Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (Sprint) are quick to point out that Make Time is not a productivity book. It's not about "getting more done, finishing your to-dos faster, or outsourcing your life." It is about prioritization, about focusing in on what matters (friends, family, health, hobbies, work, passion projects) and learning to let go of the rest (endless Facebook feeds, e-mail responses, the 24-hour news cycle). The two lay out an overarching strategy for making time (highlight, laser, energize, reflect), coupled with 86 individual tactics that can be cherry-picked, combined and otherwise manipulated to make the system work for individual readers.

That's the beauty of Make Time, especially when compared to so many other productivity and business books: Knapp and Zeratsky are the opposite of prescriptive. While their thinking is influenced by their tech backgrounds--they created Google Ventures' "design sprint" process--they are neither for nor against technology for its own sake (Knapp has mostly bricked his iPhone, for example, while Zeratsky can't imagine a phone without e-mail). They make no recommendations--or judgments--about what an individual might focus on or what tactics may work best. Instead, they offer suggestions and guidance to shaping a more meaningful, less distracted kind of life. While their methods are not entirely original (and they respectfully give credit where credit is due), Make Time is a thought-provoking guide for anyone who's tired of living on the "Busy Bandwagon," sure to inspire at least one new habit in the reading.

(Also featured in Shelf Awareness for Readers column on the Beauty of Boredom, June 4, 2o19)

This is a self-help book that we all need in these modern days! The author gives insightful help to how to focus on the things that matters.I loved it!

MAKE TIME by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky is subtitled "How to Focus on What Matters Every Day" and I think this would make an excellent read for our cohort on resiliency and work/life balance. The authors share their thoughts in a very conversational tone and relate the suggestions to their own experiences like scheduling a regular time with friends or going for a run after work. Knapp spent a decade at Google and Google Ventures where he created the design sprint process and Zeratsky (or JZ), who has written for numerous financial and technology publications, worked as a designer for fifteen years at YouTube and Google Ventures. MAKE TIME is divided into sections which deal with their formula—highlight, laser, reflect, energize. They offer numerous helpful and practical suggestions such as the idea of shifting habits (e.g., turning off notifications or deleting messaging apps from your phone) and controlling where you focus attention.

Another example involves "to do" lists where each author describes his own method. JZ maintains a "might do" list, then selects highlights (something relatively urgent that will provide satisfaction and joy) and adds those to the calendar. Jake, instead, establishes a burner list with "one and only one project, activity or objective" on the FRONT burner; everything else goes to the back burner. The authors' suggestions are accompanied by simple visuals and cartoon-like drawings to help reinforce each process. If you are interested in time redesign, MAKE TIME is a humorous and insightful read; it received a starred review from Booklist.

In Make Time, John Zeratsky and Jake Knapp offer compelling arguments and practical approaches to making space in your day for the things that are truly important. The authors work on and among some of the addictive technologies that drain our time (the “Infinity Pools” of distractions). This perspective makes their advice particularly valuable. If you need to clear space for the important work of living, read this book.

4 stars

Useful guidance for weeding out the unnecessary and finding time for what is important.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.