Quick Review: Good for a newbie, interesting skim for more savvy user.

Bit Literacy by Mark Hurst is another addition to the long, really long, list of techno-productivity books trying to answer the question; "How do we function effectively in an increasingly fast-paced, information saturated, complex world?" Mark focuses on the methods for managing "the bits"; the documents, pictures, email, and other data we frequently work with. There are hints of bigger problems that need solving here and the basic principles of simplicity and data portability are on point, but the target audience of the book seems to be the newbie so overwhelmed by the changing technology that they cannot keep up. Worthy of a very quick skim by those who are already familiar with technology.

Complete review: http://blog.thethoughtcollector.com/?p=13

Ever sign on to your email and feel your blood pressure going up? All those action items and obligations loading in front of you? This book will help by giving you some simple and straitforward rules for managing your digital life. Stop reading here and start reading Bit Literacy. Help has arrived.

I was fully prepared to write a lengthy, glowing review, until I realized it was unnecessary because 80-some people did it for me.

I am in the middle of the book, and am already on the road to having an efficient, well-organized work-flow system. Now I can put a picture of my granddaughters on my desktop and not cover their faces with a leprosy of icons.

Mark Hurst gets it all correct in Bit Literacy.

I've been using David Allen's Getting Things Done method for about 6 months. I'm a big believer in the empty Inbox, and practice it religiously.

I didn't need the why or most of the how in Bit Literacy (though many will; are you listening, honey?), but I think Hurst has nailed the essence of email productivity in a *much* simpler way than that of Getting Things Done. (Yes, Hurst discusses topics other than email, but let's face it, that's where modern life explodes for most of us.)

Empty your Inbox at least daily. Create to-dos from your email. Assign them to dates. Prioritize each day. Procrastinate freely.

It's a beautifully simple approach, and I felt better after one day of trying this out. Really.

Buy it. Read it. Do it.

This book is a must read for anyone who uses a computer. I was able to implement suggestions immediately which have improved my life tremendously. Let go of the bits!

Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload

Bit Literacy has really helped me to reduce the "weight" that I feel from too many bits (email, digital photos, music, files, etc.). Following the methods for organizing my bits has revolutionized the way I work.

A few years ago my dad got me hooked on David Allen's Getting Things Done. I've been following Mark Hurst's blog for awhile now and bought my dad his popular book Bit Literacy. It's perfect for those who have adopted David Allen's techniques. Regardless, everyone must read this book. Although a lot of the ideas and techniques can be picked up elsewhere, there are several that will have a huge impact on how I handle the bits in my life moving forward. Check it out.

This book presents a frank view of the email world we live in, and presents a good solution. Having followed the author's recommendations, I can say that my email in-basket remains very small, and the stress of managing a large backlog of unread (AND unhandled) items is gone.

Columnists keep writing about the problem of email overload, and all seem to want MORE technology to somehow solve the problem. That's not the answer!

Following the suggestions in this book can really make a difference. I've taken a phased approach - tackling e-mail and to-do list first. Just changing the way I handle these two things has increased my productivity dramatically. Seeing an empty e-mail box does take a bit of getting used to though. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a way to take control of the flood of information coming their way.

Mark Hurst's book is really a productivity tool.

Even if you don't implement all of Mark's suggestions, you will notice that you become much more efficient by just, well ... letting the bits go.

I use Mark's to-do list (gootodo), and as a previous user of the MS Outlook to-do list, and the post-it-in-your-pocket to-do list I am really satisfied with the improvements on my productivity.

The book is a quick read, and I keep it in my office so I can re-read ceirtain things when I need to.

I'm a believer!

After talking with author Mark Hurst about GooTodo, a to-do list for iGoogle that he developed I bought this book. It was clear to me that while I thought I knew how to handle my inbox (it was one huge inbox, with Google search laid over the top) I obviously didn't. I hated looking it: it was crushing me. I read Chapter 4 yesterday. I opened my inbox this morning: 2,734 items. By noon I was below 500, and by 1pm I was down to 19 that needed attention before closing them. At 5:34pm today I reached zero. It's incredible. Buy this book.

Bit Literacy is the new Computer Literacy. In the age of information overload, we need simple solutions for managing emails, files, and information generally.

Mark Hurst, in his characteristically simple writing style, explains the principles (e.g. "let the bits go") and practices (e.g. how to get your email inbox to 0 every day) needed to thrive and survive in the digital age.

