Simplify Your Work Life

December 15, 2000
St. James is the author of five best-selling books, including "Simplify Your Life" (1994) and "Inner Simplicity "(1995). She divides her latest book into seven sections: cutting back on the amount of time you work, learning to seize time, being more productive, being more effective with people, being more efficient with your money, changing the way you work, and changing the way you think about work. Within these sections are 89 recommendations, which include using modern phone technology, getting off junk mail lists, minimizing the paper glut, getting organized, using the Internet consciously, and eliminating distractions. Other of her suggestions sound good, but probably would be impossible for the average worker; these include cutting back to a 30-hour week, no working on weekends, no commuting to work, taking a nap, and finding a worker-friendly environment, to name a few. But there is plenty of sound advice here--for overworked people who have time to read a 300-page book. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)