GIVE AND TAKE
by Adam Grant
Every once in a while I like to read a really good social psychology book. I’m not sure that’s exactly how Adam Grant would describe his work. But for me, Give and Take is a succinct, data-driven manifesto on how we interact with and treat the people around us and how that can determine our success.
Grant’s basic premise in Give and Take is that we all have a style of interacting with others, from Takers on one end of the scale, whose main goal is to improve their own situation, to Givers on the other end of the scale, whose focus and energy are almost entirely on others’ needs. In the middle are Matchers who seek to help others in equal amount to the help they themselves will receive in return. There is a book’s worth of nuance surrounding this idea and what contributes to the successes and failures of each type. The only area where I felt the book didn’t focus enough time was how gender interacts with these categories, which Grant relegated to a footnote.
The ideas Grant interweaves are not only fascinating, but I found them personally galvanizing and even inspirational. Who wouldn’t want to be more of a giver, a helper, admired by all? And if Grant’s theories are correct, ultimately to be more successful. I also really appreciated Grant’s writing style which was incredibly readable for the amount of data it contained and thoroughly illustrated with anecdotes that I will not soon forget. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a change of perspective or a bit of interpersonal inspiration. (Lily)
