Rework - worth a read

I’ve been interested in the web tools offered by 37 Signals for several years.  Their main product is Basecamp, a web-based project management and collaboration tool.  I have been using it in some of my recent training and teaching classes and students seem to find it very intuitive and simple to use.  Anyway, 2 of the founders of 37 Signals recently published a book, Rework, outlining their work philosophy based on their 10 years of running a successful company.  Like their software, the book is stripped down and has a waffle rating of zero.  The two authors offer practical advice on some of the minutiae of running a business from organising meetings (“meetings are toxic – one meeting leads to another meeting leads to another…”) and securing finance (“you need less than you think”) to employing people (“do it yourself first”).  Each chapter is about 2 or 3 pages long making it an easy and fast read.  Some people might interpret this brevity as indicating the authors have little to say but I would argue the opposite.  The book is a no-nonsense explanation of what really goes on in many organisations and offers some practical strategies to deal with difficult colleagues, information overload, competitors, working hours and the importance of a good night’s sleep.  It’s made me think differently about aspects of my work which is a good thing and well worth the £5.50 it cost me on Amazon.  Although the primary focus is on smaller companies, the book has good advice for all workers particularly in the areas of business planning and productivity.