Increasing Personal Efficiency

Russell Herman ConwellProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 56K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Increasing Personal Efficiency by Russell H. ConwellAuthor: Conwell, Russell H., 1843-1925,Language: English, Class: LC: Education: Special aspects of education, Release Date: Jul 29, 2011

Editor's review

This book is a short English pamphlet by Conwell on the theme of personal efficiency, made available as a free electronic edition by Project Gutenberg. Its value lies not in offering fashionable efficiency tools but in presenting how an early twentieth-century American practical writer approached self-management: efficiency is understood as the deliberate arrangement of time, energy, and attention rather than the mere pursuit of busyness. The discussion draws on the author's own experience in speaking and writing; the language is direct and brisk, making it a useful sample for observing how ideas of efficiency evolved. Because the book is early, some examples and modes of expression bear the marks of their time, and readers should take what suits them with a historical eye rather than copying specific practices. As reading goes, it suits browsing section by section on a commute or lunch break, and also works as short English reading material in the original, for both content and language.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to understand how early ideas of personal efficiency evolved
English learners who need short English reading material for practice
General readers interested in time management and self-management
Practitioners who like finding methodological inspiration in old texts

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for systematic modern efficiency tools
Readers who prefer contemporary cases and data support
People with low tolerance for early English expression

Reading tips

First read the table of contents and chapter titles to grasp the author's angle on efficiency, then read section by section.
While reading, mark passages that echo current ideas of efficiency for later comparison and reflection.
If English reading is difficult, read the first and last paragraphs of each section for the main idea first, then go back for details.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Chinese or English?

According to the information, the book is in English and was released as an electronic edition by Project Gutenberg. Chinese readers need some English reading ability, or a dictionary and other aids.

Is this book suitable for learning English?

It can serve as short English reading material, but it is not a dedicated language textbook. Treat it as extensive reading: grasp the general idea first, then choose passages of interest for close reading; there is no need to look up every word.

Can the methods in the book still be applied directly today?

The book is early, and its specific practices carry the background of their time, so they should not be copied directly. It is more valuable to understand its thinking about time and energy, then adapt it to current tools and personal circumstances.

Comments

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About the author

Russell Herman Conwell Author · American · 1843–1925

Russell Herman Conwell (1843–1925) was an American Baptist minister, orator, lawyer, and writer, and the founder and first president of Temple University in Philadelphia. He is best known for his motivational lecture "Acres of Diamonds," which he claimed to have delivered more than six thousand times and which later circulated in written form. The library holds ten of his works, mostly in the inspirational and personal-growth category, including Acres of Diamonds, The Key to Success, Every Man His Own University, and What You Can Do With Your Will Power, as well as titles on faith and the inner life such as Health, Healing, and Faith and Praying for Money. Many of his writings grew out of his lectures; their tone is direct and stirring, stressing personal will, self-education, and the value of opportunities close at hand. Public information on his early life and detailed biography is limited, so it is not elaborated here.