| | |  | Mike Bonifer | Home » » Simplicity: The New Competitive Advantage in a World of More, Better, Faster | | | | | | | Description: | | How to thrive in an age of information overload by learning to do more of what matters and less of what doesn't. Drawing from a study of over 2,500 people in 460 companies, Simplicity has been hailed as " a breakthrough in the design of understanding," a book that "outlines the future of leadership." It's a powerful guide to working smarter, not harder, and, in the process, creating more flexible and productive organizations, more compelling experiences for customers, and more fulfilling work for everyone. "Jensen's observations about today's business world are dead on, and his core message is simple to understand. From the first page of the book, Jensen reveals that his 'Simplicity Manifesto' is rooted in a keen observation of the price we have all been paying for trying to thread efficiency onto chaos via management-by-nuancing-around." -Tom Brown, Across the Board | | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9780738204307
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Bill Jensen | | Paperback:
| 240 pages | | Publisher:
| Basic Books | | Publication Date:
| 2001-01 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0738204307 | | Package Length:
| 9.16 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.52 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.79 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 78 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 Excellent book!Mar 14, 2008
I checked this book out as a resource for my thesis. It was so full of wonderful information. I could directly apply many of the concepts at my workplace in the quality department of a hospital. I convinced my boss to purchase a copy of this book for all of our project managers! I would definitely recommend this book for anyone that struggles with the best way to get information out to the masses and spread knowledge.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Occam's Razor for hi-tech--start shaving!Oct 24, 2006
Hi-tech work seems to get more complex every year. Do more; do it faster. Need fancier tools to do it. The information explosion -- deal with it !
Bill Jensen takes the opposite direction. His goal: "To make it easier to work smarter -- a lot easier."
How? By simplifying the work. Getting rid of clutter. Set up systems that generate or gather the useful information rather than just filling up your inbox.
This book is not just theory. Jensen writes a real how-to manual that's applicable to any industry, including ours.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Simplicity is ComplexOct 11, 2006
This book offers a five-step process for communicating change:
* Know which things are important
* Consider how people will feel when you change these things
* Use the right tools to communicate
* Create expectations and then manage those expectations
* Create a "teachable view" of what you're trying to achieve
The concepts in the book are valid. Unfortunately the execution of the book with cluttered layouts, and use of too many fonts falls short on delivering on the promise: Simplicity.
1 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 In response to Mr. Jensen (Author of this book).Sep 01, 2006
This is not a discussion forum. This is a opinion board and it's posts are by readers, for readers. If the book is the sacred space for the author to express his opinions and worldviews, this boards are or at least should be the sacred space for the readers. Sacred.
There's no such thing as talking trash about a book just for the sake of trash talking a book. Someone read the book, liked or didn't like it for whatever reason, argument given, point taken. As simple as that.
I did read the book and it did have a couple good things but that's not the point. My point is that the author posting about his own book, in the way he did it, is a insult to the community. It taints the objectivity of the board, therefore undermining the usefulness and good will of all of the other reviews.
You said: "Thankfully, most of you ignore those kind of reviews when making a purchasing decision". I ask, thankfully for you or thankfully for the readers?
If I had never read this book I wouldn't do it, I'd feel dirty trying to assimilate a book which author's made his own integrity so sketchy.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 My $.02May 15, 2006
I saw this book at my company's library and was drawn by it's title. The description on the back and the introduction to the book gave me hopes of a refreshing read -- one written with distinct style and offering insight.
The saying is true -- don't judge a book by it's cover. I found this book to be annoying because Jensen is repetitive and offers no significant insight. He spends the first section of the book drilling the same ideas, making generic declarations and offering minimal real life examples. Worst of all -- not one "aha" moment, which is what he calls this section. Of course simplicity is better -- I realize that and it's why I picked the book up -- but repeating this a lot is not necessary.
I had to stop reading the book halfway. I agree with one of the reviewers who referred to the book as unreadable. I can't read a book that generalizes what everyone is always doing wrong, and then tells me what to do "based on research." Little data is offered to back up the claims.
All in all -- I wasn't inspired by the book, wasn't impressed with its style, and wasn't instructed by its content (its first half is all I read).
Recommendation: Your money and time could be better spent elsewhere. If the book is at no charge, and you are curious, try reading the first section to see if you feel the same way.
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