Book 300: That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week – Ana Homayoun

Even though I am incredibly organized, I often think I can be much more organized and wonder how other people stay organized, so when I first heard about this book from Ann on the podcast Books on the Nightstand I knew I had to get a copy. I loved the title and wanted to read more about it the organizational suggestions. I grabbed a copy from my local library and here I am.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and it’s set up like many other self-help books: suggestion, how-to, summary and any worksheets or tools you might need. :, does a great job of offering many suggestions for every hurdle, which is great. There weren’t too many new tips or tricks that I felt I could use, but what I found great (and could see where it would help out a teen or pre-teen) is that she explains WHY you should do some of the organizational things you are told to do and doesn’t just tell you to do them. I also really enjoyed Homayoun holistic approach to organizational management for teenagers, from health and fitness to school and extra curricular activities she really pushed for the young men to take control of their own lives and schedules.

There were two things I wasn’t the biggest fan of in the novel, the first being that it was solely about boys. I understand that she primarily works with them, but ALL of these tips and tricks, as well as all of the habits, are held by male and female students. She does mention that they’re interchangeable, but for some reason how she said it rubbed me a little funny. This, however, could lead to my second issue with the book, her writing style.

For some reason Homayoun’s writing got on my nerves after a while. I think part of it was that she was writing for both parents and teenagers at the same time and some things got lost during the writing process. It didn’t really feel like she was writing down to her readers, but for some reason that’s how it came across to me now and then. I think this added in with who her clients were, wealthy people, and their options for access and pricing it just sort of made me wonder WHO afforded these. This was really shocking to me, that people would pay, what I’m guessing is a lot of money, for a consultant to help organize and empower their teenage son’s life!

Recommendation: I think this is a great resource for parents and teenagers and I would recommend it to anyone struggling with organization or time management. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, and honestly the cons are probably me just being super persnickety – it was an easy and quick read, and like I said a valuable resource.

Opening Line: “Many educators and researches believe there is a crisis in boys’ education, and if you’ve picked up this book, you may already be aware of it.”

Closing Line: “Good Luck!” (Not whited out as this is a work of nonfiction.)

Additional Quotes from That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week
“But the truth is that some parents are overly involved (sometimes unintentionally) that their children are not given the chance to develop their own skills and motivation.” (6-7)

“All too often, the underlying fear of choosing correctly can erase what’s really important and authentic about a boy and can lead to a lost sense of self.” (12)

“They also have a preconceived notion of what therapy or counseling looks like, often from their friends, which makes them think that it’s a sign of weakness.” (183)