Stars
Much more than just a book about time management, First Things First provides a kind of operational definition of the key principles of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
In describing what is in effect a life process of principle centered living, they begin with a compelling analogy of the clock and the compass, "Our struggle to put first things first can be characterized by the contrast between two powerful tools that direct us: the clock and the compass. The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, activities - what we do with, and how we manage our time. The compass represents our vision, values, principles, mission, conscience, direction - what we feel is important, and how we lead our lives. The struggle comes when we sense a gap between the clock and the compass - when what we do doesn't contribute to what is most important in our lives".
It is natural then, to recognize that the starting point must be to connect with one's vision and mission for life. This leads to a consideration of the different roles that we take on in the pursuit of our mission, and the need to have goals relating to each of these roles if balance is indeed to be achieved.
The authors propose that planning be done in a weekly cycle, with the recognition that activities fall into one of the following quadrants:
* Quadrant 1 - Important and Urgent
* Quadrant 2 - Important but Not Urgent
* Quadrant 3 - Not Important and Urgent
* Quadrant 4 - Not Important and Not Urgent
They note that most of us spend the majority of our time in Quadrants 1 and 3. However, the quadrant of quality is Quadrant 2 - those things that are important but not necessarily urgent. Examples include planning, preparation, relationship building, clarification of values, prevention activities, etc.
Covey and the Merrills go on to discuss "integrity in the moment of choice" in implementing the plan as the critical point on which ultimately quality of life depends. It is the consciousness of the proactive that each is responsible for the freedom that exists in the space between the stimulus and its response.
The final part of the book deals with the multiplication of resource and capability that follows out of embracing our interdependence through synergy, relationship building, and the cultivation of agreements with win - win outcomes.
Those who are simply seeking time management tips and techniques will come away from First Things First disappointed. This book rather is deep wisdom from the inside out.
Highly recommended for those looking to implement the Seven Habits in their daily living.
Book Review: It's About Time
Summary: 5 Stars
The book presents the reader with a fascinating and insightful view of Time Management which has scarcely been equalled, except perhaps by the new Balance Your Choices methods of Brian Scott. Both books get down to the basic fact that there simply isn't enough time to do it all, so you'd better focus on the truly important things. Personally, I prefer Scott's methods of using numerous illustrations along with a central theme that ties it all together. Nevertheless, this book hits on a number of viewpoints which are unique and definitely worth checking out. The time you'll save is certainly worth the time to read this work. If I had to put first things first, I believe learning to manage your time should be a top priority.Book Review: It's painful to read. You should read it.
Summary: 3 Stars
I'll try to describe this book in as short a summary as possible:
It has some very great advice and techniques for time-management. It gives you a new perspective on your life and what you're doing with your time. It doesn't teach you to prioritize and shift around stuff you shouldn't be doing in the first place. It helps give you a broader perspective on what sort of things you're doing in the first place, and more importantly, what sorts of things you're not doing that you should be doing. It will have you think of yourself as a person fulfilling multiple roles, rather than someone who's drowning in a single-dimensional calendar that has no perspective on life and personal satisfaction.
Now for the cons of this book that made me give it only 3 stars instead of the 5 that it would otherwise deserve:
This book should be 75 pages tops, not 350 pages - Maybe 100 pages if a larger font was used. The author's writing style is very *very* painful for someone who doesn't come from a background of "faith". I had a tough time swallowing some of the material simply because instead of evidence, he kept asking for a leap of faith. His examples are littered with those such as (para-phrasing here) "I gave a lecture somewhere... the students were completely against my points. I asked them to look into their conscience. They started not being sure about their logical comebacks." These are the sort of arguments that a religious person makes, not someone who is trying to convince others to buy into an intelligent argument.
The other problem with the book is the appalling use of the sort of jargon that only a pointy-haired boss from a Dilbert cartoon would use. I'm an engineer; about 1/3 of the way through the book, when the author was still promising of what was about to come in the rest of the book (yes, the first 1/3 of the book is self-promotion about the book) I reached a sentence along the lines of (para-phrasing) "this book will help you use your endowments in a synergistic way according to true-north principles, to think of third-alternative solutions." Each one of those horrible made-up expressions is used tens of times. The word "synergy" is used hundreds of times in the book. I was about to close the book immediately at that point and cut my losses. I would have, if it wasn't for the very concise testimonial from Larry King: "I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be helped by [this book]." Notice he didn't say the stuff is great writing. He just said it's helpful.
I read the book to the end, and it certainly did help. I have changed how I manage my time and I feel indebted to the author for it. I highly recommend, if you feel like you're spread too thin in your life, for you to read this book. I also recommend to the author to get rid of most of the fluff in the book and come out with the Cliff notes. A similar book in management (which is about leadership, not time-management) is "Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the box". That book has a brilliant writing style and so far I haven't been able to put it down too often. If you're reading this book, you might want to look into that as well, for your self-improvement.
Book Review: Just What the Doctor Ordered
Summary: 4 Stars
First Things First is just what the doctor ordered. It most definitely has something to offer. It answers questions, it shows why, and it explains how-to. It held my attention thoughout. I was surprised as I began reading that this book would be used as a textbook (especially for a business writing class). But the author makes it clear that these foundational principles are what gives any life its quality, rich substance and character no matter who you are, where you are or what you have chosen to do in life. And unles you build from here up, your structure is built in vain. In addition to its clarity, the book contains diagram explanations and illustrations that assist with comprehension, which makes for smooth reading. The author's collective knowledge and life-experiences have produced an excellent work that I highly recommend.Book Review: Just What the Doctor Ordered
Summary: 4 Stars
First Things First is just what the doctor ordered. It most definitely has something to offer the reader. An excellent how-to book, First Things First held my attention throughout. I was surprised as I began reading that this book would be used as a textbook (especially for a business writing class). But the authors makes it clear that these foundational principles are what gives any life its quality, rich substance and character no matter who you are, where you are or what you have chosen to do in life. And unless you build from here up, your structure is built in vain. In addition to its clarity, the book contains diagram explanations and illustrations that assist with comprehension, which makes for smooth reading. The authors' collective knowledge and life-experiences have produced an excellent work that I highly recommend.