Mark keeps it simple--much simpler than David Allen's Getting Things Done--while keeping it very practical. You don't have to be a geek to start using Bit Literacy right away.

Not only that, but Mark is a down-to-earth guy who lives his principles! When I emailed him for a podcast interview, he wrote back in minutes with a simple, clear email. Try it for yourself--sign up for his newsletter and send him an email. :)

"Bit Literacy" takes a logical, fresh approach to managing the flood of inputs into our lives today. I began implementing suggestions within a few hours of completing the book.

The most helpful concept for me is the ability to let go of worrying about keeping up with all the data. Seeing an empty inbox creates some anxiety, but the real benefit is that the tasks at hand are now the only thing to focus on. By following the simple methodologies in the book and using the gootodo.com system, I am getting more done and actually getting to a state of being "done" at the end of the day. I haven't had this feeling since elementary school.

We just ordered copies for all of our staff, knowing that we can help them reduce stress and that we will get more done across our whole company.

Thanks,

Bit Literacy has made quite an impact on how I deal with the onslaught of bit information. Such a good read, thank you Mark Hurst for addressing this issue which has now become part of the daily grind. Not only do I not leave my office on Fridays with no more than a handful of emails in my inbox, but it has also influenced me to become a shredder/recycle master at home with all that incoming postal mail and has even raised my total awareness on how I choose what I see, hear and read on my own time. I even encourage my kids, when they are overwhelmed at school with so much information coming at them, with the same BL principals and it has made quite an impact on how they manage their school work and general information day to day.

I purchased Bit Literacy last summer and found it intriguing. My personal productivity was suffering for a number of reasons. First, I had several email bit streams that I was managing separately. Second, I was using my In boxes for storage and as a reminder of things I needed to do. By storage, I mean that I did not want to file the message in a separate folder, because I might forget about it. I also would get messages that need a response but I would tell myself that I would respond later.

After I read the book, I consolidated five major bit streams into one. That action alone increased my personal productivity. Next I signed up for a trial of gootodo to serve as my to do list. Now everyday, I try to empty my in box. I read all the messages that are personally addressed to me first. I respond, file, or delete. If there is something I will follow up on later, I forward the message to a future date at gootodo.com.

Because of these actions, I am more productive. People are hearing back from me much sooner. I feel less stressed facing an empty in box.

I felt the book was so valuable, that I bought five copies for gifts to family members.

I have not followed all the suggestions later in the book, but will consider them as time permits.

I'm indebted to my friend Eric (www.nehrlich.com/blog) for pointing me at this book. Bit Literacy is a short and exceptionally clear read that significantly reoriented my thinking about how to handle overload.

Hurst describes many necessary components of functional systems in sufficient detail that I was able over the course of a few months to replace several dysfunctional business and personal processes with far more effective new ones. Life is now just better.

Even more importantly, though, I've come to approach my work from a higher-level perspective. I read Bit Literacy several times during that transition, and though it started as a manual for specific processes (and an effective one at that), I came to realize that the perspective from which Hurst writes is at least as valuable as the tips he recommends. Here is someone who didn't stop at dissatisfaction with inefficiency; he figured out how to get around it entirely, by changing the way he interacts with the information coming at him incessantly, as it does to us all.

Great stuff. My hat's off to Mark Hurst.

At the end of last year, my information overload had become unmanageable and I was forced to find new ways to organize the information I was dealing with on a daily basis. Luckily I found this book. I'm now a true believer. I no longer react to e-mail with haste and I am far more purposeful in all my actions. All around I am re-energized and ready to take on the challenges I face everyday.

I'm indebted to my friend Eric (www.nehrlich.com/blog) for pointing me at this book. Bit Literacy is a short and exceptionally clear read that significantly reoriented my thinking about how to handle overload.

Hurst describes many necessary components of functional systems in sufficient detail that I was able over the course of a few months to replace several dysfunctional business and personal processes with far more effective new ones. Life is now just better.

Even more importantly, though, I've come to approach my work from a higher-level perspective. I read Bit Literacy several times during that transition, and though it started as a manual for specific processes (and an effective one at that), I came to realize that the perspective from which Hurst writes is at least as valuable as the tips he recommends. Here is someone who didn't stop at dissatisfaction with inefficiency; he figured out how to get around it entirely, by changing the way he interacts with the information coming at him incessantly, as it does to us all.

