Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$18.44

Available instantly

Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Paperback
$10.50 - $19.41

$19.41 with 22 percent savings

List Price: $24.95

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Wednesday, May 28 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Sunday, May 25.

Available to ship in 1-2 days

$$19.41 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

30-day refund/replacement

Payment

Secure transaction

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$10.50

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

100% Satisfaction guaranteed. Ships directly from Amazon. Normal wear/ minimal to no highlights and or markings. 100% Satisfaction guaranteed. Ships directly from Amazon. Normal wear/ minimal to no highlights and or markings. See less

FREE delivery Tuesday, May 27 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Sunday, May 25. Order within 5 hrs 22 mins.

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$19.41 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Roozbooks and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (56) from $1.95 + $3.98 shipping

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Staffan Noteberg

Follow

Pomodoro Technique Illustrated: The Easy Way to Do More in Less Time (Pragmatic Life) 1st Edition

by Staffan Noteberg (Author)

368 ratings

Part of: Pragmatic Life (3 books)

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$19.41","priceAmount":19.41,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"19","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"41","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"7GxrTAHYple5Efj30mJUoHrvwEuS4jEc03ZT75mOOkSspNbXAteTCUTkxyHjqYug1NMQGxz6BI9T8hm1cuyNKBD%2BbIcJNmdzGpC8jqefOMLm7YR6h2lbJ14LXTOL68zh5c%2FObZq8FCE%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$10.50","priceAmount":10.50,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"10","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"50","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"7GxrTAHYple5Efj30mJUoHrvwEuS4jEc8gEzTUIPRAucfiHVv0EGGhH9u1J%2BJcu9Sdn1QxKMJ7FaFW2eNxMyhJpiuuve%2Fbp67wMAxoJ2FQki3QPBk9dXLW%2B8UP9BcY5dJ4aIp0pw66xpbiwCTwJecDrv1lMcXit56Ug33SCIPIqe3EH3NzbXMxOiicq9VNyZ","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Printed in full color.

Do you ever look at the clock and wonder where the day went? You spent all this time at work and didn't come close to getting everything done. Tomorrow try something new. Use the Pomodoro Technique to work in focused sprints throughout the day. In Pomodoro Technique Illustrated, Staffan N teberg shows you how to organize your work to accomplish more in less time. There's no need for expensive software or fancy planners. You can get started with nothing more than a piece of paper, a pencil, and a kitchen timer.

You have so much you need to accomplish today. Your list is a mile long and you find yourself getting interrupted every other minute. You'd like to tell everyone to leave you alone, but most of the interruptions are coming from you! You think of a phone call you need to make or a web site you need to check and before you know it you're answering email, checking twitter, and finding a million other things to occupy your time.

You need to focus---really focus.

The Pomodoro Technique puts you back in charge of your day. You'll apply successful techniques from software engineering to identify what you should be doing today and to help you achieve your goals. Your mind won't wander when it is fully engaged in short bursts of focused activity.

Learn to work less and accomplish more using nothing more than paper, pencil, and a simple kitchen timer.

Set the timer and start on your next Pomodoro. When the bell rings take a break. This personal approach to timeboxing is at the core of the Pomodoro technique and this book is filled with advice on how get started and how to tailor it to your own needs.

From the brand

Explore our collections

Visit the Store
The Pragmatic Programmers publishes hands-on, practical books on classic and cutting-edge software development and engineering management topics. We help professionals solve real-world problems, hone their skills, and advance their careers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

""This is an easy read with a life-changing message to all of us who have "too much to do and not enough time." Since Staffan introduced me to the Pomodoro Technique, I have become a better person, both professionally and in my private life. This is a book I wish I had read years ago!""--Thomas Nilsson CTO, Agile Mentor, Responsive Development Technologies AB

""The Pomodoro Technique is the one action-planning technique that fits exactly as conceived into Agile approaches to projects. If you want to learn the technique and become excellent at it, you need this book. Staffan brings humor, examples, and a step-by-step approach to making the Pomodoro Technique work for you. Your overall estimates will become better, and you'll get more work done.""--Johanna Rothman, Author, Consultant

