Office Zen: a Review

I was recently contacted by Kole McRae of Office Buddha to review his first ebook, Office Zen, (currently selling for $3). I figured that I'm always looking for more zen in my life and I work in an office, so what more perfect book for me to read, right?

The tag line of the book promises, "Get More Done, Reduce Stress, Love Your Life and Find Time to Do the Things You Love." Based on the cover, I was looking forward to finding out how I could make my work time more peaceful and productive.

I like the premise of the book and there is some valid information that McRae shares. At the end of each short chapter, McRae offers one or two actionable tips based on what the chapter covered.

However, I think the book could have benefited from more work. There are generalizations and assumptions that are made throughout that are flawed. The third page starts out with the statement, "Once you’ve worked a full time office job for more than a few weeks you find it starts to really grate on you." While I understand what McRae is trying to stay, the inaccuracy of the statement — and others like it later on — bothered me.

And, while I love the idea of a writer using his personal experiences to provide real-life examples and make his point, I felt that many of McRae's examples, and the advice that came from his experience was often too specific and applicable to few. In a later chapter, he suggests getting a pet to feel happier. I know that research supports this theory, but it's also not a feasible option for many people. And his suggestion of a pet rat — probably not one of the most popular options — felt ridiculous to me.

Interestingly, some of the things that don't impress me about Office Zen are exactly what I like about Office Buddha. McRae's style is casual and relatable, his ideas are bite-sized enough to satisfy my short attention span and I like his actionable tips, even if I do feel they need work. But I also feel that the book could benefit from better organization, focus and formatting.

So, my final verdict? There are worse ways that you can spend $3 than to buy Office Zen, especially if much of what McRae describes applies to you: your office life works your last nerve, work drama is driving you insane and you have no clue how to prioritize. And even if this isn't what you're looking for, I would recommend keeping an eye on his blog — McRae has made a great first attempt and I look forward to seeing him improve in future books.