Book Review-- The Power of a Half Hour

The Power of a Half Hour by Tommy Barnett was one I jumped at the chance to get and review. I'm ALL about learning more time management ideas to keep improving myself in this area, so I was excited to jump in.

The first couple chapters whetted my appetite to how much you could accomplish in only a half hour, so I quickly read through those, hoping to get to the 'meat' of the book. The HOW TO. The lists, the plans, the tweaks....

But unfortunately those never really came. 

It's a great idea, and a good book, but I came into it with the wrong mindset.  I thought the book was a detailed plan kind of book on how to "Take Back Your Live Thirty Miniutes at a Time".  But really, it was a collection of short stories and encouragement on how half hours could be used or wasted and the results of each.  

Once I realized that this book was more of stories than an actual plan, I was able to relax into it and enjoy it a bit more, but it still left me frustrated that it wasn't what it seemed to be from the description and cover.

The stories are great.  The ideas are great, but I think they've marketed the book all wrong, and because of that I was left wanting.  These kind of reviews are so hard for me because I LOVE books, and I appreciate what the author of this book is trying to do, but I think the marketing is all wrong for it.

DRAW 

(Did the book draw me in while reading, 

and make me want to come back to it when not reading?)

Rating: 3

Like I stated earlier, I was going into this thinking it would be a plan for accomplishing life changing half hours.  The end does have a section of to do lists, but it almost seems an afterthought.  

Some sections pulled me in.  Life stories from people the author/pastor knew are interesting, but again, it's more about stories and encouragement (which isn't a bad thing at all) and not so much about how to accomplish things (which is how it seemed to be marketed).

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PRACTICAL APPLICATION 

(Can I take the information read in this book and apply it to my life right now to make a difference?)

Rating:  3

The only real practical application part was at the very end, and some of it is really intense or somewhat confusing. (i.e. In a half hour, list names of any person you remember having wronged, but never asked forgiveness.  OR, Ponder how much vision you think God has concerning your dreams.) What??

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DOG EARS AND WRITING 

(How many things stood out to me enough to highlight, underline, dog ear and write?)

Rating: 1

Nothing.  I did write a few things down on a post it, but that is the extent of it.

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END THOUGHTS AND WOULD I BUY IT?

The suggested retail price is $22.99. If I had spent that much on it, I would be feeling sick to my stomach right now.  I got this book for free to review, and I'm thankful for that.  The book did have some great stories and some thought provoking ideas, but even getting it free, I seriously doubt I'll ever go back to it.