Best Laid Schemes
Worth buying if: You enjoy Emma Jensen’s anecdote-led analysis of everyday planning.
Skip it if: You want a technical how-to manual with step-by-step planning tools.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780449002346. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
In 197 pages of clear, anecdote-driven prose, Jensen blends case studies and cultural observation to explore why personal and organizational schemes fail and how to adapt smarter strategies.
Why this book now
Jensen’s 1998 take on failed plans feels fresh for readers reevaluating strategy and resilience in today’s fast-changing workplaces and personal lives.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You enjoy Emma Jensen’s anecdote-led analysis of everyday planning.
- You read general interest books about failure, strategy, or workplace culture.
- You want a technical how-to manual with step-by-step planning tools.
- You seek dense academic research rather than Jensen’s accessible case studies.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780449002346
Worth buying if: You enjoy Emma Jensen’s anecdote-led analysis of everyday planning.
Skip it if: You want a technical how-to manual with step-by-step planning tools.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Light Short sit-downs
At 197 pages, this Ballantine Books edition is a brisk, single-weekend read for curious readers of general interest essays.
What stands out here
This Ballantine Books trade paperback emphasizes Jensen’s voice and case-driven structure, useful for readers cataloging examples of planning failure.
Best way to approach it
Read episodically: savor Jensen’s individual case studies and pause to apply her lessons to a personal project or workplace scheme.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780449002346
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.