Get Your Act Together

This is a book written by two sisters who used to live in "pig-pens" and together developed a way to bring order into their lives. The targeted audience of the book are women with a family who are desperate to get their house-holds under control.Therefore, I'm probably the only male manager who's ever bought and read this book (actually I was looking for a time-management book and hadn't made a careful selection). Having accidentally bought the book, I decided 200 pages of large print in a small book wouldn't kill me and I might as well read it.I'm glad I did. My family (and especially my wife) doesn't really need the book, but we aren't perfect either and one can never have enough good ideas in this department.The book really assumes the worst about you (if you aren't, all the better) in terms of self-organization and house-keeping. The system that the "slob sisters" introduces is interspersed among a lot of real-life experiences and shared thoughts to show that you are NOT alone with this problem, that you ARE a loveable person, that you REALLY CAN change the mess and that an hours worth of work WILL make a difference (which does not mean that you can read the book, put it back on the shelf and assume that you life all of a sudden will become wonderful). Having read the first part, I wished I had read it as a single male student. Then again, in those days I wouldn't have been caught carrying a book with this kind of front cover out of a bookshop for my life!What really touched me were the latter chapters of the book (including a chapter called "can this marriage be saved") showing how topics like this can undermine family life, how the women of this world often are abused by the men in their lifes without the latter really knowing about it and how these sort of problems CAN be solved.Once again, I think that we as a family are far removed from the extremities described in this book, but it contains food for thought for males working outside the house.

Really and truly, this book has improved the quality of my life tremendously. Written by the chronically disorganized, for the chronically disorganized, this book hits right at the heart of the problem and gives actual step-by-step advice for turning it around. Would you believe that I have both of my kids in bed by 9:00? That all the dishes are washed, the laundry is folded and put away, that the dog's been walked, the bills are paid and I know precisely how much money is in my checking account? I kid you not. Read this book, and you too can be sitting at the computer at 9:30 writing book reviews for total strangers . . .completely guilt free!

I won't repeat all the things the other reviewers said, but I will add this: The Slob Sisters have a great idea for getting family members to help out. It's called the Infraction Game, and with it, my living room has stayed spotless! My son, who is ADD and never puts anything without being asked, is now hanging up his backpack and coat, and putting his shoes neatly by the front door. This is without me saying a word! It's a miracle--and I thank Pam and Peggy and the good Lord for inspiring them. We are still incorporating other ideas, and my husband is going to read the book himself for my Christmas present. Highly recommended!

I have been trying to get organized for 15 years. I have a whole bookcase of organization books written by people who were born organized that did nothing but make the problem worse (more books gathering dust on my shelf, and more guilt building up). This book is written by two hilariously funny sisters who have "been there". They will use examples that are unbelievably close to home: in fact, they can even tell you exactly what is in your drawer and what to do about it! This is the answer for the disorganized person who has always wanted to be organized, but lacked the skills. This is a beautiful plan that will not have you obsessing about organization, but instead, spending less time cleaning and less time frustrated. This book is an answer to prayer!