Well written book with lots of useful tips to improve productivity. Despite being 9 years old, many of the tips' general principles still apply, you just might need to find new tools to accomplish it.

One great example being the hack about RSS, not only is Google Reader dead (RIP) but RSS itself isn't really relevant nowadays since less sites use it and the ones that do often only show short snippets now cause they want people to actually visit the site for ads. A more modern example might be to follow topics inside of an app like Google or Apple News. ( )

I picked up a copy of Lifehacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better* written by Adam Pash and Gina Trapani. I am not sure I would have picked up the book if I was not already familiar with the Lifehacker Website. I also regularly listen to Gina Trapani on TWIG and All About Android. The book I picked up is a gem. I have already implemented a number of ideas and plan to implement a number of others in the coming days. Read more ( )

By far the most useful of several productivity books I've purchased recently. I don't buy these books to join the author on their 'journey' or to hear about how they set up a multi-million-dollar business at university. I need practical, straightforward, clever advice aimed at an educated layman with a standard set of tools, and that's exactly what this volume offers. Divided up into eleven chapters, it focuses on computer shortcuts, software, tricks and hacks that can help you keep your inbox clear, fight distraction, and make yourself more productive on a day-to-day basis.

Solutions are given for both Windows and Macs, and for several different internet browsers including IE, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. The authors Pash and Trapani are virtually self-effacing: this is a manual, not a life philosophy, and it's the kind of thing you can dip into for bright ideas. I've only received it today and already I've implemented a couple of hacks. Whether they'll help to make me more efficient, who knows? - but there's a lot of down-to-earth, sensible stuff here and it also brings together several strategies from other books as well. All in all, it's a productivity bible.

So why only four stars? Well, this is the third edition, published in 2011. Many of the hacks are still applicable (LastPass and Evernote, for example), but some have been superseded or are no longer current (e.g. using Picasia to organise your photos). I hope the authors might bring out a fourth edition at some point, but I'll be keeping my eye on the Lifehacker website for more up-to-date tips. Really pleased with this. ( )