Curtis reviewed The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll
Review of 'The Bullet Journal Method' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I've been a fan of the Bullet Journal for awhile (see my blog post on it), though my use of the method is admittedly somewhat inconsistent. I wanted to get back into it for the new year, and the publication of this book was as good a chance as any do so.
I read the book from cover to cover, which was probably a mistake given my familiarity with the subject matter, as it went over each component of the method in detail. That said, those who are not familiar would do well to read it through fully to understand all the pieces. Once you become familiar, the book has a pretty easy layout that can be used as a quick reference.
I found Part III, "The Practice," to be the least compelling, though I imagine some people may find they like it the most. While the section had some good ideas, it was too long by half, and it simply reiterated the same concepts over a bunch of different specific implementations. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but abstract thinkers could get by with reading one or two of the sections within Part III and simply do a wash/rinse/repeat for the rest.
I recommend the Bullet Journal method for anyone who is looking for a better way to organize their tasks/projects/goals and whatnot (including their book-related goals!). The book itself is good as a handy reference, though most of what it says can be found online for free, and often more succinctly.
Finally, for those who didn't bother to click through to my blog post above, keep in mind that pretty, artistic templates and headings have nothing to do with Bullet Journaling. If you're scared away because you're not an artist, then I present below the first question and answer from the FAQ on p. 291:
Q: I'm not artistic. Can I still Bullet Journal?
A: Yes. The only thing that matters in BuJo is the content, not the presentation.
(See also the section on Design starting on p. 244).