Great stuff. My hat's off to Mark Hurst.

For the first time since I got email, my inbox is cleared.

It gives you a new way to look at data: let go of it.

And it gives you a method for sorting through the data you have. I follow the 3-step process every day.

It took me a week or two to get comfortable with this method, but now it's second nature.

I've been looking forward to reading this book for a long time and there have been many respected business leaders who have endorsed this book, so I had high hopes. As a technology professional, the title resonated with me and after being disappointed by many productivity books' elementary-level advice, I was looking to be blown away by this MIT graduate, Mark Hurst.

While I appreciate his effort to put together certain sticky mantras like let the bits go, I also couldn't help but roll my eyes when the author implies that the best way to cure an overflowing inbox is to simply empty it.

Overall, this book offers very little new information on how to master technology if you've spent anytime managing e-mail or the shared drive at your corporate office. Not sure where we'll find the innovative voice that leads us from the dark side of information overload to the light, but this book is not it.

In this age of information overload, I truly recommend Bit Literacy to anyone who needs help managing all the "bits" of information, particularly email, we are all inundated on a daily basis. The book is an easy read and has numerous helpful tips on managing email and to do lists. I started using their To Do list management system, gootodo.com, right away and have found it to be extremely efficient. I'm having my staff read the book and start utilizing [..]as well.

I was looking for a simple and effective 'to do' list which lead me to this book. It contains excellent, simple and frustratingly-obvious advice. I've been involved with IT since I was 12, as a programmer, project manager, IT manaager and now Internet Business Consultant: I have recommended this book to all my clients. It's probably a little hard-core in places (non-qwerty keyboard, for example) but if they only use half of it they will double their productivity.

I was experiencing a constant feeling of stress due my overflowing inbox and my many to-do lists. I found Bit Literacy on the Amazon site, read the reviews and bought it - hopeful, but not a believer. Well, I am now! It has changed my life! My inbox is clear (gone the backlog of 800+ messages) and my to-do list is organized and helpful. The to-do list strategy was an added bonus - I didn't realize that the two were inextricably linked. In addition, I've subscribed to the author's online product www.gootodo.com ("d" is left off purposely) - this is not at all necessary to benefit from the book, but I find it to be the best to-do list product I've encountered --- you can actually email to-dos for specific days directly to your online to-do list! It is just fabulous and I couldn't be happier. Highly recommend this book for anyone who is suffering from information overload, email stress or a feeling that you can never seem to get caught up with your to-do list(s).

This is one of the most inspiring books I've read, and it grows on me the more I adopt its principles, which include:
* Delete what you don't need
* Eliminate redundancy
* Don't think of a task until it's time to do it
* Store digital bits in a way to take up the least possible space
* Create shortcuts wherever possible
* Create systems for easy information retrieval

In summary, it's a guide for clearing digital, physical, and mental clutter

I've taken a number of steps in the days since reading it:
* Clearing the inbox
* Clearing email archives, especially of large files
* Consolidating email accounts
* Building todo lists with proper alerting schedules

The goals are to increase productivity, reduce stress, and free up time for more meaningful efforts, and personally, actions I've taken based on the book's advice seem promising toward meeting those goals.

The biggest downside to the book, and the reason I can't give it five stars, is that much of it promotes the author's own to-do list and reminder software, which costs $36 a year. If he gave the book away just to promote the software, I might have been more inclined to subscribe to it, as he makes a great case in the book why it's better than anything else available. From a friend's recommendation, I discovered an alternative at IWantSandy.com which seems to have similar functionality at no cost, at least as of the time of writing this review.

In time, I'll probably forget the sales pitch entirely and be thankful for how helpful the book has been, and I'll then give it that fifth star. I also will be recommending it to others.

Time management is a popular topic, usually discussed in the context of the latest gee-wiz software application or a new plugin that will supercharge your life. And while, without a doubt, calendars and to-do lists have come a long way, Mark Hurst's message is simple: "users themselves, and no one else, are responsible for their success with bits. The only way to guarantee your own productivity is to manage it yourself."

Instead of spending time on hierarchies, coloring to-do lists, and defining priority queues, the author encourages us to minimize and omit all irrelevant bits - the goal is to minimize the time you spend getting organized, so as to maximize the actual time spent on getting things done.

