I'm in the minority with this opinion, but I think Gnome 3 is a very exciting desktop for the Linux environment. An ever increasing number of people are using their computers for leisure reading and games. Gnome 3 is tailored for this user. I personally haven't had any problems using Gnome 3 for business or productivity. Once you get the keyboard shortcuts down, you'll appreciate the layout. I like how easy it is to customize and change desktops. One major problem people have with technology (and the same could be said of everything really) they are unwilling to try something new and give it a chance. After all, at one point the Windows Start Menu was considered to far reaching. Now it's the standard.

My advice is to give Gnome 3 a chance.