""The Pomodoro Technique is amazing in its simplicity and its power to make you more productive, and this book is the perfect introduction to the technique.""--Dave Klein Author, ""Grails: A Quick-Start Guide""

About the Author

Staffan Noteberg has 20 years of experience as a freelance software developer, Agile coach, and conference speaker. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden and Istanbul, Turkey. And he's not only focused on his own productivity; he's also passionate about helping all kinds of office people to improve their personal time management.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pragmatic Bookshelf
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 2, 2010
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 156 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1934356506
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1934356500
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.4 x 0.3 x 9.2 inches
Part of series ‏ : ‎ Pragmatic Life

Best Sellers Rank: #203,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #31 in Software Design & Engineering
- #142 in Software Development (Books)
- #172 in Time Management (Books)

Customer Reviews:
368 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Staffan Noteberg

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Staffan Nöteberg is an internationally renowned author and enterprise agility coach with years of experience in improving personal productivity. He authored bestsellers like Pomodoro Technique Illustrated (2009) and Monotasking (2021).

Customer reviews

368 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book effective for productivity, with one mentioning how it helped complete a research article. Moreover, the book is well-written and provides a clear explanation of the Pomodoro technique's mechanics and results. Additionally, customers appreciate its simplicity, with one noting how it explains the whys and hows of the technique succinctly. They also value how it helps focus and concentrate, with one customer mentioning how the ticking timer keeps them engaged.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Effectiveness Readability Simplicity Focus

53 customers mention "Effectiveness"53 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's technique effective for productivity, with one mentioning how it helped them finish a research article.

"...In doing so, Nöteberg not only lays a strong foundation for future Pomodoro researchers, but also widens the practical appeal of the technique as he..." Read more

"...other agile practices quite nicely and have found it useful to implement from time to time when appropriate. Recommended." Read more

"...Technique Illustrated is a small little book about a simple personal time-management techniques called "Pomodoro"...." Read more

"...This helped me immensely with getting things done...." Read more

53 customers mention "Readability"47 positive6 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read, with one customer noting its concise presentation.

"...The book is full of sound, practical advice delivered crisply and concisely that would serve both novice and expert Pomodoro practitioners equally..." Read more

"This is a very simple and easy book to read. It is by no means a comprehensive time management system...." Read more

"If you're looking for an easy-to-read overview of the Pomodoro technique, this is it. The technique itself is so simple you really don't need a book...." Read more

"...understand the Pomodoro Technique, or explain it to others, this book is excellent." Read more

27 customers mention "Simplicity"23 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the simplicity of the Pomodoro Technique, noting that it is easy to understand and explains the whys and hows succinctly, making it a great quick introduction to the method.

"...but doesn't surprise much in the technique as the technique is just incredibly simple. Nice job." Read more

"...The technique itself is so simple you really don't need a book...." Read more

"...The Pomodoro method is pretty simple, in its most raw form: -..." Read more

"Okay. The technique is pretty darn good, and it either doesn't work, or works well for you...." Read more

16 customers mention "Focus"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book helps them focus and concentrate, with one mentioning how the ticking timer keeps them engaged, and several appreciating the mind maps.

"...Pomodoro experience with secondary research on human brain, psychology, and various cognitive theories to appraise the technique from all sorts of..." Read more

"...The purpose is to truly instill the discipline of focus. and to learn how to divert interruptions...." Read more

"...allowed because that would explode the Pomodoro, which helps me focus for the whole time...." Read more

"...into a very simple way of thinking and doing -- in regulated, focused intervals. As I read it, I often said to myself, "Why didn't I think of that?"..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Baris Sarer
This is a great book for both beginner and advanced Pomodoro Technique practitioners
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2012
Verified Purchase

As the first book after Cirillo's original masterpiece dedicated to the Pomodoro Techique in it's entirety, Swedish Software Programmer cum Pomodoro guru Staffan Nöteberg's Pomodoro Technique Illustrated escaped my notice for 2 years. Better late than never, I ordered my copy, set my Beloved It's Pomodoro Time to 7 Pomodori and I read on!