Mark Hurst's book is easy to follow and provides a lot of helpful tips along the way. If you recently realized that you need a todo list, this book will help you pick a good one; if you have already explored every shareware todo list ever produced, this book can give you a new perspective to help you on your journey. In all, a great read, though already slightly outdated, for both beginners and black-belt GTD followers - just don't forget that at the end of the day, productivity is always about personal context, not any specific philosophy.

Bit Literacy, by Mark Hurst addresses a real, growing problem. His solutions are too specific to work for me though. His understanding of the problem is useful and his fixes will work for some and be a good starting point for others.
The problem that Hurst sets out to describe is familiar to many. Lots of us get more email then we can read, have multiple overloaded todo lists and have trouble finding the files we saved on our computers only a few days ago. We are overwhelmed by the amount of information we have to deal with at any given time. Computers have made keeping up more difficult instead of easier. The engineers who design our computers and software are more interested in adding shiny new features then in making them useful to actual users.
Bit Literacy is a solution to this. Hurst's explanations of how to use bit literacy are clearly described and seem plausible. Unfortunately they are overly detailed and too proscriptive to provide a general solution. As described, they solve the specific problems that Mark Hurst encounters in specific ways that work for him. One can generalize from these specifics, but the reader would have been better served by more general advice that could be adapted to particular situations then having to generalize from the specific.
One example is his suggestion to empty out the email inbox every day. That makes sense, but he also advises saving emails as text files in a directory for the project the message is related to. This causes you to lose access to the messages envelope information that would be available through an email client. Also what do you do about messages that are relevant to several projects, or to none. One argument for doing this is because email clients may crash, corrupting your old messages. He mentions in several places that he uses and old, unmaintained email client. Perhaps email clients crashing would not be an issue if he used up to date software.
Another problem I had with Hurst's proscriptions was that they all seem to assume that work is project based. As a consultant it makes sense for the author. It does not work well for me, or others whose work is not based on changing projects.
Bit Literacy is a well written discussion of a problem that effects more and more people. The solutions provide anecdotes or examples that work for the author, but may not be applicable to many readers.

This book is full of useful and effective techniques that can be immediately applied. Whether it be handling email or naming files or dealing with excess information, I think almost everyone will find something of value here. I highly recommend it!

Are you looking for a "Good Experience" in personal productivity? Look no further. "Bit Literacy" is about being efficient and effective in your daily business. The information is presented in such a way that I became excited at the potential. I've read twenty books this year on personal productivity-this is the best.

It starts with an excellent definition of "bits" and how they intrude on us in various forms. Once the foundation is laid, Mark outlines how to handle each of the bit forms that have been worked into our lives. His ideas are unique in personal productivity-for this reason the book is a must read.

Some topics covered include Chapter 4: Managing Incoming E-mail; with some novel ideas that are easily implemented.

Chapter 5: Managing Todos, where Mark gives an explanation of his Gootodo tool for managing your to-do list. This is a cool and creative way to manage your to-dos. Check out the free trial, I just started playing with it, the concept and execution are flawless. I wish I'd thought of it.

Mark offers some simple and effective ways to manage files. I've implemented most and they are great. I'd forgotten all about the simple ASCII files and the beauty and productivity enhancing simplicity of the lowly text file.

Not to give it all away here, but this book stimulated my thinking in many areas. For example, I've been trying to grapple with contacts list management for a long time. I wanted a quick and simple way to organize my contacts. In the book, Mark makes the distinction between canvas and log files (buy the book and read it for the answer, pg. 123-124). I took his ideas and created a project folder naming each "note pad" file an individual contact with plenty of room for notes below the contact information. The real beauty of the system is his "bit-literate" file naming scheme that automatically orders the contacts alphabetically. The information on file creation and management is worth the price of the book.

I highly recommend this book. It is a shinning star in a crowded space. Read this one and save the $200 bucks on the twenty books you could read and never find this stuff.

This book is quick and easy to read and I believe everyone who works with emails and computers will find something within that can benefit them. I found it to be valuable because it offers concise, simple, and practical solutions which helped me manage the daily barrage of electronic information. I now spend more time actually working on completing my e-mailed and to-do list tasks and less time thinking about them. Good luck everyone in your endeavors to take back the most valuable commodity - your time!

