Stephanie Winston's best organizing tips

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Winston, founder of the consulting firm Organizing Principle, doesn't promise to add more hours to the day, but she does present practical guidance on doing things faster and more efficiently. Setting priorities and ``getting it done'' are the focus here. Winston profers advice on handling ``paperwork gridlock,'' filing, paying bills and taxes, even dealing with junk mail. She suggests ways to manage your kitchen, clean your house and tidy up car clutter. Oddly, the book is addressed to women, but men would profit as well from Winston's tips. Fortune Book Club selection; BOMC and QPB alternates; author tour. (Jan.)

Library Journal

Professional organizer Winston follows up her Getting Organized (Warner, 1994. rev. ed.) and The Organized Executive (Norton, 1994. rev. ed.) with this collection of Heloise-like hints and tactics on organizing our lives. She covers the paper shuffle, using calendars and time management, office and home clutter, cleaning up the home and organizing chores, and even organizing your kids. This is an A-to-Z assortment of suggestions that are nicely designed for easy surfing, but it misses the more difficult, fundamental issue of controlling one's life that is very effectively covered in Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (LJ 3/15/90) and First Things First: To Live, To Love, To Learn, To Leave a Legacy (LJ 4/1/94). This is a rehash of Winston's previous work, and although it may be of limited use, it is recommended only if you haven't yet acquired her other books.-Dale Farris, Groves, Tex.

Mike Tribby

Many people think an uncluttered desk (or car, house, etc.) is a sign of a seriously disturbed mind. Winston notably disagrees. She offers organizing tips for all phases of existence, including (it's chapter 5) "Reading Expeditiously--Zipping through Newspapers, Magazines, and Catalogs." She emphasises retrievability as a function of organization and organization for its own sake in advice that encompasses the proper filing of addresses and business cards, setting priorities, storage space, kitchen organization--in short, nearly everything a person seeking the shapely ship is likely to want to do. Although her comprehensive attention to detail might make Winston an unappealing dinner companion, it allows her to create an admirable book of advice. What with its bibliography (for further research into organizing the bejesus out of your life?) and form for sending in tips for the next edition, it's a tome worth living by--as long as you don't put it down somewhere and forget where it is.

From the Publisher

The New York Times This book is the next best thing to a pile of stuff animating itself and disappearing.

From Barnes & Noble

A handbook for the harried, designed to help everyone--from beleaguered homemakers to overworked executives--figure out what to do, when to do it, and how to create a practical, pleasing, and low-maintenance environment.