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jenmangler's review against another edition
3.0
Reading this book left me with more questions than answers, and I think that's a good thing. Even though this book was written for a business audience it is applicable to the field of education. I have felt for some time now that one of the most under-discussed issues in education has been motivation (at least in the districts where I've worked). Most educators will say something along the lines of "I want my students to be life-long learners," but very few of us really include that as a core part of our philosophy. The result is something that education is something that's done TO students.
Two discussions were most helpful & really brought up some issues that got me thinking:
1. Our focus on short-term gains without thinking about the long-term effects. One of the most frustrating aspects of education is the intense focus on data. I know data is important, but too often we focus on incremental gains in numbers without thinking about how such a focus is often the part of education that most turns kids off of learning. It's like the story of the blind boys and the elephant: we focus so much on one tiny piece of information that we lose sight of the living human being in front of us.
2. Controlled vs. autonomous behavior ("control leads to compliance; autonomy leads to engagement"). So much of what we know from our own educational experiences is about control and, for the most part, I think that continues today. Schooling/education and learning aren't the same thing. That's sad.
Pink has included a section that focuses specifically on education. There were some really good ideas I'd like to try, including: Fed-Ex Days (I'd been hearing about this for about a year before reading the book & was already excited about the idea) and DIY report card.
After reading this book what I most want to do is have long, vigorous discussions with my colleagues. That's what I loved most about the book and the fact that it raised questions for me. Those questions can lead to wonderful discussions that will help our school a place that kids are excited to come to every day.
Two discussions were most helpful & really brought up some issues that got me thinking:
1. Our focus on short-term gains without thinking about the long-term effects. One of the most frustrating aspects of education is the intense focus on data. I know data is important, but too often we focus on incremental gains in numbers without thinking about how such a focus is often the part of education that most turns kids off of learning. It's like the story of the blind boys and the elephant: we focus so much on one tiny piece of information that we lose sight of the living human being in front of us.
2. Controlled vs. autonomous behavior ("control leads to compliance; autonomy leads to engagement"). So much of what we know from our own educational experiences is about control and, for the most part, I think that continues today. Schooling/education and learning aren't the same thing. That's sad.
Pink has included a section that focuses specifically on education. There were some really good ideas I'd like to try, including: Fed-Ex Days (I'd been hearing about this for about a year before reading the book & was already excited about the idea) and DIY report card.
After reading this book what I most want to do is have long, vigorous discussions with my colleagues. That's what I loved most about the book and the fact that it raised questions for me. Those questions can lead to wonderful discussions that will help our school a place that kids are excited to come to every day.
stefhite's review against another edition
4.0
"TWITTER SUMMARY: Carrots & sticks are so last century. Drive says for 21st century work, we need to upgrade to autonomy, mastery & purpose.
"COCKTAIL PARTY: When it comes to motivation, there’s a gap between what science knows and what business does. Our current business operating system—which is built around external, carrot-and-stick motivators—doesn’t work and often does harm. We need an upgrade. And the science shows the way. This new approach has three essential elements: (1) Autonomy—the desire to direct our own lives; (2) Mastery—the urge to get better and better at something that matters; and (3) Purpose—the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves."
"COCKTAIL PARTY: When it comes to motivation, there’s a gap between what science knows and what business does. Our current business operating system—which is built around external, carrot-and-stick motivators—doesn’t work and often does harm. We need an upgrade. And the science shows the way. This new approach has three essential elements: (1) Autonomy—the desire to direct our own lives; (2) Mastery—the urge to get better and better at something that matters; and (3) Purpose—the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves."
paola_mobileread's review against another edition
2.0
I tend to run a mile at the first whiff of self-help book: a third of the book is exactly that, so in this respect I am unsurprised I am not giving it more than "it was ok". But for the other two thirds, the book is repetitive and monodimensional: a man on a mission to convert us all to the beauty and effectiveness of self motivation.
In a nutshell, the central point of the book is: there are three types of drive: basic urges, respose to incentives/disincentives, and intrinsic motivation. The latter is the type of motivation which would really improve our lives and the lives of those around us, as well as the efficiency of the organisations which employ us, and this is what should really be at the centre of all incentives schemes. Indeed, in most cases carrot and stick approaches won't work and actually produce the opposite effects, as once you get used to a reward, you'll put less effort if no reward is forthcoming.
In fairness to the author, I did find the book informative on various levels, and did point me to a number of (hopefully better :-) ) books that I now consider reading; what irked me was the almost complete lack of critical assessment of the various theories that are put forward as those we should be paying attention to. For instance, there is no counterpoint to the theories presented in terms of criticism which must exist in academia (or if it does not, it would be good to know); for the experiments that are presented in support of the theories, there is no mention of alternative explanations (and if they do not exist, then again it would be good to know). The evindence goes all in one direction, which cannot be right.
I also find the book quite patronising in tone, as the reader is expected to have the attention span of a goldfish, with all concepts broken down into easily manageable chunks. Shoujld this bee too much for the overburdened reader, don't worry as there is a chapter by chapter summary: which may be helpful for a textbook, say, but really Mr. Pink I think you should give more credit to the cognitive abilities of your readers!
