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“Pink’s ideas deserve a wide hearing. Corporate boards. . .could do well by kicking out their pay consultants for an hour and reading Pink’s conclusions instead.”—Forbes The New York Times bestseller that gives readers paradigm- shattering ways to think about motivation from the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live. Read more
Publisher : Riverhead Books
Publication date : April 5, 2011
Language : English
Print length : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 1594484805
ISBN-13 : 03
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.94 x 0.61 x 8.98 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #10,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #9 in Occupational & Organizational Popular Psychology #16 in Sales & Selling (Books) #86 in Leadership & Motivation
#9 in Occupational & Organizational Popular Psychology:
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Hardcover
Some books for me are "game changers." All of Malcolm Gladwell's books fall into this category: "Tipping Point," "Blink" and "Outliers." Frans Johansson's "The Medici Effect" prompted me to organize two leadership gatherings: The White Rhino Intersection and Intersection 2.0. Daniel Pink's latest book, "Drive," belongs in this same category. I love what Gladwell said about Pink's book: "I spent as much time thinking about what this book means as I did reading it." Well said; I have had the same response. To regular readers of The White Rhino Report, Pink is no stranger. I wrote effusively about his earlier book, "A Whole New Mind." I recently offered a link to a TED talk that summarizes the most salient points of "Drive." Having been thoroughly mesmerized and intrigued by the "Drive" video, I wondered if I needed to read the book. I am glad I chose to take that additional step. The video serves as an excellent appetizer and introductory tool, but the main nutrient's can be found in the book. Pink's genius is his ability to take previously published research from a variety of fields, synthesize and coordinate the data and present the findings to a lay audience in a way that does not "dumb down" the content or the significance of the discoveries. He takes the "what," and turns it into a powerful "so what?". In discussing what motivates individuals and teams in almost any setting, Pink describes two types of motivation: Type X (extrinsic) and Type I (intrinsic). "Type I behavior is a renewable resource. Think of Type X behavior as coal, and Type I behavior as the sun. For most of recent history, coal has been the cheapest, easiest, most efficient resource. But coal has two downsides. First, it produces nasty things like air pollution and greenhouse gases. Second, it's finite; getting more of it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive each year. Type X behavior is similar. An emphasis on rewards and punishments spews its own externalities. And 'if-then' motivators always grow more expensive. But Type I behavior, which is built around intrinsic motivation, draws on resources that are easily replenished and inflict little damage. It is the motivational equivalent of clean energy: inexpensive, safe to use, and endlessly renewable." (Page 80) He goes on to describe what lies at the heart of Type I behavior and the underlying motivations. He issues what amounts to a manifesto for change. "Ultimately, Type I behavior depends upon three nutrients: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Type I behavior is self-directed. It is devoted to becoming better and better at something that matters. and it connects that quest for excellence to a larger purpose. Some might dismiss notions like these as gooey and idealistic, but the science says otherwise. The science confirms that this sort of behavior is essential to being human - and that now, in a rapidly changing economy, it is also critical for professional, personal, and organizational success of any kind. So we have a choice. We can cling to a view of human motivation that is grounded more in old habits than in modern science. Or we can listen to the research, drag our business and personal practices into the twenty-first century, and craft a new operating system to help ourselves, our companies, and our world work a little better. It won't be easy. It won't happen overnight. So let's get started." (Pages 80-81) As the author continues to sketch out the components of what he calls Motivation 3.0 - a large quantum leap beyond the traditional Motivation 2.0 that fueled the Industrial Revolution - he describes four aspects of autonomy. "And what a few future-looking businesses are discovering is that one of these essential features is autonomy - in particular, autonomy over four aspects of work: what people do, when they do it, how they do it, and whom they do it with. As Atlassian's experience shows, Type I behavior emerges when people have autonomy over the four T's: their task, their time, their technique, and their team." (Pages 93-94) In discussing the importance of "Purpose" as a factor in motivation, Pink's work comes close to the themes of the book "Half Time - Moving from Success to Significance," by Bob Buford, which I reviewed in this space a few months ago: These themes are also resonant with Rick Warren's best-seller, "The Purpose Driven Life." The demographic time bomb that is my generation of Baby Boomers presents an interesting dilemma and opportunity occasioned by our anticipated increased longevity. "Upon comprehending that they could have another twenty-five years, sixty-year-old boomers look back twenty-five years - to when they were thirty-five - and a sudden thought clonks them on the side of the head. 'Wow. That sure happened fast,' they say. 