Canonical · Negotiation & Persuasion · Book

Give and Take

Adam Grant · 2013

"People sort into givers, takers, and matchers based on their default reciprocity style — and while givers cluster at both the bottom and the top of success, the specific kind of giving that wins is strategic, not self-sacrificing."

The idea

A Wharton organizational psychologist found something counterintuitive tracking career outcomes: the people who consistently give more than they take without limit are the least successful — and also, separately, the most successful. The difference is which kind of giver you are.

Why it works

The takeaway — recall it first

Never Split the Difference

"The FBI's top hostage negotiator argues that logic loses to emotion in real negotiations — so the job is to hear and label the other side's feelings before you ever propose a number."

Chris Voss · BookContinue→