Turn it Off: How to Unplug from the Anytime-anywhere Office without Disconnecting Your Career [Paperback]

For those growing wary of the snowballing impact that technology now has on our lives--especially the way it leads to more time on the job, even when we're supposedly off the clock--Turn it Off will hit a nerve. "It's great to be able to do increasingly sophisticated, complex office work at home," writes Gil Gordon, a consultant who specialises in telecommuting and the virtual office. "It's not so great when we aren't able to close the door (literally or figuratively) on the home office and wind up working well into time we'd rather reserve for ourselves." His book offers a framework that anyone can use to divide the week's 168 total hours into three "zones" determined by how much we're willing to be "on duty" at any given time. It presents a flexible way to determine this level of availability and the days and times that each, which range from 0 per cent to 60 per cent to 100 per cent involved, are then in effect. It also explains how to implement such a customised model, including advice for obtaining support from superiors, coworkers and clients. Results certainly aren't guaranteed, particularly given the seductive nature of today's hot new gadgetry, but those dedicated to reducing its impacts should see improvement by tenaciously employing Gordon's suggestions. --Howard Rothman

Today's technology allows us to conduct business anytime and anywhere, but it prevents us from shutting the office door. This work shows wired workers how to regain control and obtain a sense of balance between the very real demands of today's business world and personal need to get (and really live) a life. This title teaches how to use the "100/60/0" model for balancing time and work - a method to help you work out when you'll be "on" and available to the office 100 percent of the time, versus being available part of the time or not at all. Gil Gordon tells how to manage email and voice mail so it doesn't control us and suggests ways of getting your boss or clients to respect your new routine.

LOG OFF-LIVE LIFE For plugged-in workers, from high-flying execs to working stiffs, here are practical strategies and solid advice on how to "unplug" and set real boundaries between work life and personal life.

Gil Gordon is a telecommuting/virtual office expert who has been featured in publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to USA Today for his work with clients such as Citicorp, AT&T and Merrill Lynch. He spent almost 10 years in Human Resources with Johnson & Johnson before launching his own one-person management consulting business in 1982. His website is www.gilgordon.com and a site dedicated to the book - turnitoff.com.