Thanks very much to Mark Hurst! Ok, I'm not sure I can ever be as pure as he seems to want me to be - with a 100% empty in-box every day. However, remembering that perfection is not always possible (he he does seem to require it, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him) this book is still an astonishing how-to for those of us who are overwhelmed with the ridiculous amount of bits invading our lives - both at work and at home. I've already begun to delete email from my inbox free of guilt, and I'm really enjoying "letting the bits go" as Hurst suggests. This is an immensely practical guide, and I'm looking forward to sharing many of my discoveries with co-workers and relatives - people who I know are drowning in bits as I am. I've just started trying out Hurst's web-based todo list, and it looks quite nice so far, exactly what I've been dreaming of!

This is a superb book. As a doctor and an entrepreneur I have read many books on time management and being more efficient, and been disappointed by most of them. This book is by far the best I have read.

It has just enough theory to help the reader get the big picture, but nothing more. Unlike a lot of books that are twice as long as they should be, this short book respects the reader by delivering the information in an efficient and easy to digest manner.

I especially appreciate the clear instructions on how to implement the author's suggestions. I gave the book out to all my co-workers and several friends. Recently, our entire team talked about how each of us has implemented the book's ideas. Some of us are using all of them, and some are using a few of them, but no one decided not to use any of them. Given how challenging it is to change human behavior, I think this is amazing.

I give this my highest possible recommendation without any reservations at all.

Excellent productivity book. Well written, full of useful tips and big picture views. Just the right size. Highly recommended.

I purchased my first computer many years ago when a "laptop" weighed almost 50 lbs, I believe, looked like a sewing machine and had a tiny screen. I continued to upgrade over the years---always a little ahead of the technology and paying the price.
Yes it was fun to be an "early adopter" until you tried to do something. Along the way I developed some bad habits that I really did not realize were bad habits until I read this book.
As I was reading Mark Hurst's book I thought of all of the misplaced photos and files that I wish I could locate today. WIth Mark's suggestions on how to manage (and eliminate) bits I feel ready to tackle my electronic filing cabinets. This is a great book--that when you finish it you will wonder...why it took so long to get this useful information.

Mark's book is an excellent source and tool to be productive in this information age. With appropriate humor and and easy-to-read style I found many applications from this book. As an Associate Dean and Director of the MBA program at a smaller Liberal Arts University I know the challenges that students and executives face in being productive leaders in business today. I love the book and the accompanying Gootodo tool.

It's going great for me. I no longer lose my various paper-based todo lists and my inbox is under control (read empty at the end of the day). The Gootodo tool keeps priorites front and center, and I especially love the option of sending todos into the future to be handled at a more appropriate time. I recommend it. Get it now--especially if your inbox makes you cringe every time you open it up!

I used to hate opening my email client. 10K+ emails, scattered across 6 different accounts, all begging my attention. And I wondered why I had a mini-panic-attack every time I looked at my inbox(es). Bits are heavy! All those things, wanting to be looked at, moved around, organized, deleted. Now my inbox is empty before I leave for the weekend every week--and kept in check the rest of the week. It makes a difference. Get the book! Clear your inbox! Let the bits go!

This is a phenomenal book!!!

If you have ever sat at your desk and wondered how your email Inbox has grown to over 2,000 emails and wanted to do something about it, then you need to read this book. You might think that you do not need help with organizing your emails but if your spending over 30 minutes a day searching for previous emails then you are wasting time during your day.

This book also gives great ideas of how to organize and name files as well as many other ideas to help you utilize your time better each day.

i wish i had my money and more importantly my time back. worthless seems like its too nice of a description for this title. i think the author is off his rocker and more self absorbed than anyone i know.

I have achieved the impossible, thanks to this slim, waste-none-of-your-time guide. I am proud to say that my inbox is now EMPTY at the end of each day. Mark's method for conquering the thousands of accumulated emails most of us have is more therapeutic and more liberating (and easier!) than cleaning out closets, attics and basements. Once you do it, there's no temptation to resort to the Bad Old Ways.

Best of all, when I need to refer to an old email, I can find it IMMEDIATELY because I have moved it to an appropriately-named folder. So simple. So smart. And so rarely ever done by time-pressed business people. If you gain JUST this one bit-management skill, the book will pay for itself in time saved, efficiency gained, and chaos reduced. Thanks, once again Mark, for opening my eyes.

