Book Review: Eat That Frog!

Posted on September 6, 2007 by LJ

Book Information

Title: Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (BK Life) (aff)
Author: Brian Tracy Rating (of 10): 7 ISBN: 1576754227

Book Summary

Eat That Frog! is a book with 21 ways to get over procrastination and into results.

Review

I loved the first part of the book: the introduction gave the three frog sayings that inspired the book’s title:

If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long.

If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest first.

If you have to eat a live frog, it doesn’t pay to sit and look at it for very long.

I adore these sayings. They are to the point, and unusual enough to stick with me. It really does boil down the way to get things done.

I can see where a lot of productivity books had their roots. This book, grounded in the books before it, must have seemed very sparkling and new when it was first published (2001). It is clear, precise and easy to follow. The information is presented in manageable chunks with simple direct phrases. It is a very easy and enjoyable read.

However, I found that as I read it, I found myself disagreeing with the premises. Some of the items were not about procrastination at all; and some missed the mark. For instance, in the chapter on forced efficiency, he says,

“You will never be caught up. Get that thought out of your mind. All you can hope for is to be on top of your most important responsibilities. The others will just have to wait.”

While the first part is blunt enough to make me think, I disagree: I think that if you’ve got too much you need to decrease your work load instead of ignoring it. Ignoring it isn’t going to make it go away; ignoring it will increase your stress.

My personal brand of procrastination comes from two sources: I procrastinate because I don’t think I have time to do it “right” (perfectionism) or I procrastinate because it is something I don’t want to do or has a low value. Neither of these is addressed in a helpful way.

I would recommend that people read the book, though, in spite of my disagreements with it. I think that the times that I was brought up and made to think is worth the very little effort it takes to read this book.

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