ZIP! Tips
Book

ZIP! Tips

The Fastest Way to Get More Done

Mike Song
Berrett-Koehler, 2013
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

To teach you to do more in less time, productivity consultant Mike Song uses fictitious people and characters – in the finest POW! ZAP! comic-book tradition – to present his highly useful computer tips. The voice of productivity is superhero Z from Planet P, the author’s alter ego and a fountain of useful information. The other main character is Harold, a frustrated professional so overwhelmed with email and other input that he is turning into a hamster running nowhere fast on a giant wheel. Then there are the Darkonians, the space aliens, who use a “chaos beam” to overwhelm everyone’s work life and turn employees into more-anxious hamsters. Little Z from Planet P uses magic “ZIP Tips” to thwart the Darkonians and turn Harold back into a person. Song uses his silly fable to teach many helpful hints – and those aren’t silly at all. Learn his shortcuts to become an honorary citizen of Planet P (for productivity), to get off the wheel of repetitive tasks and to free up your time. getAbstract recommends Song’s weird but handy manual and his worthy hints on getting the most from your tech devices, whether your planet orbits in the PC or Mac universe.

Summary

If You’re Wasting Too Much Time with Technology, Master Some “ZIP Tips”

Using smart shortcuts to get the most from your computer and technological devices can save you time every day. This approach – the ZIP “business philosophy” – is a more effective, productive time-management system than traditional clock and calendar tactics due to five significant trends:

  1. “The tech-immersion trend” – Knowledge workers may spend upward of 80% of their time using and manipulating various technological functions (email, web searching, data management) and devices (computers, tablets, smartphones). They benefit from learning and practicing the most-efficient ways to use these capabilities and tools.
  2. “The scratch-the-surface trend” – Workers must adapt quickly to whatever new technology their companies provide, though it often arrives with only sink-or-swim introductions: “Here’s your iPad. Good luck!” About 98% of workers just skim the surface of their technology, mastering only the most basic features of their programs and machines. Workers who learn shortcuts have a totally different experience. They uncover advanced features with...

About the Author

A frequent keynote speaker, Mike Song, CEO of GetControl.net, is the lead author of The Hamster Revolution book series. Buyers of ZIP! Tips get a code to enter his online tips classes.

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    K. F. 7 years ago
    Biggest takeaway was "One-Click Access." Added some links to my toolbar for quick access, even when I have multiple windows open on my desktop
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    G. B. 9 years ago
    Agree w/Cary, "some" useful information. Worth the 5 min
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    C. W. 9 years ago
    Some useful information!