Amazon.co.uk Review
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

Synopsis
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.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: Turn It Off for quality of life, 23 May 2001 By A Customer The best way to describe this book is use an overused cliché: Turning If Off is about quality of life. In guilt-free exercises, Gil offers a way to assess where we are and what is truly important in life. He clearly gives us a choice about whether we live to work or work to live. In either case his process and coaching left me with the feeling that I have a choice and, more importantly, that work can be and should be fun. If work isn't fun, he offers us practical approaches to deal with our discontent. I was impressed with the equitable treatment he gives to both employee and employer expectations and perspectives. This treatment reflects his long-standing philosophy of fairness and one size doesn't fit all. Particularly interesting in the chapter entitled "What's Ahead - and What It Means". Here Gil's crystal-ball forecasting shines once again. Anyone who has read his annual crystal ball forecasts beginning in 1984 (Telecommuting Review Newsletter) would appreciate his accuracy and sensitivity in looking ahead and speculating about what it means. All telework/telecommuting consultants and trainers would be wise to include this book among the top resources for preparing the teleworkforce for a meaningful work life. As a telework/telecommuting consultant and, if I had my way, I would make Turn It Off required reading before anyone embarks upon remote work and/or managing remote workers. Gil has given us a long needed and practical guide to improve our work and, best of all, our quality of life. ... David Fleming  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: