How to Get Sh*t Done

November 20, 2017
Falconer, co-owner of self-improvement website Pick the Brain, makes her print debut with a flimsy, self-important guide to maintaining focus for maximum productivity. The author’s story of following her dream (in her case, of being a professional writer), falling down, and getting back up again is not a new one, but is still revisited in nearly every chapter as she guides readers through better understanding their own personalities, goals, and opportunities. In her view, women tend to be constantly busy, at work and at home, but are not necessarily actually productive; they too often don’t know what will make them happy, or don’t think they deserve happiness in the first place. “You may feel like the most productive person alive,” Falconer points out, “but without a purpose, you’re just busy.” The book’s peppy self-improvement zeal is energizing, and Falconer’s exhortations to silence the self-deprecatory voices in your head and let your own needs shine through are well-taken, but it’s unclear what all this psyching-up is really for, and there isn’t much supporting concrete advice. She seems to be targeting very young women, given the emphasis on the early stages of a career, but her name may not be familiar enough to them to make up for the fluff.