Coming soon · Book Profile
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
Contrary to the belief that nice guys finish last, this book reveals that the most successful people are often givers who create value for others, which in turn builds reputations, relationships, and ripple effects that lead to their own surprising and sustainable success.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
We're taught that to succeed, we must be competitive, self-interested, and claim as much value as we can. 'Give and Take' shatters this assumption with groundbreaking research and compelling stories. Author Adam Grant reveals that our professional success depends less on motivation, talent, and luck, and more on how we interact with others. He introduces three reciprocity styles—takers, matchers, and givers—and makes the counterintuitive case that givers, who contribute without expecting anything in return, are overrepresented at both the bottom and the very top of the success ladder. This book explores the powerful and often hidden reasons why givers thrive, detailing their unique approaches to networking, collaboration, influence, and talent development. More importantly, it provides a roadmap for how to practice giving in a way that avoids burnout and exploitation, allowing you to achieve extraordinary results for yourself and others.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- An ambitious and well-intentioned professional who wants to achieve success but feels conflicted about the perceived need to be selfish in a competitive world. They desire to make a positive impact and build meaningful relationships without sacrificing their career goals.
- The problem
- The reader operates in a world that seems to reward takers and self-serving behavior, making it difficult to justify and practice generosity without falling behind. The reader feels anxious and naive for wanting to be a giver, fearing that this approach will lead to being exploited, burning out, and ultimately failing to achieve their potential.
- The plan
- Identify your own primary reciprocity style and learn to spot givers, takers, and matchers in your interactions.
- Practice the distinct strategies of successful givers in networking, collaboration, communication, and talent development.
- Adopt an 'otherish' mindset that balances concern for others with your own interests to avoid burnout and exploitation.
- The payoff
- The reader achieves their ambitions while building a strong reputation and a powerful network of allies who are rooting for their success. · They become a respected and influential figure who creates value for themselves and those around them. · They experience a more meaningful and fulfilling professional life, energized by their contributions to others.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- The Magic Mountain · Thomas Mann
Frankl cites this novel for its profound psychological study of people living in a 'provisional existence' in a sanatorium, which he found analogous to the inmates' experience of time and futurelessness in the concentration camp.
- The Individual and His Religion · Gordon W. Allport
Quoted to support the therapeutic power of self-detachment and humor ('The neurotic who learns to laugh at himself...'), which Frankl sees as the foundation of his 'paradoxical intention' technique.
- The works of Dostoevski · Fyodor Dostoevski
Frankl repeatedly quotes Dostoevski, particularly two key ideas: 'man is a being who can get used to anything' (which Frankl qualifies) and 'There is only one thing that I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings,' which encapsulates the concept of finding meaning in one's attitude toward fate.
- Ethics · Spinoza
Frankl quotes Spinoza's statement, 'Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it,' to explain his own coping mechanism of observing his suffering with scientific detachment.
- The Trusted Executive · John Blakey
The author's previous book, which establishes the importance of trust as a foundation for leadership, a concept that underpins the 'OUT' dimension of this book.
- Doughnut Economics · Kate Raworth
Provides the broader economic and societal context for why a shift from profit-driven to purpose-driven business is necessary and desirable.
- Challenging Coaching · John Blakey and Ian Day
Offers deeper insights into coaching skills, which are crucial for leaders looking to improve their 'OUT' dimension and become a 'force multiplier'.
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance · Angela Duckworth
Supports the book's concluding theme that thriving as a purpose-driven leader requires 'grit' — the sustained passion and perseverance to 'stay in love' with your mission.
- The Everyday World as Problematic: A Feminist Sociology · Dorothy E. Smith
The author explicitly identifies Smith's work as the primary methodological and theoretical foundation for his study, particularly its focus on the disjuncture between lived experience and administrative texts.
- Living and Dying at Murray Manor · Jaber F. Gubrium
Cited by the author as one of the few existing ethnographic studies of nursing home life that provided a foundation for his own work.