Time Management for System Administrators
by
Thomas A. Limoncelli
O'Reilly
1 edition
November 2005
226 pages
Reviewed by Jeanne Boyarsky, July 2006
(10 of 10)
How many times do you get interrupted from your *main* task in a day? "Time Management for Techies who get Interrupted Frequently" could have been the title of this book. While the real title of this book is "Time Management for System Administrators," it is really useful for any techie who faces interruptions. And that's most of us!
In the preface, the author states: "This book is not for programmers. Beta readers told me that programmers should find this book extremely useful, but ... deserve their own book." I agree with the beta readers -- developers benefit from this book plenty. We support production applications, have emergency issues and are frequently called on to answer tech questions.
The book introduces readers to traditional time management concepts in case they are unfamiliar with them. Then the author adapts those techniques to work well when your priorities change throughout the day. There are also chapters are reducing stress, e-mail management and automation.
I found the techniques on prioritizing to be much more relevant than the typical time management book. Since the book is not teaching a technology, it was easier to read than the typical white book with an animal on the cover. The quality is high as you would expect.
I read this 200 page book in four days. It was hard to put down! How much would you pay to have a better handle on your time and responsibilities? At $25, this book pays for itself in no time!
(10 of 10)
