Give and Take by Adam Grant

Description

The old assumption that only vicious, competitive, and self-serving people can succeed is being turned on its head in today’s world, which is more linked and collaborative. Give and Take, a famous book by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, gives a completely different and well-researched point of view: success doesn’t just come to the strongest or smartest people; it also comes to the people who give the most.

Over the years, Grant has studied people’s behavior and psychology and come up with three types of people: takers, who attempt to obtain more than they give; matchers, who want to trade evenly; and givers, who help others without expecting anything in return. People often think that givers are the ones that get left behind, but that’s not true. People who give freely, purposefully, and wisely are often the most successful in a wide range of fields, including business, education, medicine, and technology.

What makes Give and Take so powerful is that Grant backs up his ideas with strong proof. He talks about people like venture investor David Hornik, who discusses investment chances with competitors, and medical students who do better than their counterparts just by working together. These true examples show how people who donate build trust, make deeper connections, and eventually construct networks of goodwill that help them be more successful over time.

Grant also talks on the bad side: givers can be taken advantage of and get tired. But he also talks about the “otherish giver,” who is someone who is both generous and smart. These people stay honest and kind while setting limits that keep them from being taken advantage of.

Grant makes it clear throughout the book that giving doesn’t entail being a martyr or a doormat. It is making things better for other people while simultaneously getting what you want. People who give are changing the way we conduct business and develop community more and more, whether they work in sales, management, education, or starting their own business.

Give and Take not only changes how we think about achievement, it also gives us a way to live and work that is both satisfying and productive. Readers get useful tips on how to be more generous without giving up their goals, and they also get their trust back in the power of compassion and giving back in a world that often encourages the reverse.

About the Author

Adam Grant is a bestselling author, Wharton’s top-rated professor, and one of the world’s most influential management thinkers. He specializes in organizational psychology and is known for his work on motivation, meaningful work, and success. His TED Talks have reached millions, and his other books include Think Again, Originals, and Hidden Potential.

Product Details

• Title: Give and Take
• Author: Adam Grant
• ISBN-13: 9780143124986
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Published: March 25, 2014
• Pages: 320
• Binding: Paperpack