Adam Grant is at Wharton, was the youngest tenured professor when he started. He is a psychologist who has done some interesting work in what works in the business and personal world.
“Give and Take” was an enjoyable read, well researched with lots of stories illustrating his points. He talked about how we interact with others, classifying us as “Givers”, “Takers” and “Matchers.” Later in the book he provides resources to help us see who we are and methods to alter our interaction habits if desired. An effective “how to” book.
As a sales guy, a leader in a now large company, $6 Bn sales in North America, Latin America and Australia, I found the book very instructive to assist us in our goals to be more productive, effective and personally happy. I was pleased that some of the suggestions were habits I had developed (thanks USMC), others I wished I had developed.
The interesting take away was that “Givers” reside at the highest level of “success”, and the lowest. That declaration early in the book was counter-intuitive until the research and examples were detailed.
All can benefit from reading, reflecting and acting on the results. The last section was a gift, tools to help us change if so desired. Lots of books shine in research, etc. then leave us hanging on how to implement, not this one!