New Book - Using Outlook but with GTD stuff all thru it

[Walter]

Picked up a new book from Microsoft Press yesterday called "Take Back Your Life" by Sally McGhee. It is a productivity guide to using Outlook to clean up your life.

I was surprised to open it and find David Allen's GTD flowchart in it (with some minor modifications). Topics in the book include things like "collecting", the 4-Ds (Dump, Do, Delegate, Defer), Next Actions, etc.

I was starting to think she'd plagarized a bunch of David's stuff, but then I saw that she mentions David in the acknowledgments.

Anyway thought you'd all be interested. I was just published with a copyright date of 2005. Here is the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=sr_1_20/103-2387533-4630223?v=glance&s=books

 

[Longstreet]

it is very similar!

Yep -- I got it as well. It is an excellent book! And, it is REMARKABLY similar to the GTD approach. :shock:

Longstreet

 

[Julian]

Amazon says that it hasn't been published??

How did you read it if Amazon says that it isn't available yet?

Julian

 

[Longstreet]

Got a defective copy

Hi Julian,

It turns out that I received a copy from Amazon that has defective binding. :cry: When I notified them, they said their entire shipment was like this :shock: and that I could obtain a replacement once the new shipment is in. I still have the volume, though, and finished reading it last night. It really is quite good, with the entire focus on setting up Outlook as an Integrated Management System.

Longstreet

 

[ext555]

do a web search -- Barnes and Noble has it and so does Quantam books.

Looks like Amazon is just picking it up.

 

[Anonymous]

Does the book have much applicability to Entourage users?

 

[Walter]

How did I get it

How did you read it if Amazon says that it isn't available yet?

I bought it at Borders, but as was posted, B&N has it.

 

[Julian]

Re: Got a defective copy

Hi Julian,

It turns out that I received a copy from Amazon that has defective binding.
Longstreet

Thanks much for the info.
Julian

 

[bdavidson]

I stopped by the local Borders on the way home from work to check this book out. I could only spent about 4 minutes perusing it, but on the surface, it seemed to be an expanded version of David's GTD whitepaper on Outlook. Having paid $30 for the Outlook PDF a couple years ago, is the info in this book compelling enough to spend another $15-20 for similar information?

I notices the author uses SNA's (Strategic Next Actions), and "1:1 Fred" vs. "@Agendas", but still seems to organize tasks by categories.

For those that have read it, a comparative analysis would be helpful to see if it builds on GTD principles or detracts from them.

I'd also like to know as a curiosity if the David Allen Company gets any royalties from the book since it is so heavily based on the GTD workflow process (in other words, I'd hate to support a pirate!). That pessimism aside, I think it's a significant surge into the mainstream for GTD principles when Microsoft Press is publishing a book for the average overworked Outlook user who hasn't been enlightened enough to discover David Allen on their own.

There is also a Microsoft Webcast scheduled for Oct 19 with the author titled "Email Tips to Set the Rules for Productivity". I imagine it will pull heavily from the new book. Link below:

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032259508&Culture=en-US

Brian

 

[stargazer_rick]

I read this article this morning on TheKnow.net site (Microsoft Business Solutions). It's titled, "Personal Productivity: Need a Makeover?" and seems to be loaded with GTD techniques:
http://www.theknow.net/Content/Page.aspx?c=527&v=1&z=10&r=&a=&p=&i=&o=&f=

Apparently these techniques are becoming the accepted norm for how to be productive in the modern day world of knowledge work. It seems that a lot of othe coaches and organizational gurus are teaching the same things.

 

[CosmoGTD]

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[TesTeq]

CosmoGTD,
1) Your usage of GTC is a copyright infringement :lol: . It is my "Getting Things Complicated" unproductivity methodolgy trademark.
2) I do not know if the "CosmoGTD" name does not infrige the David Allen Company's GTD copyright as a derivative work :lol: .
But seriously we are waiting for David Allen Company statement.
TesTeq

 

[CosmoGTD]

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[remyc88]

I thought copyrights don't apply to ideas? According to the US Gov, Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something.

So stuff like "Next Actions," "Waiting For..." and the general GTD principles are not protected by copyrights.

 

[CosmoGTD]

Her diagram is almost identical to the GTD one.
Other similarities are:

Inbox, portable inbox, keeping agreements with yourself, using one airtight system, a version of "psychic ram", "clearing the mind" (mind dump), Mind Sweep, 1:1 Meetings (@Agendas), context based lists, Strategic Next Actions, Someday Maybe, 2 min Action, Delegate, Defer, reference system, email to zero, Weekly Review...

She even uses the same language at times, other times the words are just changed slightly.

She seems to only add a few things.
Limiting Beliefs, interruption management, Calendar planning, email ideas...

I will be returning this book.
This book is just mainly taking the GTD ideas, without the total explanation, or the total package.
My opinion.

Coz

 

[Longstreet]

Yep -- it is uncomfortably similar...

Hi CosmoGTD,

I agree with your comments. I liked the book, but since I am an avid GTD person, no wonder I liked it! You noticed I said it was REMARKABLY similar. Perhaps I should have said UNCOMFORTABLY similar.

Longstreet

 

[ext555]

Microsoft

I thought M$oft was a client of DA's ?

There must have been some sort of agreeement or loophole somewhere?
I'm sure they would know better than to publish someone who just copied David's work .

 

[kglade]

maybe DA is writing under a pseudonym

Kinda like Steven King and other famous authors do.

 

[helenjc]

Coz and others,
Perhaps you should post your opinions on amazon - before people get ordering!

Very bizarre story - will be extremely interested to hear the word from davidco - someone please put us out of our misery as to what's going on here!!

cheers
Helen

 

[CosmoGTD]

Re: Microsoft

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