- Paperback: 328 pages
- Publisher: Pearson Life; 1 edition (16 Dec 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 027372326X
- ISBN-13: 978-0273723264
- Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 13.3 x 21 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
172,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #94 in Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Self Help > Time Management
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Description
Review
“Procrastinating just makes unpleasant tasks worse, so why is it so hard for us to resist dithering and delay? The Procrastination Equation is crammed with surprising insights about procrastination and human nature -- as well as concrete, helpful solutions for fighting procrastination.” (Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project )
“Procrastination is the saffron spice of human behavior, where even small amounts of this tendency can shatter the best of intentions. In this illuminating book Piers Steel shows us the secrets of procrastination, how it affects us and how we will, one day, be able to prevail.” (Dan Ariely, author of The Upside of Irrationality and Predictably Irrational )
“The Procrastination Equation will teach you how to bust the excuses that are preventing you from doing your best work and living your best life. . . . So don’t put it off any longer. Read this book. Today.” (Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind )
“An upbeat, motivational guide to procrastination. . . . Everything you ever wanted to know about procrastination but never got around to reading.” (Kirkus Reviews )
Product Description
Procrastination – or at least lack of motivation – is endemic. A massive 95% of us admit to procrastinating. For 20% of us the problem is chronic and it affects our health and wealth, success and happiness. And the problem is getting worse – rates have quadrupled since the 1970s.
We all recognise it, we all want to understand it – and to have a breakthrough moment that helps us be more productive, less guilty – and ultimately happier.
Scientifically rigorous, hugely entertaining, compelling and readable, this book will solve your problems of procrastination and get you motivated to live the life you want. Based on 10 years of award winning scientific research and written by the foremost scientist in the field, this book contains new techniques for dealing with the problem. There are still scientifically proven techniques for controlling and improving motivation that have not yet been tapped and translated into accessible terms – this is the book that does it for the first time.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The irony of reading a book about procrastination, with the aim of trying to beat procrastination, is that reading such a book is, in itself, an act of procrastination. With that said, this book would have to deliver quite a lot if I wasn't going to finish it thinking that I'd just wasted my time. Fortunately, I can comfortably say that I've found `The Procrastination Equation' to be thoroughly useful.
It, of course, goes without saying that you cannot eliminate any habit from your life by simply reading a book. But, despite being thrown with the "self-help" books in the bookshop I bought this from, this is certainly no mere "self-help" book. In fact, Dr. Steel is quite critical of the whole "self-help" movement throughout this book. Rather than being a book which boasts of lots of promises, which fills its pages with countless exercises and other arduous tasks (something which would be entirely useless for a book which is for people who procrastinate too much, but which I'm sure hasn't stopped plenty of other people from doing in "self-help" books on the subject), this is actually a scientific exploration of procrastination. Dr. Steel, "the world's leading authority" on procrastination, combines countless research done in the fields of psychology, sociology, biology and economics (with a little philosophy thrown in for good measure) to present this encompassing analysis.
This book is a fascinating and humorous insight into procrastination, but it's also useful for its practical application. I know I just said that this isn't a "self-help" book, but if you do decide to employ the scientifically proven techniques recounted here into your life, it probably will make a difference. More crucially, the understanding Dr. Steel's book will give you regarding procrastination will definitely make it hard for you to look at that habit in the same way ever again. Of course, it's up to you how you might respond if, during a bout of procrastination, Dr. Steel's words enter your head (you either to choose to ignore it or do something about it). I, personally, have fared well with this. So much of what Dr. Steel says within these pages sounds like he's almost talking directly to me, like he knows everything that's going on inside my brain, and so this book has helped me to comprehend just what a problem procrastination really is and, more importantly, that I'm not completely helpless to its seductive charms.
It, of course, goes without saying that you cannot eliminate any habit from your life by simply reading a book. But, despite being thrown with the "self-help" books in the bookshop I bought this from, this is certainly no mere "self-help" book. In fact, Dr. Steel is quite critical of the whole "self-help" movement throughout this book. Rather than being a book which boasts of lots of promises, which fills its pages with countless exercises and other arduous tasks (something which would be entirely useless for a book which is for people who procrastinate too much, but which I'm sure hasn't stopped plenty of other people from doing in "self-help" books on the subject), this is actually a scientific exploration of procrastination. Dr. Steel, "the world's leading authority" on procrastination, combines countless research done in the fields of psychology, sociology, biology and economics (with a little philosophy thrown in for good measure) to present this encompassing analysis.
This book is a fascinating and humorous insight into procrastination, but it's also useful for its practical application. I know I just said that this isn't a "self-help" book, but if you do decide to employ the scientifically proven techniques recounted here into your life, it probably will make a difference. More crucially, the understanding Dr. Steel's book will give you regarding procrastination will definitely make it hard for you to look at that habit in the same way ever again. Of course, it's up to you how you might respond if, during a bout of procrastination, Dr. Steel's words enter your head (you either to choose to ignore it or do something about it). I, personally, have fared well with this. So much of what Dr. Steel says within these pages sounds like he's almost talking directly to me, like he knows everything that's going on inside my brain, and so this book has helped me to comprehend just what a problem procrastination really is and, more importantly, that I'm not completely helpless to its seductive charms.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book after reading a magazine review. It lived up to all my expectations and in fact is a little eerie - at one point I started looking around as I'm almost convinced Dr Steel has direct vision right into my head! It's very readable with a personal approach. Dr Steel understands all our last minute races to meet deadlines or get somewhere on time. The only negative is that I can't get on with my long 'to-do' list as I'm procrastinating by writing this review. There, done now.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In chapter eleven of his book Piers Steel says that his "original purpose in creating the Procrastination Equation [was] to help integrate the social sciences [of psychology, economics, sociology and biology]". He has done it. This book provides a unifying theory of motivation. Think about any motivation problem and this one, simple, idea explains exactly why it occurs AND provides the tools to work around it. It's a cliché but really, if you read one book this year, make it this one (and you'll probably find the will to read several more after that anyway).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Promising
I got through the first two thirds of mostly theory about procrastination- but have yet to get round to the last bit of making it work - some day, maybe. Read more
Published 7 months ago by R. A. Palmer
If you buy one book ...
... then it has to be this one ... I've made a list of the key points to take away ... honestly, I've never been able to put a "self-help" book like this one to such use ... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Beach Bum
Useful advice
I found this to be a very useful book.
Unusually for a book of this type there were extensive notes at the end and lots of references were cited at the end. Read more
Unusually for a book of this type there were extensive notes at the end and lots of references were cited at the end. Read more
Published 9 months ago by The Emperor
Insightful, practical, useful
I picked this book up at the airport and did not procrastinate over the purchase, thanks goodness! It gives great insights into why we put things off and has motivating advice and... Read more
Published 9 months ago by inspiration
The basic idea is good, but a lot of filler
The procrastination equation itself-- motivation = (expectancy x value) divided by (impulsiveness x delay)-- is an interesting idea. And there are some good tips. Read more
Published 13 months ago by zoe4985
The procrastination Equation
This book is fun to read and explains a lot about how we think. I would recommend this book to anyone who is serious about wanting to change the way they think about... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Carol
I've been meaning to do this review for a while.....
Good book - provides some useful insights in to the science of procrastination. Now I've just got to do it!
Published 15 months ago by Mr. Simon Booth
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