It's Monday morning, you've just arrived to work, and your boss is asking you to fax over that important document she ever so carefully placed on your desk Friday afternoon. Can't seem to find it? You've looked everywhere? Wish you could be just a bit more organized? Well, the truth is, you're not alone. Organization and time management skills seem to be highly desirable these days. Stephanie Winston's book, THE ORGANIZED EXECUTIVE, examines, in great detail, productivity --- or lack thereof --- in today's work environment.

THE ORGANIZED EXECUTIVE touches on almost every aspect of productivity and organization imaginable. Beginning with "The Organizing Principle," Winston discusses the impact that the lack of productivity has on our companies. The examples provided are very down to earth and involve situations most readers have probably seen or experienced at some point in their professional careers. The book also introduces some very fascinating facts, such as the amount of money companies lose each year because of management's inability to be productive. The figures are staggering.

Overall, the book is a very easy read, mostly because of its structure. Each chapter is very well defined and deals with the particular topic at hand. When it comes to business books, many people enjoy reading different chapters within the book that are most beneficial to their immediate needs. Say, for instance, that you are very good at time management but, for the life of you, can't seem to keep track of paper work. You can easily navigate from chapter four, which deals with the fine art of filing, to chapter seven, which deals with procrastination, without losing your place in the grand scheme of things.

The best way to fully utilize this book, of course, is to read each chapter from beginning to end and decide which skills you need to hone in on and which skills you feel comfortable with. The book, in general, deals with a wide variety of topics. Some of the topics included are crisis management, time evaluation, and managing a staff. Each chapter ends with a summary, which can be very useful when making sure you've picked up on all the key points mentioned. The summaries themselves make for very easy reference and provide step-by-step instructions on how to better yourself in the specific area covered.

Another nice feature of this book is the appendices. For those of you who are not very computer savvy, the Computer and Electronics appendix should prove to be very useful. Not quite sure what the techie meant when he tried explaining GUI to you? Simply look it up to find your answer. The appendix covers basic computer terms, computer functions and even includes a helpful supplies list for your computer, fax machine, or office copier. Other appendices include the Schedules appendix, which provides nine different layouts for clients, and the Office appendix, which provides a detailed list of commonly used office supplies that should put a smile on just about anyone's face when it comes time to reorder.

Overall, THE ORGANIZED EXECUTIVE is, well, a pretty organized piece of work. The book details many solid tips that can be applied to everyday situations and is an ease to read. Stephanie Winston's "Classic Program for Productivity" is a definite winner.