Book

and Three Other Steps to a More Productive Work Day

If being connected 24/7 was supposed to make our lives easier, the business world didn't get the memo. Most American professionals just can't shake the end-of-the-day feeling that they didn't get enough done. So day after day, they find themselves responding to work e-mail on their smartphones right up until their head hits the pillow. Sound familiar? There is good news, says Jason Womack: By implementing a few small changes, you can get more done in less time—which not only staves off burnout, but leaves more time for doing what you love.

"When the pressure is on to do more and more with less and less, you want what you do to really count," says Womack, a workplace performance expert, executive coach, and author of the new book Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Make More. "Burning through your to-do list more efficiently lets you go after bigger and better opportunities, sure, but the real reason you want to do it is so you'll have time for what brings you joy."

"You do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do," he adds. Read more

There are two classifications of books we really enjoy reading/studying – history and business management. But it's tough to put Jay Elliot's The Steve Jobs Way into either of those categories, just as it is almost impossible to put Steve himself into a standard business management classification.

Lots of people have tried and continue to try because we've met academics, scholars, researchers who have spent a good part of their careers examining his companies and him with a telescope (getting up close and personal to do this is almost impossible).

Sure, Guy Kawasaki did a pretty good job during his few years with Apple; but getting a first-hand view/analysis from someone who spent years with Steve and the management team is a rarity. One we couldn't pass up.

We're not an Apple/Jobs fan boy, but you have to admire the naivety of Steve and Woz to think they could make Apple into something different, something special and …well, achieve it with such awesome global success.Read more

Hurry up and wait. That's the modern ethic for the frequent (or even infrequent) air traveler. Get to the airport a few hours early to ensure you have all the time you need to get through the security line.

Then, you take off your shoes, take all the change out of your pockets, take out your laptop, take off your belt and anything else that might possibly set off the metal detector, take your ID out of your wallet, walk through the metal detector, set it off with the cell phone you forgot to take out of your pocket, wait patiently while you get scanned by the wand that makes the Star Wars light saber noise, and then put everything back only to find out your flight is delayed for another few hours.Read more

Like most people today we're a hack photographer. Not by choice it just turned out that way.

Yes we have burned through a number of cameras and now own two digital cameras, one a super cool DSLR (digital single lens reflex) beauty that captures brilliant images. Problem is they always lack a certain punch. They don't quite tell the story we thought we were going to get. They were just…OK.

On the other hand our daughter and daughter-in-law shoot beautiful stuff. Our daughter-in-law seems to have that innate ability to make even the simplest of subject almost breathe. Translation – a work of art.Read more