The Sacred Rules of Management: How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Work

110 management basics that business courses ignore in favor of case studies but that lead to a balanced life at work and at home.

Those looking for certainty or structure in their lives are often reassured by having rules to follow. The recent popularity of books prescribing rules for social situations as weighty as "navigating the color line" or as trivial as "finding Mr. Right" shows the desire many have for rules. Smith enthusiastically jumps in to fill a perceived void with his prescriptions for managing your day, your paperwork, your projects, your meetings, your staff, your boss, and your colleagues. His credentials include ranking among the top 10 percent of nationally rated chess players, authoring a collection of minimysteries called Five-Minute Whodunits (1997), and getting an MBA at Cornell. This slim, straightforward book will satisfy those who want some basic guidelines on how to build or improve their managerial skills. David Rouse