Rating: 
Summary: A Good Beginning Organization Book
Review: I have read literally countless organizational books by some of the most famous authors and having just started reading this book, I am both surprised and thrilled at what I find! Stephanie really knows where we are coming from with our clutter! It's NOT so much a matter of straightening and becoming more organized...It IS about facing our fears of throwing stuff away! FINALLY! An organizing book that hits the nail on the head! It gets to the SOURCE of the problem so I can fix it permanently, not just temporarily with some band-aid techniques! :) I also want to take this opportunity to recommend what could easily be it's companion book, (also available from Amazon), called "Trading Your Worry For Wonder". It is an excellent adjunct to Getting Organized and helpful in overcoming the "What if I need it someday?" syndrome; the deepest source of the chaos in our homes and in our lives! I highly recommend them both and would give them 6 stars if I could!
Rating: 
Summary: A Completely Different Perspective!
Review: I have read literally countless organizational books by some of the most famous authors and having just started reading this book, I am both surprised and thrilled at what I find! Stephanie really knows where we are coming from with our clutter! It's NOT so much a matter of straightening and becoming more organized...It IS about facing our fears of throwing stuff away! FINALLY! An organizing book that hits the nail on the head! It gets to the SOURCE of the problem so I can fix it permanently, not just temporarily with some band-aid techniques! :) I also want to take this opportunity to recommend what could easily be it's companion book, (also available from Amazon), called "Trading Your Worry For Wonder". It is an excellent adjunct to Getting Organized and helpful in overcoming the "What if I need it someday?" syndrome; the deepest source of the chaos in our homes and in our lives! I highly recommend them both and would give them 6 stars if I could!
Rating:
Summary: This Book Changed My Life!!
Review: I have read many books in my life, many of which I have made the grand statement that my life was altered afterwards. None has had such an impact in such a short period of time. In the beginning of the book, Ms. Winston provides readers with a self-evaluation. My wife and I sat down and did it together, and reluctantly added up our points. We ranked in the "Disorganized to the point of Chaos" category.But, in the past two weeks or so, we have begun to implement the author's suggestions, many of which boil down to common sense. One reviewer is harsh in his criticism because of dated material, because of her suggestion to use carbon paper to make back-up copies of all correspondence. I, too, was surprised at this anachronism in a newly revised edition, but I forgave her for all of the other great advice. If you too are disorganized "to the point of chaos", BUY THIS BOOK. It may change your life, too.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Changed My Life!!
Review: I have read many books in my life, many of which I have made the grand statement that my life was altered afterwards. None has had such an impact in such a short period of time. In the beginning of the book, Ms. Winston provides readers with a self-evaluation. My wife and I sat down and did it together, and reluctantly added up our points. We ranked in the "Disorganized to the point of Chaos" category. But, in the past two weeks or so, we have begun to implement the author's suggestions, many of which boil down to common sense. One reviewer is harsh in his criticism because of dated material, because of her suggestion to use carbon paper to make back-up copies of all correspondence. I, too, was surprised at this anachronism in a newly revised edition, but I forgave her for all of the other great advice. If you too are disorganized "to the point of chaos", BUY THIS BOOK. It may change your life, too.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: The author defenitly provided me with fair suggestions to organzie myself better, however, most the suggestion were common things. However, do not compare yourself with me because prior purchasing this book, I still was a great organized person; it's just that I like to be perfect.
Rating: 
Summary: Getting bogged down in details.
Review: This book is an overly-detailed, almost academic discussion of organizational theory. Some of the basic organizational principles include listing a project's "processes or system[s] into manageable parts" , breaking down projects into prioritizing projects by how aggravating they are, tackling the #1's first, etc. Her discussion of how to compose and analyze the daily to-do list is overly-detailed -- for example, calling a student's mother to determine why he didn't show up for class yesterday is an immediate task that just cropped up, while getting in touch with an equipment supplier is "a basic, medium range task." What does that mean?? And I don't think most of us struggle with figuring out what is really important and what isn't; what we need is something that will help us accomplish what is most important. The financial planning section is overly detailed -- assess income, analyze fixed expenses, prepare a budget, etc. I'm consulting a Getting Organized book because I need to get motivated and empowered to plow through the pile of clothes on the floor and the pile of papers on my desk -- This book is better-suited for folks who are already organized and want to be even more so. This book might be a good choice if you are already reasonably organized and are looking for detailed discussions of the processes that might enable you to become more organized in all aspects of your life. If you are currently at a lower level of organization, I recommend Don Aslett's books on clutter; for me, they have been much more readable and useful.
Rating:
Summary: Getting bogged down in details.
Review: This book is an overly-detailed, almost academic discussion of organizational theory. Some of the basic organizational principles include listing a project's "processes or system[s] into manageable parts" , breaking down projects into prioritizing projects by how aggravating they are, tackling the #1's first, etc. Her discussion of how to compose and analyze the daily to-do list is overly-detailed -- for example, calling a student's mother to determine why he didn't show up for class yesterday is an immediate task that just cropped up, while getting in touch with an equipment supplier is "a basic, medium range task." What does that mean?? And I don't think most of us struggle with figuring out what is really important and what isn't; what we need is something that will help us accomplish what is most important. The financial planning section is overly detailed -- assess income, analyze fixed expenses, prepare a budget, etc. I'm consulting a Getting Organized book because I need to get motivated and empowered to plow through the pile of clothes on the floor and the pile of papers on my desk -- This book is better-suited for folks who are already organized and want to be even more so. This book might be a good choice if you are already reasonably organized and are looking for detailed discussions of the processes that might enable you to become more organized in all aspects of your life. If you are currently at a lower level of organization, I recommend Don Aslett's books on clutter; for me, they have been much more readable and useful.
Rating: 
Summary: Badly needs updating.
Review: This book is so outdated as to be laughable. She talks about carbon paper and white-out! Computers are treated as something for technologists. She says Sidekick is the most popular software. In fact it is no longer marketed or supported. Memory typewriters are compared favorably to computers! However, her Two-List Time Plan was worth the price of the book.
Rating:
Summary: A very general approach to organizing. No substance.
Review: This book spells out what areas to organize and thats it. It covers everything from files to designing custom closets--but with very little detail. I went through this in one night and felt very cheated. I did get the use of one good tip--how to get rid of my magazines. But that's all! Either this book is very elementry or I am extremely organized--and I know the latter is not true. If your really serious about orgainizing, keep looking. I wish I did.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Bit of Confusion
Review: When I first stumbled on Stephanie Winston's book, I thought that I had found a treasure! Then I asked everybody else that I know, and they said, "Of course! Her book is the best." May I please ask the reader why they had not told me about it? I buy organizational books every once in awhile hoping that they will do all my work for me. I have about 10. Some are real "killers". Details, details, details. Push, push, push. Then there are the voluntary simplicity ones. "If it's difficult, then don't do it." This is true! In my opinion (and it seems everyone else's), this is the best. You will find this book like a kindly companion guiding you along the way. My favorite is her method of choosing names for your files (no! She does not like a "miscellaneous" file. She will explain why after you start using her book). She suggests that you "feel" what name is right for a file. And it can be anything! But it will set off a trigger in your brain. This is a stroke of genius. I'm sorry to criticize. But this is a review. Another book which I won't name ("The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Organized" HA!) has all these horrible plexi-files that can be fitted together for a "complex" system. All it gave me what was a headache. Will Rogers stated, "I have never met a man I didn't like". Bill Butler stated, "I never read an Idiot's book that I did NOT dislike." Anyway, BUY THE BOOK. It is so simple. While accomplishing so much.
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