Conzentrate

Beginning with the ""promise not to waste your time on theory,"" Horn (Tongue Fu!; What's Holding You Back?) draws on the Zen concept of mindfulness as a means to calm the frenzied mindset that often accompanies contemporary life, and delivers a plethora of ""read bites"" (i.e., ""short chunks of self-contained information"") on focusing mental energy and performing ""in the zone."" A professional seminar leader, she offers useful ""action plans"" studded with an abundance of acronyms for ""managing our T.I.M.E. (Thoughts, Interests, Moments, and Emotions),"" focusing on what's most important at any given moment, setting goals and creating homes and workspaces most conducive to their specific functions. From turning on the answering machine during dinner to choosing music that will mask distracting noises, Horn provides helpful advice for taking control of one's physical and psychic space. Recognizing the myriad family, school, workplace and community issues that most people face, she addresses such diverse topics as attention deficit disorder, medications, preferred learning styles, studying (for work or school), test taking, courtesy and living by a personal mission statement. Employing an accessible, succinct format, Horn successfully shows readers how to sharpen their minds. Agent, Laurie Liss. Author tour. (Mar.)