Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success  

GIVE
and
TAKE

A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO SUCCESS

ADAM GRANT

VIKING Published by the Penguin Group

Copyright © Adam Grant, 2013 

PRAISE FOR ADAM GRANT’S

Give and Take

“Give and Take just might be the most important book of this young century. As insightful and

entertaining as Malcolm Gladwell at his best, this book has profound implications for how we

manage our careers, deal with our friends and relatives, raise our children, and design our

institutions. This gem is a joy to read, and it shatters the myth that greed is the path to success.”

—Robert Sutton, author of The No *sshole Rule and Good Boss, Bad Boss

“Give and Take is a truly exhilarating book—the rare work that will shatter your assumptions about

how the world works and keep your brain firing for weeks after you’ve turned the last page.”

—Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind

“Give and Take is brimming with life-changing insights. As brilliant as it is wise, this is not just a

book—it’s a new and shining worldview. Adam Grant is one of the great social scientists of our time,

and his extraordinary new book is sure to be a bestseller.”

—Susan Cain, author of Quiet

“Give and Take cuts through the clutter of clichés in the marketplace and provides a refreshing new

perspective on the art and science of success. Adam Grant has crafted a unique, must-have toolkit for

accomplishing goals through collaboration and reciprocity.”

—William P. Lauder, executive chairman, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

“Give and Take is a pleasure to read, extraordinarily informative, and will likely become one of the

classic books on workplace leadership and management. It has changed the way I see my personal

and professional relationships, and has encouraged me to be a more thoughtful friend and colleague.”

—Jeff Ashby, NASA space shuttle commander

“With Give and Take, Adam Grant has marshaled compelling evidence for a revolutionary way of

thinking about personal success in business and in life. Besides the fundamentally uplifting character

of the case he makes, readers will be delighted by the truly engaging way he makes it. This is a must

read.”

—Robert Cialdini, author of Influence

“Give and Take is a brilliant, well-documented, and motivating debunking of ‘good guys finish last’!

I’ve noticed for years that generosity generates its own kind of equity, and Grant’s fascinating

research and engaging style have created not only a solid validation of that principle but also

practical wisdom and techniques for utilizing it more effectively. This is a super manifesto for getting

meaningful things done, sustainably.”

—David Allen, author of Getting Things Done

CONTENTS

Praise for Give and Take

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

1 Good Returns

The Dangers and Rewards of Giving More Than You Get

2 The Peacock and the Panda

How Givers, Takers, and Matchers Build Networks

3 The Ripple Effect

Collaboration and the Dynamics of Giving and Taking Credit

4 Finding the Diamond in the Rough

The Fact and Fiction of Recognizing Potential

5 The Power of Powerless Communication

How to Be Modest and Influence People

6 The Art of Motivation Maintenance

Why Some Givers Burn Out but Others Are On Fire

7 Chump Change

Overcoming the Doormat Effect

8 The Scrooge Shift

Why a Soccer Team, a Fingerprint, and a Name Can Tilt Us in the Other Direction

9 Out of the Shadows

Actions for Impact

Acknowledgments

References

Index

Give and Take: why helping others drives our success,  ACTIONS FOR IMPACT

If you’re interested in applying the principles in this book to your work or your life, I’ve compiled a

set of practical actions that you can take. Many of these actions are based on the strategies and habits

of successful givers, and in each case, I’ve provided resources and tools for evaluating, organizing,

or expanding giving. Some of the steps focus on incorporating more giving into your daily behaviors;

others emphasize ways that you can fine-tune your giving, locate fellow givers, or engage others in

giving.

Give and Take why helping others drives our success, review

4.1/5 · Goodreads