The target readership also seems pretty well defined, to the "aspirational" middle classes, or anyhow those who can take a break without worrying too much about vile money. Just to give an example, in the "tips and tricks" third part of the book the author recommends to take a year off for your personal development. He states
In a nutshell, the central point of the book is: there are three types of drive: basic urges, respose to incentives/disincentives, and intrinsic motivation. The latter is the type of motivation which would really improve our lives and the lives of those around us, as well as the efficiency of the organisations which employ us, and this is what should really be at the centre of all incentives schemes. Indeed, in most cases carrot and stick approaches won't work and actually produce the opposite effects, as once you get used to a reward, you'll put less effort if no reward is forthcoming.
In fairness to the author, I did find the book informative on various levels, and did point me to a number of (hopefully better :-) ) books that I now consider reading; what irked me was the almost complete lack of critical assessment of the various theories that are put forward as those we should be paying attention to. For instance, there is no counterpoint to the theories presented in terms of criticism which must exist in academia (or if it does not, it would be good to know); for the experiments that are presented in support of the theories, there is no mention of alternative explanations (and if they do not exist, then again it would be good to know). The evindence goes all in one direction, which cannot be right.
I also find the book quite patronising in tone, as the reader is expected to have the attention span of a goldfish, with all concepts broken down into easily manageable chunks. Shoujld this bee too much for the overburdened reader, don't worry as there is a chapter by chapter summary: which may be helpful for a textbook, say, but really Mr. Pink I think you should give more credit to the cognitive abilities of your readers!
The target readership also seems pretty well defined, to the "aspirational" middle classes, or anyhow those who can take a break without worrying too much about vile money. Just to give an example, in the "tips and tricks" third part of the book the author recommends to take a year off for your personal development. He states
[it] requires a fair bit of planning and saving. But doesn't forgoing that big screen TV seem a small price to pay for an unforgettable - and an un get-backable - year of personal exploration. The truth is, this idea is more realistic than many of us realize. Well, on my book that must be a hell of a tv...
melanna's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
I got the point pretty quickly. It was interesting at first and then got boring because it was repetitive.
And then he sang the praises of unschooling and he lost me (I almost removed a star for that one). So let me be clear as someone who WAS unschooled in the era that it was seen as the next best thing for kids. It sounds like a great idea on paper. It is not a great idea in execution. Our world is not set up for unschoolers. Meaning if you choose this path for your kids they will have a difficult time getting into and performing well in post secondary. If they make it through that (or choose to skip it all together) they will have a difficult time getting jobs.
It’s the biggest thing I resent my parents for choosing for me. 23 years after graduating, being a voracious reader and developing pretty good street smarts, I have gotten by, but I still regularly run into issues because of the gaps in my education. So though I have lots of intrinsic motivation, I have still suffered greatly. And I’m not in a typical field where those gaps would be obvious. So please don’t choose this path for your kids unless you’ve also managed to change the entire environment they live in.
And then he sang the praises of unschooling and he lost me (I almost removed a star for that one). So let me be clear as someone who WAS unschooled in the era that it was seen as the next best thing for kids. It sounds like a great idea on paper. It is not a great idea in execution. Our world is not set up for unschoolers. Meaning if you choose this path for your kids they will have a difficult time getting into and performing well in post secondary. If they make it through that (or choose to skip it all together) they will have a difficult time getting jobs.
It’s the biggest thing I resent my parents for choosing for me. 23 years after graduating, being a voracious reader and developing pretty good street smarts, I have gotten by, but I still regularly run into issues because of the gaps in my education. So though I have lots of intrinsic motivation, I have still suffered greatly. And I’m not in a typical field where those gaps would be obvious. So please don’t choose this path for your kids unless you’ve also managed to change the entire environment they live in.
annashiv's review against another edition
2.0
I feel li je this could have been written better. It feels like it wasn't convincing. I'm not convinced most people would just work because they enjoy it if this kind of management were in practice more. And I'm not convinced it works for more than a small percentage of jobs. I think most jobs are routine boring things that intrinsic motivation would not work on. I wish it had more for how to address this in non business things. I also wish it would have answered the questions he poses at the end to ask coworkers or ceos. Some are good questions that are left unaddressed. The last 10 percent of the book tells you to go read other books and I gotta say that's probably better than reading this one. There's only one thing I could use as a worker in a routine job. Find a way to be intrinsically motivated to do the things that aren't my job. Don't motivate myself with little rewards for doing something I could enjoy on its own.
My Notes -
-Intrinsic motivation- enjoying the activity itself - feeling creative when working on a project - fun of mastering - sociality - interesting, challenging, absorbing
-Focus on long term goals/consequences - short term thinking is the enemy.
-Don't reward yourself for small goals reached unless it's routine/uninteresting/uncomplicated task that you would not be able to give yourself any intrinsic motivation for anyway
My Notes -
-Intrinsic motivation- enjoying the activity itself - feeling creative when working on a project - fun of mastering - sociality - interesting, challenging, absorbing
-Focus on long term goals/consequences - short term thinking is the enemy.
-Don't reward yourself for small goals reached unless it's routine/uninteresting/uncomplicated task that you would not be able to give yourself any intrinsic motivation for anyway