NB: This is NOT a sponsored review. I am not taking affiliate commissions for this book, so I have nothing to gain whether you buy it or not. This is just my opinion.

Considering it’s been out for weeks now and I’m such an avid reader of his blog, I thought it was high time I reviewed Leo Babuata’s new e-book: Zen Habits Handbook for Life.

It is not hyperbole to say Leo Babuata is a blogging phenomenon. Zen Habits started a little over a year ago and it has already allowed Leo to leave his job, score a book deal, double his income and win Best Overall Blog of 2007. Not bad for a years work.

Zen Habits Handbook for Life is Leo’s second e-book; the first being Zen to Done, his simplified take on GTD and productivity. This new release is a 75 page e-book that collects hundreds of Leo’s tips on how one can live a simpler, happier, and more productive life.

The e-book consists of three parts: Simplicity, Productivity, and Happiness, with several articles in each part. Some highlights are:

• A step by step guide to de-cluttering your home
• Edit your commitments
• Don’t do everything on your To-Do list
• 72 ways to simplify your life
• Purpose your day using Most Important Tasks (MITs)
• Focus on the big rocks of your life
• How to single task and why it’s important for your peace of mind and productivity
• Live your life consciously
• Boost your self confidence
• How to cultivate compassion

Let’s cut to the chase. Do I think you should buy it?

If you are interested in practical ideas for how to wrestle back control of an overloaded life, and find more time for yourself, your family and what’s most important to you, then Zen Habits Handbook for Life is a must.

Leo is a very precise writer. His suggestions are clearly articulated and he breaks down all processes for change into small, easy steps. There is a wealth of information in these pages and it is easy to pick and choose areas in your life where you need the most change and then implement one or two new actions. There is no fluffing about, no waffle. This man has six kids, he knows people are busy and want useful tips which can be quickly read, understood and acted upon.

The book is also well typeset and easy to scan. I was amazed at how quickly I got through it on my first read, and though I have been reading his blog for the past 5-6 months and have read some back articles, there was a lot of new material for me to get my teeth into.

Now, it must be said that all the information in Zen Habits Handbook for Life can be found on his blog for free. But who has the time to rifle through a year’s worth of articles looking for the best Zen Habits material? At a modest $6.95, and in a handy PDF format, which allows printing or searching for specific items according to classification, this book is tremendous value.

In fact, printing the e-book is a great idea because then you can underline the parts that immediately grab you, and you can read it where ever it suits, like in bed, or on the bus to work.

I also suggest reading the book a couple of times so you can really digest the material and work out the some easy changes you can make immediately. A bit of initial success will do wonders for your motivation, and help you persevere with the more resistant habits you’d like to change. And at $6.95, well that’s the price of a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, so you can’t ask for much cheaper than that!

Leo’s ideas are founded upon some basic principles:

1. Identify what’s most important to you
2. Eliminate everything else
3. Change through baby steps
4. Escape materialism and purge your life of STUFF
5. Single tasking

If this sounds like your cup of tea, then I really recommend Zen Habits Handbook for Life. Leo has used these very ideas to bring about significant changes in his own life, and I believe there’s enough inspiration and practical tools in this book to warrant everyone owning a copy.

See you tomorrow for How I Lost 9kgs and Still Ate Chocolate Cake (Yes, everything with me comes back to cake).

Kelly

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