“Manage your time how you work best. For the author that means twenty and five minutes time block with a five minute break. For me that means three hours and thirty minutes with an eighteen minute break. It takes time to find your individual wavelength and focus block. Once you find the optimal focus block and break time in minutes stick with it. For me it meant focusing on what I need to do and have to do and then focusing on what I want to do with my time. It works out well.” ( )

I learned more by Googling this technique than by reading it. It was dry and dated. ( )

Bonne introduction à cette technique de gestion du temps. Facile et rapide à lire. Cependant, je crois que la lecture du livre Pomodoro Technique Illustrated va m'apporter plus. ( )

Хорошее руководство, описывающее простую технику «Pomodoro». Рекомендую прочесть каждому, кто старается улучшить личную эффективность.

Для тех, кто знаком с технологией по коротким статьям в интернете — НАСТОЯТЕЛЬНО рекомендую прочеть это руководство, т.к. техника отнюдь не ограничивается «ставим будильник на 25 минут и не отвлекаемся» — это лишь один из принципов!

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The writer has a process optimization background, and the Demming PDCA circle is evident in the model for productivity improvement he describes.
The book contains a recipe for productivity tracking and improving, based on the simple kitchen timer and three registration sheets. The conceptual framework is based on different perceptions of time, and the goal of the Pomodoro Technique is to convert time from something that happens to us, to something that we make happen ( changing what the author calls 'the becoming mode' to a sequential mode. Very reminiscent of [Dave Allen]s [[get things done]], where the idea is to break down any task no matter how big into it's components, thereby converting even the most complex projects to a sequence of simple 'widget making' activities.
The Pomodoro Technique is based on eleven simple rules, and five stages; Planning, Tracking, Recording, Processing, Visualizing. All through the book simplicity and improvements are central themes - no need to use complicated tools when paper, pencil and eraser work as well, are easier to adopt, and takes less time.
The Pomodoro recordings are a sort of time logging for your work hours, making it easy to gain insight in your own behavior and improving on it - both [Laura Vanderkam] and [Gretchen Rubin] has a take on this that are more holistic.

The Pomodoro Technique seems like a very operational and actionable way to improve your personal productivity (I haven't tried it yet), but the book suffers from a number of weaknesses.
The book is very short, yet it keeps repeating itself, and stating the obvious. At the same time the author keeps mentioning that the technique can be used to improve the productivity of individuals, as well as pairs or teams - yet never explain how it can be used for pairs or teams. The idea of a simple method for improving estimation and productivity of pairs and teams is intriguing, and I was disappointed that this aspect was hinted at, but never explored in the book. This would have been much more useful than repeating the same rules and observations.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to the first three stages of the Pomodoro Technique, and observations regarding these. I especially missed a discussion of the Visualizing stage - which along with the Processing stage was only addressed as part of the Recording stage. ( )

First of all, it is interesting to notice that using the regressive count to improve the performance of the execution of certain tasks may not be very effective.
The Pomodore Technique consists on an interesting method to organize and improve your routine of tasks execution. And it is really simple: make a list of things you need to do, grab a timer, set it to 25 minutes, focus completely on the execution of the task. After the timer rings, stop whatever you're doing, take a 5 minute break, then set the timer to 25 minutes again and restart the task (or start a new one if you have already finished the previous task). Repeat until you finish what you have listed. Each of the 25 minute interval has been named a "pomodore". After the execution of 4 or 5 pomodores, take a longer break.
I wish I had known this book when I was younger. For students, this probably works wonders. For people who have a defined set of tasks to execute, this method is pretty good. Even a couple of companies and freelancers use this time management technique because it is really simple to keep track of and it doesn't require any complex tools.
When I read this book, I already had an acceptable performance both at work and with my regular tasks, but the reason it didn't work for me is because, in my case, I can't really control the interruptions at my work. And sometimes, I don't have defined tasks to list and execute. And this is where, in my opinion, the Pomodore Technique fails: for people who suffer constant interruptions (phone calls and e-mail replies cannot be postponed for any reason, tasks cannot be previously defined, task priorities may change at anytime, people with whom you need to talk cannot be sent away etc.), this technique does not help you handle them. Not everybody can postpone a phone call because sometimes this is the only opportunity they have to talk to someone (in the case where there is a time difference between the people, for an instance). Or sometimes one person is depending on whatever you send as response through e-mail and everyone's work will be in deadlock if you don't stop everything you're doing and reply it as soon as possible.

I also didn't really like the way it makes time estimation for the execution of a certain task. Once again, I agree that it works just fine for students or people who are more like trying to organize their things-to-do list. Depending on what you're working with, the task you thought that could be done in 2 or 3 pomodores takes a lot more than that because you didn't foresee its complexity. At that point of the game, doing what the book recommends you and break down the task may not be possible because the task is also indivisible.

To sum it all up, The Pomodore Technique is a nice book for people who are used to procrastinate and have problems focusing on a certain activity. For the people who already are organized and are just searching for a improvement in their performances, that don't have much difficulty to focus on a single task, that need a more mature way to manage/estimate their activities or that can't really define their tasks in a single list, maybe this is not the right one. ( )

Quick read, I've used this method briefly with some success and wanted to see what was mentioned regarding interupptions and other minor techniques. This book helps explain the process in full and offers a few tips as well that was well worth the read. ( )

A friend of mine mentioned Pomodoro technique in one of his tweet. I never heard about it before so I watched the video on their website. Someone promises better organisation of your time and more efficiency? Yes please!

The book is not bad, it's very short, especially if you do not count introduction and some other unrelated pages. It is easy to read, but you get a feeling that they are repeating and over explaining simple things for the sake of length. I think that it could have been explained in much shorter terms. Later, I stumbled upon The Cheat Sheet on their website and IMHO that's all the information you need.

Well my review books pomodoro is almost out of time. Gotta go. :) ( )

A very nifty, simple little time management / productivity tool. It is essentially a technique for timeboxing and focusing on one specific task for a particular time, and then giving yourself a break to rest/recupe/refocus, and then repeating the cycle.

Very useful for those of us whose attention wanders often.

Could be used effectively with GTD or any other task-list strategy. ( )