The Tyranny of E-mail

In this summary you will learn

• Why you should use e-mail less
• How mail evolved historically to culminate in today’s e-mail onslaught
• How to reduce e-mail and improve productivity

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Why you should read The Tyranny of E-mail

Send dramatically fewer e-mails and everything else will get better, says writer and editor John Freeman. Before explaining that promise, he offers a nostalgic look at the history of mail, starting with clay tablets. He covers the changes that each new burst of speed caused along the way. Then he describes the way that today’s employees are ruining their attention spans, productivity, relationships and even their health with e-mail overload. In fact, he says, most office workers send or receive about 200 e-mails daily, absorbing 40% of their work time. Freeman’s suggestion to slow down online communications will ring terror in many hearts. It will particularly strike you if you’re reading with one eye on this text and one eye on your inbox. The message to step away from the computer is not new. But Freeman offers compelling, succinct information on why easing back from unrelenting e-mail is important and on how to break the constant e-mail cycle. getAbstract suggests his book to managers, in particular, but anyone who uses e-mail will find wisdom here. So read on (believe it or not, your e-mail will wait).

About the Author

John Freeman’s work has appeared in major newspapers and magazines. He edits an online magazine for new writers.