BKTMFRSA.RVW   20060828

"Time Management for System Administrators", Thomas A. Limoncelli,
2006, 0-596-00783-3, U$24.95/C$34.95
%A   Thomas A. Limoncelli
%C   103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA   95472
%D   2006
%G   0-596-00783-3
%I   O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
%O   U$24.95/C$34.95 800-998-9938 fax: 707-829-0104 info@ora.com
%O  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596007833/robsladesinterne
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596007833/robsladesinte-21
%O   http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596007833/robsladesin03-20
%O   Audience i Tech 1 Writing 2 (see revfaq.htm for explanation)
%P   200 p.
%T   "Time Management for System Administrators"

In the preface, Limoncelli states that he wrote this book because
standard time management texts are not sufficient: system
administrators (SAs) are different, and need their own advice for
their own situation.

Chapter one starts out with a useful technique for dealing with
interruptions, just so that you can spend some time reading the book. 
It then proceeds with a list of time management principles couched in
technical language so that system administrators will feel more
comfortable with the concepts.  Managing interruptions is the focus of
chapter two, with a number of useful tips.  Making certain functions
routine, and therefore saving time on decisions, is reviewed in
chapter three.

Chapters four through seven detail a time management process which
incorporates to-do lists, schedules, calendars, and long-term goals.

Chapter eight looks at standards for setting priorities.  Stress
management, and various ways to handle it, are covered in chapter
nine.  Chapter ten deals with something we can all use: ways to manage
email effectively.  Identification of common time-wasting activities,
and the elimination thereof, is the topic of chapter eleven.  There
are many situations where much time is wasted doing research because
documentation is not available, so chapter twelve's examination of the
different types and forms of documentation is a worthy one.  The why,
when, and how of automation is discussed in chapter thirteen.

Time management is important, and Limoncelli has provided a number of
useful tips in the book.  (Time spent reading it is definitely an
investment that will provide returns for those who find themselves
constantly swamped.)  On the other hand, aside from the specific areas
where he uses technical examples, I'm not sure why the author is so
certain that regular time management books can't help: the advice
given here is found in many other places as well.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 2006   BKTMFRSA.RVW   20060828