The Art of Life Admin

A unique and insightful analysis of the scourge of modern life- admin - its forms, problems and what we can do to reduce itThis book will give you many hours of your life back.Scheduling doctor's appointments. Planning a party. Buying a present. Filling out paperwork. These are the kind of secretarial and managerial tasks necessary to run a life and a household. Elizabeth Emens was a working mother with two young children, swamped like so many of us, when she realised that 'life admin' was consuming her. Desperate to survive and to help others along the way, she gathered favourite tips and tricks, admin confessions, and the secrets of admin-happy households.Drawing on her research and writing in a wholly original manner, she shows how admin affects our lives; how we might reduce, redistribute and even prevent it; what 'admin personalities' we might have; and how to deal with it in relationships. The Art of Life Admin teaches us all how to do less of it, and to do it better.

“This practical proven book shows you how to immediately take control of your life, clarify your goals and concentrate on the most valuable use of your time every minute”

-- Brian Tracy, author of Eat that Frog
Ms Emens' tips for working through admin knots have given me lots of ideas, especially for clearing the "murky admin" that has been on my list for too long . . . I'm also making another list - fun things to do with all the time I've saved -- Claer Barrett Financial Times
Reading The Art of Life Admin is like sitting down with a friend who knows exactly how it feels to be drowning in your To Do list, and throws you a very welcome lifeline to help you to make your way out -- Brigid Schulte, author of the New York Times bestseller Overwhelmed
This book is a must-read for anyone who feels overwhelmed by admin at home -- Cal Newport, author of Digital Minimalism
Life admin is apparently invisible even to the authors of most time management books, which is what makes Emens's book so refreshing . . . solid advice -- Oliver Burkeman Guardian magazine
Shift up, Marie Kondo . . . Elizabeth Emens is on to something with her analysis of the time-gobbling role that admin now plays in our days . . . When she describes it to others they tell her she is seeing into their marriages and minds . . . She has instant practical suggestions . . . Emens' book is a call to distinguish what we must do from what can be minimised . . . In our uncertain world at least we can deal with the small stuff -- Jenni Russell The Times
This clever book is for both the lovers and the haters of admin! Most importantly for me, reading about the practical solutions on how to simplify your admin, is the biggest pull of all -- Vicky Silverthorn
In her illuminating book Elizabeth Emens maps why life admin weighs us down and how, practically, we can shed the load. It's a must read for everyone burdened with to-do lists and searching for more time to do the things they really want

Elizabeth F. Emens is Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. She was educated at Yale and Cambridge, where she earned her PhD. She lives in New York City.

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