We receive many questions about the electronic and international versions of David Allen’s books (Getting Things Done, Ready For Anything, and Making It All Work.)  We’ve compiled some FAQs on the topic that should be be helpful. We will update this post as the information changes and add these to our website FAQs as well.

What formats are available for David Allen’s books, like Getting Things Done?
Formats for David Allen’s books are established entirely by his publisher, Penguin Group, and through the agreements Penguin makes with each foreign publisher.  We are so sorry, but we have no influence over distribution and we are not involved in the process of determining where the books are released.  We do know that availability varies widely by country and distributors. For example, in the U.S., you will find paperback, hardcover, Kindle, ePub and audiobook versions.  This is not the case at all for other countries and download versions in particular are restricted by territory (e.g. someone outside the U.S. cannot download a book from the U.S. Audible.com site.)

Why is the download version more expensive than the paperback version?
We’ve noticed that too!  Unfortunately, pricing for David’s books is out of our control and is entirely set by the publisher, Penguin Group, with the distribution channels where they have released the book.

Can I buy David’s books as a PDF?
No, PDF is not a format that has been created by Penguin Group, the publisher of David Allen’s books. Downloadable options include ePub (very common and compatible with iBook for iPhone, iTouch and iPad users,) Kindle (for the Amazon Kindle devices and readers) and Audiobook (spoken versions, as read by David Allen).

Where do I download Kindle versions?
The Kindle versions of David Allen’s books are available from Amazon.com.  A search for the books will show you the paperback, hardcover and Kindle versions if available in your country.

Where do I download the version of Getting Things Done for iPhone, iTouch, or iPad?
The “ePub” version is compatible with the iPhone, iTouch and iPad devices. You can purchase and download this version through the iBookstore in iTunes, if available in your country.

How come the Getting Things Done book isn’t available for download in my country?
Distribution rights for David Allen’s books are established entirely by his publisher, Penguin, with each foreign publisher.  We are so sorry, but we have no influence over distribution and are not involved in the process of determining where the books are released.  We do know that availability varies widely by country and distributors. For example, in the U.S., you will find paperback, hardcover, Kindle, eBook and Audible.com versions.  This is not the case at all for other countries and download versions in particular are restricted by territory (e.g. someone outside the U.S. cannot download a book from the U.S. Audible.com site.)

How is the Audiobook different than the iBook or ePub version?
The audiobook versions of Getting Things Done (abridged and unabridged) are spoken versions of the book. You will hear David Allen literally reading the book.  The iBook versions in the “ePub” format are for you to read–there is no audio component. ePub simply means electronic version.  Audiobook is spoken version.

How do I contact David’s publisher to share my feedback or request to have Getting Things Done available in my country or in other formats?
You can reach the Penguin Group through their website. You will find many helpful links on this page.  If you want to reach our team, to ask a question, please contact customerservice@davidco.com.

The international translation of Getting Things Done has errors. Who needs to know about that?

We appreciate when customers let us know about errors in the international versions of Getting Things Done.  We are not involved in the translation of David’s books, but we will pass along the feedback to his publisher, Penguin Group, who handles the translation process.  You can also give Penguin Group the feedback directly through their website.

What’s the difference between the abridged and unabridged audiobook versions of Getting Things Done?
Unabridged means you will hear the entire book, just like the printed version. Abridged means you will only hear a condensed version of the book (not all chapters are included.) The most comprehensive version, by far, is the unabridged version, as it covers all of the GTD content. The abridged version is more like the “Cliff Notes” summary of the key concepts and does not go into detail on the implementation phase.

The iBook format of Getting Things Done has poor formatting. Who needs to know about that?
We have been told by some customers that the iBook version is not formatted very well and we have passed along this feedback to the Penguin Group.
You can also give Penguin Group the feedback directly through their website or to Apple, their distribution partner for the iBook version.

How do I know if there is a version of Getting Things Done in my language?
We keep an updated list of foreign language editions of Getting Things Done on our website, as we are made aware of them by the publisher Penguin Group.

I had a problem downloading the book. Where do I go for help?
Please ask for assistance with downloading issues from the store where you purchased the download.  Unfortunately, we are only able to assist you with the versions available through our online store (hardcover, paperback, and audiobook.)

We hope this helps!

David Allen Company Products Team

Tags: Bookshelf, David Allen, Downloads, Getting Things Done, GTD Times Team - Staff Contributors //
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