First of all, this is a respectable effort in every which way: Nöteberg blends a good amount of practical Pomodoro experience with secondary research on human brain, psychology, and various cognitive theories to appraise the technique from all sorts of angles. In doing so, Nöteberg not only lays a strong foundation for future Pomodoro researchers, but also widens the practical appeal of the technique as he shows it to be highly compatible with the findings of cutting edge research in time management.

Along the way, Nöteberg makes quite a few unique contributions to the Pomodoro practice. I found his "Now" list particularly useful. Like most intuitive things that make you go "How come I didn't think about this?", "to-do now" list points at the obvious: Build a manageable daily to-do list and add your top priority task to your 1-task-only "now" list. And then just do it. Simple, eh? Like loading a gun with a single bullet and then firing it...

Nöteberg addresses every imaginable aspect of Pomodoro practice including tools, management of break and Pomodoro periods, group work, effort estimations, handling interruptions, managing your task list, and many others with a friendly yet authoritative voice. The book is full of sound, practical advice delivered crisply and concisely that would serve both novice and expert Pomodoro practitioners equally well. I'd like to quote a few here:

-"...working overtime is like shopping with a credit card. With it, you buy things you can't afford right now"
-"with the pomodoro technique, rating 25 minutes of effort as a success gives us immediate feedback"
-"focused, quality work is the goal of the Pomodoro, and a focused, quality relaxation is
the goal of the break"
-"never switch activities in the middle of a Pomodoro"
-"when you estimate that an activity will take more than seven Pomodori, the it's too complex. You'll need to break down the activity"

I found a few topics in the book, such as his emphasis on constant reassessment (just how many times a day can you set strategic goals?) and Recording & Processing begging a bit more clarification.

Finally, there is something to be said about the eye-catching illustrations on virtually every single page of the book. They are so cute that it hurts - possibly reflecting the playful and intiutve nature of the Pomodoro Technique. Well done Mr. Nöteberg!

Read more

34 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Sachmo
A Tactical time management tool
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is a very simple and easy book to read. It is by no means a comprehensive time management system.

Many time management systems focus on strategic goals in life - i.e. 7 habits of highly effective people.

The pomodoro technique is highly tactical. Rather than answering the question, "what should I do in life?", it attempts to answer the question, "What should I do right now?"

The technique involves basically prioritizing tasks for the day, and then commiting to working on particular tasks in 'pomodoros' which are blocks of focused time - recommended at 25 min a piece. For a particular pomodoro, one commits to ignoring all distractions - including distractions from OTHER work pulling at you.

Sound simple? It is and it isn't. Anything that interrupts a pomodoro invalidates it. A coworker interrupts, a bathroom break? Doesn't count as a pomodoro.

The purpose is to truly instill the discipline of focus. and to learn how to divert interruptions. The technique urges timing each pomodoro, and keeping a record of interruptions, so that one might improve at it. Between pomodoros breaks are allowed, but these are recommended to be time boxed as well.

In practice, it is surprisingly difficult to complete more than 4-6 pomodoros in a day (for me at least), and striving to do so has improved my prioritization and focus. The author does NOT recommend that a person live their life by the pomodoro, but rather use it as a tool for when they want to get serious work done. I find that it complements other agile practices quite nicely and have found it useful to implement from time to time when appropriate.

Recommended.

Read more

36 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Bas Vodde
Pomodoros explained with nice-looking illustrations
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014
Verified Purchase
The Pomodoro Technique Illustrated is a small little book about a simple personal time-management techniques called "Pomodoro". It was invented by Francesco Cirillo (who does a foreword) and involves small 25 minute time-periods called Pomodoros in which you intensely focus followed by a short break. The technique asks you to measure your focus so you can reflect and improve.