Came across this book browsing the computer section in a book store, but it could just as easily be in the business section, or the self-help section. Very readable, pragmatic advice to help manage the flood of digital data we get hit with every day. Now a week into trying two of the recommended strategies (for managing my e-mail inbox and to-do lists) I'm already noticing that I'm more productive and better focused.

Using Mark's tips for e-mail and to-do list management I rendered my old paper-based planner obsolete. Bit overload is a very real burden in today's world. This is the only sane response.

I like email. I still get goosebumps recalling the screeching love call of the wild internet login that got me connected to my email all those years ago.I even enjoyed the movie, "You've Got Mail". I am a romantic. I save matchbooks from restaurants. I was doing the same with my emails. At home, at work. They made me feel connected, important. They were important. The more there were, the more important I was.

But something was not right. I started dreading my inbox. I logged in at work because I had to, but I was logging in less and less at home. I started hating email, but I could not get away from it. I started complaining to my computer, "Leave me alone." It didn't even blink.

But like all things that this baby boomer has experienced, the right idea at the right time saved me. This time in the form of guru -- Mr. Good Experience himself -- Mark Hurst. He had once again captured the next big idea to improve my life: Bit Literacy. The concept, very Zen: let go of your email (just one form of the bits that are taking over our lives). And it is a truly elegant solution that makes me as graceful as a gazelle again.

It's a small book. Ideal in length and depth of information.

And so today, months later, I empty out my inbox at least once a day. Sometimes more. I've become an inbox neat freak. At home and at work. I have a To Do list, and I get things done. I like email again. And I tell everyone I know about what I do and now, even people I don't know...

I would echo what many others have said - the techniques in Mark's book are simple in concept (a little more difficult to apply) but VERY effective. Also, many of the reviews here mention how effective the email management techniques are (that's true), but there are some other gems in the book on how to better manage information (file organisation, media diet, bit levers etc.).
It's a very quick and easy book to read and doesn't go over the same ground twice.
I'm sure that anyone who reads the book will find something to improve their productivity and organisation.

Much of what Mark suggested in the book, I had been attempting to do, but not in an organized fashion as he lays out. I have always tried to get to "emptiness" on emails, but was being overrun with corporate mailers and spam. For pictures, I had tried to come up with a meaningful naming scheme, but hadn't stuck with it, and for to-dos, I was basically in an infinite loop with Outlook. His comments on Outlook helped steer me away from the concept of "operator error."

I will try some of the bit-lever programs later, but for now, just having some sanity around the to-dos is really great.

I thought the book was very useful and a very good. As he points out, most people have never taken the time to become bit literate, and I was one. I have used computers since the early 80s, (the S100 Altair 8800B kit!) and have never taken the time to get formerly trained on many of the programs that I use or taken the time to develop a personal "system". I guess we are all lulled into thinking that if Outlook or similar programs have all the bells and whistles, then that should suffice. What I really never did was stop to ask myself if Outlook (or whatever) was working for me.

I have always been a fan of simplicity and focus, particularly since I work in high-tech and seem to go fast all the time as many others seem to do as well. Mark's view of using ASCII text in emails and contacts makes sense from a portability and simplicity perspective. This was driven home when I recently changed employers and exported all my contacts from within Outlook. My new employee uses Outlook, and importing the contacts should have been no problem. Despite several attempts, I was unable to import my contacts directly into Outlook. If it had not been for the CSV formatted lists that I made at Marks suggestion, I would not have been able to recover a very important resource. This alone was worth the price of the book.

I don't work for Mark, but I am a big fan.

Yes I've tried David Allen, and have been trained by pretty much all of the efficiency engines over my 26-year corporate/professional career.

At my office, we work billable hours. Much communication with clients happens through email, but we've never had a good way to bill that email time, so many of us just... don't. We lose, on average, 1.5 billable hours per person per day that way.


Truth is, time is more valuable than money for all of us, no matter what our work. We don't have enough of it, and if we had more, we'd be using it some way that's a lot more personally valuable, yes? I know, because I've kept a clock on myself for years, that I have spent on average 1.5 hours working through a couple of hundred emails each day. 546 hours per year. About 68 workdays.

