Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, by Adam Grant

According to author Adam Grant, everyone is either a giver, taker, or matcher, both at work and in their personal lives. The meanings of these labels are obvious. Givers like to give more than they get from others. They give feedback, mentor others, review others' work for accuracy, and provide help any time they're asked. Takers, on the other hand, like to get more than they receive from others. They will ask for help, but they aren't there when others need help in return. They will take what they can get and then dump you. Most common are the matchers, and we see them often in the workplace. Matchers often help others, expecting help in return when they need it. They keep a subconscious tally to keep track of the relationship, expecting to keep the effort on both sides even.

Mr. Grant's research addresses which of these three personalities is the most successful at work. As an example he uses Abraham Lincoln's early political career in which he sacrifices an early race for senate to help a colleague; what might have seemed like a mistake at the time came around to help him far more in the end. In chapter 2 the author discusses the differences between how takers and givers build networks. Subsequent chapters address the ripple effect of giving, identifying givers and their potential, and how communication styles differ between givers and takers.

Whereas early chapters of Give and Take discuss how giving personalities tend to be more successful in the long run, the second half of the book addresses some of the pitfalls of giving and how to avoid them. Chapter 6 discusses the potential for burnout and how to avoid it (hint: the trick is to become more engaged but in different ways). Chapter 7 addresses how giving personalities can avoid becoming a doormat for others who ask for too much and take you for granted. In chapter 8 the author discusses how a culture of giving can be encouraged and uses as one of his examples the online service Freecycle. Finally, Mr. Grant provides 10 action items that will help readers develop their giving tendencies and create stronger networks.

Give and Take is an excellent exploration of how the tendency to help (or not) can make a huge impact on your life and career. Backed by a lot of research, cited in a fairly lengthy references section, Grant provides a lot of fodder for thought and discussion. Filled with anecdotes to support his research, Give and Take is well-written and fun to read. This would be an excellent book to use for a reading group or a workplace discussion.

Adam Grant. Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. New York: Viking, 2013. 305 pages. ISBN 9780670026555.