Rating: 
Summary: I am a fan.
Review: I am a big Drucker fan! I fully recommend you read this book! I also found "Life and Death on the Internet" by Keith A. Schroeder valuable as well.
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Summary: A must read for anyone in a supervisory position.
Review: I first heard of this book while watching an excerpt of Newt Gengrich's class (yes the one he got in so much trouble over). He said that he always recommends this book to his subordinates. When asked if he ever follows up to find out if his advice has been followed, he replied, "I don't have to follow up; I can tell by their work habits whether or not they have read the book." Yes the specific examples are outdated but human nature has not changed during the last several thousand years. The basic elements of his advice have not changed. I recommend anyone who is in a supervisory capcity, or considering it, read this book. Have your subordinates read it, and keep it on your shelf. You will want to refer to it again and again.
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Summary: Buy this one since it will provide a very good reference
Review: I had bought this book about 15 years ago after graduation. Over the period of time, I have come to appreciate it more and more.The book addresses the issue of how to be effective and hence successful at work. It concludes that effective person (executive) knows exactly where they are spending their time, focus on contribution (rather than efforts), build on their own and others strengths (rather than weaknesses), concentrate on few major areas where superior performance will produce outstanding results and finally make effective decisions. All the above practices or habits have been explained in details and with examples. The one thing I regret is that there is no coaching forms or other aids. A fieldbook would be a great follow-up for this book!! Any Drucker book needs to be re-read over a period of time for maximum impact.
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Summary: Surprising how it can be used
Review: I heard that Newt Gingrich assigned this to the incoming members of Congress in 1994. I read it to see if it would give me any insight into being a more effective attorney; it did. I keep a copy in my office and make a point of re-reading it from front to back every six months or so. At the same time, I have found it very helpful in striving for a functional family. My wife and I found ourselves overwhelmed in dealing with our first child. While I have read a variety of child discipline books and other how-to manuals, I have found this one as useful as the best in the family field. In four years, we have gone from a house that had fairly constant crisis and drama to a much quieter, "well-managed" household with two kids. I attribute the change in no small measure to my being willing to use his disciplines, particularly thinking about where my time goes and getting the right things done as a father.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect manual of how to be an effective executive
Review: I were totally shocked when I first read this book(I borrowed it from the public library but now I want to have my own copy).It just tell the feeling inside the bottom of my heart of how to be an effective executive in the knowledge-based society.'To get the right thing done'is a simple jargon but it is also the real essence of being effective in every aspect.I highly recommend this book to all my friends who really want to achieve something in their career.
Rating:
Summary: THE Best Business Book
Review: If you are ever consigned to that mythical desert island, and can only have one management book, make this the book.
I got my first copy of Peter Drucker's Effective Executive right after I started my first management job after getting out of the Marines in 1968. I read and re-read my hardbound copy, dipping into it again and again for more than three decades until that copy finally fell apart two years ago, and I had to buy another copy. Even though I've read it - cover to cover - several times and dipped into it, literally, hundreds of times, I always find something valuable.
Drucker is one of the most lucid and insightful writers there is. In the Effective Executive, he applies those skills to analyzing the job of anyone who has to do knowledge work. In other words, this isn't for the "executive" in the classic sense. If thinking is a large part of what you do, this is a good book for you. The main points are staggeringly simple. Know thy time. What can I contribute? Making strength productive. First things first. Making effective decisions.
For each key point, Drucker gives you, in his usual straightforward way, both examples and ideas. This
is the book that first taught me to schedule my work in ninety-minute blocks. It's the one that taught me not only about the importance of setting priorities, but how to do it. It's a book that taught me the basics
of decision making, but also that the most important thing about decision making is to have a method for it.
I recommend this to all my students in supervision, management, and leadership classes. I recommend it to you, even if you are not bound for a desert island.
Rating:
Summary: More relevant today than when it was written!
Review: In an information society, every one is a knowledge worker; every knowledge worker is a decision maker; every decision maker is an executive. What a change since 1960's... This book is more relevant today than when it was written!
Rating: 
Summary: Advice is sensible but the examples are "out of touch"
Review: No doubt that Drucker is a master when it comes to what makes executives effective. But his advice is a lot about common sense and his examples of effective leadership often date back to the mid-50's and earlier. I enjoyed reading the book but finished it being neither motivated nor changed.
Rating:
Summary: One Word - Focus
Review: One of his classics, and among the few that focuses on the practicioner (the manager) instead of the practice itself (management). Drucker delivers in his classic lucid style, insightful but never pedantic. There are lots of truisms in this book, but the one that stands out is the power of focus -- do one thing at a time. In practice, this is among the hardest things to do for a manager. As owner of a growing consulting firm, I am strecthced in all directions at all times. Applying this simple principle -- focusing on a "rock", as opposed to the "pebbles", not only increased my productivity -- and thus revenues -- but level of personal satisfaction as well. We all know what needs to be done. It's how to get it done (being effective) that's often the problem. Read this book and learn.
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Summary: Straight Talk About Increasing Your Executive Effectiveness
Review: Peter Drucker begins this book by pointing out that there is no science of how to improve executive effectiveness, nor any naturally-occurring effective executives. The redeeming point of this problem is that he argues that executive effectiveness can be learned. The principles begin with a focus on time management. We can get greater quantities of every other resource we need, except time. Drucker reports that executives spend their time much differently than they think they do and much differently than they would like to. His solution is to begin by measuring how you spend your time, and compare it with an ideal allocation. Than begin to systematically get rid of the unimportant in favor of the important. His suggestions include stopping some things, delegation, creating policy decisions to replace ad hoc decisions, staying out of things that others should do, and so forth. Any student of time management will recognize the list he suggests. One of the best points is to give yourself large blocks of uninterrupted time to do more significant tasks. He also cautions us not to cut down on time spent with other people. If an hour is required, don't try to do it in 15 minutes. Next, Drucker argues that we should focus on what will make a difference rather than unimportant questions. Otherwise, we will fill our time with motion rather than proceeding towards results. Beyond that, he points out that we have to build on our own strengths and those of the people in our organization. That is how we can outperform the competition and accomplish much more. We also need to be systems thinkers, getting to the core of the issue first. If we are weak on new products, we need to work on the new product development process before fine-tuning our marketing. If we reverse the order of these activities, our results will be far less. Perhaps the best section in the book has to do with executive decision-making, when to make a decision, about what, and what principles to apply. If you only read this section, you would be well rewarded for studying this fine book. I especially liked the familiar Drucker use of important historical examples to make his points. You'll remember the principles better because the examples are so vivid. Although this book was written some time ago, it retains the strength of its insight today. Truly , this is a timeless way to achieve greater effectiveness. You may be concerned about how you are going to learn to apply these concepts. That is actually quite easy. Drucker provides questions in each section that will guide you, step-by-step, to focus your attention on the most promising areas. If you only read one book about how to improve your personal effectiveness as an executive, you will find this to be a rewarding choice.
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