With the advice in his book and Mark's Gootodo.com (This lets me forward emails to a day and a priority that makes sense, so they don't just hover in my inbox, taxing my brain and my concience), I can easily move emails and group them by client, and get to the day's prioritized to do list in about 15 or 20 minutes. Then I shut down the email browser and get to work.

Then I handle my grouped and prioritized client emails on their time, not mine... and life is good.

My advice: take a Saturday morning with this book and a gootodo account, and the book will pay for itself about half way through your first day.

Amazing.

Feeling overwhelmed by electronic information? Email in particular? Order this book, read Chapter 4 and take control of your inbox once in for all by zeroing it out every day because it feels good, you did it before and you know you can do it again.

After co-workers up and down my company were complaning about their volume of email, I took a 30 day challenge to zero out my inbox every day based the concepts in 'Bit Literacy.' 4,500 emails in and out of my inbox that month and I was a new man. 150+ days into this 30 day experiment, I hope never to go back.

Lots of books talk about getting organized and getting a grip, this one shows you pratically how to do it. If you read email for work, you will want to at least read about, if not implement, Mark's approach.

Mark Hurst's ideas are easy to understand and follow. The results are immediate and liberating. Who would've thought that "Delete" could be such a powerful tool?

I've maintained an empty inbox for a couple of years now, and can't imagine going back to my old system. GooToDo is a newer concept. It's slowly growing on me as I learn to "let the bits go" until the time I really NEED them (tomorrow, next week, next month, or never).

Everyone can (and should!) learn to follow the *principles* of Bit Literacy. The "How-To" examples provide--not a box to lock you in--but the materials to build yourself a house in which to live. It's just a matter of adapting them to your own work style.

This is a very concise, well written book that teaches something I really needed to learn - how to manage the incessant flow of information coming into my laptop.

Over the last ten years, my office has reduced down to less than two boxes of physical stuff I have to move (most of it mementos). I've gotten rid of all the memos, magazines and stacks of paper. But I had a lot harder time letting the megabytes of mail, documents, photos, websites, RSS feeds and other digital junk go.

Mark gave me permission to do it. And he followed up with great tactics to make the transition painless, fast and effective. I'm staring at an empty inbox with a sense of relief. I've cut my RSS reading habit by at least 70% and I'm still weeding out feeds that aren't helping. Overall, I'm able to focus my work effort and getting more done with less stress.

If you approach your computer with a sense of dread at the towering piles of digital detritus waiting for you, this book is for you. Stop. Read Mark's book. Act.

There are several aspects of this book that lead me to recommend it. First of all, the topic itself, which is how to manage the firehose of information coming at you in the digital age. Secondly, Mark practices what he preaches; he keeps the book short and focused so the reader doesn't have to wade through a tome to get to the nuggets of wisdom.

Mark breaks the chapters into meaningful categories where he addresses a particular problem, lays out his philosophy and then his recommendations. When I finished the book, I immediately put his ideas into practice and after 3 days of doing it, I know I won't go back. His ideas on Bit Levers and automating activities are essential.

I highly recommend this book.

This simple, truly useful book provides great tactics for managing digital overload. 'Bit Literacy' is very accessible to a non-tech audience, but it's useful even if you think you already know what you are doing; Though I have been a Web Product Manager for 10 years and consider myself pretty well organized, I still found lots of helpful tips.

Many of the reviews focus on the truly transformative experience of the "empty inbox," and I have to admit I was surprised to find how liberating this is, even if it sounds a little corny (or extreme) at first. Mark Hurst's subscription-based Gootodo.com web site beautifully supports the techniques he outlines in the book. In short, the system goes like this: Everything in your inbox either gets deleted, goes to a folder for future reference or is forwarded to you Gootodo list for future action. It really works.

While e-mail is a central theme in the book, Mark Hurst also offers valuable tips for managing digital photos, naming and organizing files, and sorting through all your daily media options. Though less dramatic than seeing your inbox empty for the first time in years, this is solid advice that's well worth implementing, too.

I really enjoyed this quick read that offered many practical tools and approaches to enhance your productivity and efficiency in today's digital overload work/life environment.

I have been using Gootodo now for over a month and while it took a bit for me to get comfortable with this type of todo list management, I now find it better than my old paper-based method. I don't fully subscribe to all facets of Bit Literacy as I think every person needs to use what works best for them and that won't be 100% of anyone else's prescribed methods, but I have taken away enough of Bit Literacy that it has been very useful to me.