An enjoyable and entertaining read. At first it seemed to be filled with funny yet somewhat stereotypical commentary about private school parents. But then it provided some clever descriptions and insights on the idiosyncrasies of creatives or “geniuses.” As characters develop you can see how each has idiosyncratic behaviors that could be viewed as having mental health issues from a certain perspective. All the while, the pace of the book is fast, easy and light and ends in a warm glow.
I loved the concepts and ideas of this book but sometimes found arguments could have been more too-the-point, less repetitive, clearer, and shorter.
One of the best books I've ever read. Very painful yet so beautiful.
Adam Grant is the youngest tenured professor at The Wharton School. He's written a fascinating book about his research on giving and success. It's a quick read with lots of real-life examples.
(Before you read any further, you may want to take his assessment to learn your style of give and take. You can find it here: http://www.giveandtake.com/Home/ChooseAssessment)
He essentially argues that there are three types of people: givers, takers and matchers. Surprisingly, those with greater long-term success are most likely to be givers than matchers or takers. Not surprisingly, those at the bottom are also givers! His book discusses how to be more like successful givers if you're a matcher or a taker. And, how to be a more successful giver, if you're the type of giver who is what he calls “selfless.”
I found his advice particularly relevant to very caring (giving) mothers and women. I write more about it on my blog. (Each month I write Book Notes on what I believe are useful to talented and caring women and parents and summarize insights that would be relevant to them.) To read my Book Notes on this book, please visit: http://lifejunctions.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/booknotegivetake/
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