The Pomodoro Illustrated book consists of seven chapters. The first two chapters sort-of provide the background. Especially chapter two covers a lot of ground but all very brief and shallow, but does give some background on why the Pomodoro technique works. Chapter 3 is the actual Pomodoro explanation and then chapter 4 and 5 explain how to deal with interruptions and give some hints on estimation. Chapter 6 talks about whether and how you should adapt the Pomodoro technique and chapter 7 closes the book with some ideas on how you could apply it in a team context.

The book is short and easy to read (the technique isn't very hard). Each of the pages comes with an illustration that explains or clarifies the concept describes (or provides some fun). The illustrations make the book quite special. Based on the content of the book, I'd probably rate it at 3 stars as it does what it should do but didn't feel incredibly special. Considering the illustrations, I've bumped up the rating to 4 as the illustrations do make the book special.

All in all a simply book and if you want to know about using Pomodoros for managing your own time, then this book will be for you. If you've read another description, then do think twice because the book will give you some additional information but doesn't surprise much in the technique as the technique is just incredibly simple. Nice job.

Read more

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

John Holcroft
Short, simple and highly effective
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2010
Verified Purchase

The pomodoro technique is simple and highly effective. I learnt it from this book and it has greatly improved my productivity. The basics of the technique are very simple: choose something to do, set a timer for 25 minutes, do that thing and nothing else until the timer goes off. When the timer goes off, stop what you are doing, take a break that doesn't involve any mental activity for a few minutes, repeat.

Of course there is more to it than that. Along with the more detailed mechanics there are notes on why you need it, how to plan your day and analyse your performance at the end of the day. How to deal with the many and varied interruptions both of our own making and of others that make this technique both initially difficult and rewarding as you cope with them. Finally how to adapt it to your own needs and how to use it when working with others, say if pair programming.

This book is short and easy to read. The top third of every page is taken up with one of Staffan's very nice hand drawn pictures and the text is simple and succinct. I've really enjoyed other books on the 'Pragmatic Bookshelf' such as 'Practices of an Agile Developer' and 'Ship It!', and this is a great addition.

Read more
Report
Amazon Customer
great illustrations, well presented
Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
charming, insightful. more than a to do book. great illustrations, well presented . better than average business book.

Read more
Report
Linda
The Pomodoro Technique
Reviewed in Australia on February 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
Excellent and easily understood overview of the technique.
I am retired but can easily see how I can adapt this to various activities.

Read more
Report
Daniel Castro
It gives extra information and background of the Pomodoro technique.
Reviewed in Mexico on January 6, 2019
Verified Purchase
It is a good guide and it goes beyond to the original book but it's too expensive for what it is.

Read more
Report
Julio Dantas
Powerful technique!
Reviewed in Brazil on August 28, 2015
Verified Purchase
I have tried many ways and read many books about increasing my productivity but this is the only one which bridges very well the theory & practice! I can sense the pomodoro technique will have a big impact in my life. I'm in the process of applying the lessons learned and must say it is not easy to master it, but I will get there!!

Read more
Report

See more reviews

Amazon Prime includes:

Follow the author

Pomodoro Technique Illustrated: The Easy Way to Do More in Less Time (Pragmatic Life) 1st Edition

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

From the brand

Explore our collections

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Staffan Noteberg

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book for both beginner and advanced Pomodoro Technique practitioners

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tactical time management tool

4.0 out of 5 stars Pomodoros explained with nice-looking illustrations

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Short, simple and highly effective

5.0 out of 5 stars great illustrations, well presented

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pomodoro Technique

4.0 out of 5 stars It gives extra information and background of the Pomodoro technique.

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful technique!

This is a great book for both beginner and advanced Pomodoro Technique practitioners

A Tactical time management tool

Pomodoros explained with nice-looking illustrations

Short, simple and highly effective

great illustrations, well presented

The Pomodoro Technique

It gives extra information and background of the Pomodoro technique.

Powerful technique!