David Allen. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. 2001.

How artists can plunder the commercial world's mentality to make better art, instead of the other way around.

Mind like water. I finished the book, skimming only the most superfluous sections. I read it at work, in my cubicle, proudly and unashamedly posing as a man dedicated to being a more efficient employee. There are useful ideas here, many of which I already practice, some of which ("tickler file") seem like more trouble than they would be worth. I appreciate the fact that he is willing to spare no expense on decent filing cabinets. But I should have finished this review by now. Instead I let the book languish in my inbox, it's badly designed cover leering at me and disrupting the water of my mind. I had no idea what to write. This book was just "stuff," it was not actionable. I read this book to become a better artist and it may help in subtle ways. But it is an ugly book and I do not want it in my house. The opening chapter is soothing and reminds me of Zen literature. The entire book seems to be as much about mental tranquility as enhancing productivity. I found the corporate dweeb guru who wrote it quite likeable, though I resent that I could never afford to have him, in his role as personal corporate trainer, sit in my study and help me organize my in-box. He does not address good design, however, and neither does the book designer. The margins are cluttered with aphorisms that disrupt the reading flow and give the chapters a panic-inducing sense of disorganization. The book is designed like the mental state the author counsels against, in which the brain is besieged by all the things it wishes to remember but cannot organize. It's a choppy white-water text. The philosophy espoused here boils down to having sexy, sexy filing cabinets that are a pleasure to file folders in. Spend $50 on a labeler and have a special list where you can write down reminders to buy new cartridges when it runs out. The folders slide into the cabinet as if they were coated in extra-virgin avocado oil, the drawers move soundlessly, so well-balanced that you could open and close them with a feather. But I could teach this genius a thing or two about writing beautiful lists of things to do. He addresses having the right pen, but he doesn't touch on paper quality or the merits of beautiful notebooks. If you're panicked with too many things to keep track of and no mental space to do them, this book is worth reading. You can buy my copy used online, once I write down a reminder to list my copy on amazon.com, freeing up my memory. so I have the mental clarity to enjoy food and sex and beautiful music.