# Getting Things Done by David Allen

14 Hacker News commenters recommended Getting Things Done by David Allen and 4 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for a capture-and-review system that clears mental clutter and makes overwhelmed work manageable.

## Why people recommend it

- Capturing everything into trusted lists (4 comments): "the idea of capturing every action I need to take, then routinely putting those in home/work/self/etc. buckets was life changing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46659142)) "I've relied heavily on seamless capture for a couple of decades, ala Getting Things Done." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45837280)) "The basic concept is just that you write down things when they pop into your head." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46613820))
- Reduces mental clutter and overwhelm (2 comments): "It emphasizes simplicity and developing a system you can trust so you have less running around wild in your brain." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46139449)) "gave me a framework to get out of the weeds when I am overwhelmed" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48563927))
- Improved work life (2 comments): "it plus David Allen GTD changed my work life for the better" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49673926)) "someone had to put it together. It has been useful to me." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48565238))

## What people warn about

- Ideas seem nothing new (2 comments): "The book had zero additional information compared to the article." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48568098)) "That's it, nothing profound or from another planet." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48565017))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Deep Work by Cal Newport](https://hackerapproved.com/p/deep-work.md): 7 recommend
- [Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/four-thousand-weeks.md): 6 recommend
- [Essentialism by Greg McKeown](https://hackerapproved.com/p/essentialism.md): 3 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143126563?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780143126560) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Getting Things Done by David Allen", https://hackerapproved.com/p/getting-things-done/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).