'Will the next twenty-five years race by like that? If so, when I am going to do something that matters? When am I going to live my best life? When am I going to make a difference in the world?' Those questions, which swirl through conversations taking place at boomer kitchen tables around the world, may sound touch-feely. But they're now occurring at a rate that is unprecedented in human civilization. Consider: Boomers are the largest demographic cohort in most western countries, as well as in places like Japan, Australia and New Zealand. . . In America alone, one hundred boomers turn sixty every thirteen minutes. When the cold front of demographics meets the warm front of unrealized dreams, the result will be a thunderstorm of purpose the likes of which the world has never seen." (Pages 132-133) In my observation, the impact is even more dramatic than that which Pink describes. In my role as a career coach, life coach, recruiter and mentor to many emerging leaders, men and women are beginning to ask the "purpose question" at increasingly younger ages. This bodes well for our future, and will force companies to address this issue if they hope to survive and to attract and to retain top talent. The purpose dynamic has another aspect to it. In the absence of working for a higher purpose, Type X high achievers - the classic "Type A" personalities - work longer and longer hours to achieve material success and promotion. The result is burnout and dissatisfaction. "One of the reasons for anxiety and depression in the high attainers in that they're not having good relationships. They're busy making money and attending to themselves, and that means that there's less room in their lives for love and attention and caring and empathy and the things that truly count." (Page 144) In the title of this review, I call this book a "Must Read," yet the book is not for everyone. I recommend it to you only if you meet the following criteria: * You are a life-long learner who is willing to learn new facts and to change your thinking and behavior in accordance with these new insights. * You are in a position of leadership - in a company, in the military, in a family, in a school, in an organization - in which you need to and desire to create an environment of work and learning that maximizes autonomy, mastery, and purpose. * You want to make a positive difference in the world and in the lives of those whom you influence. If this is you, then order this book now, devour it, breath it, taste it, smell it, talk about it and live it. And then pass it on to the next generation of Type I leaders. Enjoy the drive . . . and the journey! Al
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Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2010 by Alan L. Chase
Format: Hardcover
Carrots and sticks are so 20th century. We need to understand the drive to thrive in the 21st century. That's my twitter summary of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink. Summary There is a great disconnect between what we practice in business - and I will add, in life - and what science is telling us in the area of motivation. The current model of motivation is carrots or sticks, money or termination. If-then rewards actually extinguish intrinsic motivation and diminish performance, crush creativity, and reduce good behavior. They also motivate people into behavior we do not want to see happen: unethical behavior, additions, and short-term thinking. While carrots and sticks are not the best motivators, they are not all bad, however. They can be effective for rule-based routine tasks that are not very interesting and do not demand much creative thinking, though their motivation is minimal. Science, however, shows us that we need to upgrade our operating system to motivation 3.0. The new OS has three essential elements: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Autonomy "involves behaving with a full sense of volition and choice." Motivation is different from independence. It is not the go-it-alone individualism of the American West. It means acting with a choice, meaning we can be both autonomous and happily interdependent with others. And more importantly, this is a human concept, not a Western one. Autonomy has a powerful effect on performance. It promotes great conceptual understanding, better grades, enhanced persistence at school and in sporting activities, higher productivity, less burnout, and greater levels of psychological well-being. In addition, autonomous people impact the workplace. A study by Cornell University demonstrated that businesses that offered autonomy grew at four times the rate of non-autonomous businesses and had one-third the turnover. The opposite of autonomy is control. Control leads to compliance; autonomy leads to engagement. Engagement leads to mastery, the desire to get better at something that matters. For the tasks of the 21st century, an inquiring mind and willingness to experiment to find a fresh solution is required. That means the ability to have autonomy over our tasks, techniques, team, and time. This all works to allow people to be engaged in their tasks and to master them. Autonomous people working toward mastery perform at very high levels. But those who do so in the service of some greater objective can achieve even more. The most deeply motivated people connect their desires to a cause larger than themselves. Thoughts I really enjoy the writings of Daniel Pink. He assembles complicated research and makes it accessible to the masses. I appreciate how Pink makes the research in the areas of motivation easy for those who are not scientists to understand. In fact, in Drive, he does a magnificent job. Much of the background for this book comes from the research of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Hungarian psychology professor, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. Now at Claremont Graduate University, he is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College. He is noted for his work in the study of happiness and creativity, but is best known as the architect of the notion of flow and for his years of research and writing on the topic. He is the author of many books and over 120 articles or book chapters. Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, described Csikszentmihalyi as the world's leading researcher on positive psychology. I do a lot of church planter assessments and one of the things we look for is intrinsic motivation. This allows us to see what will keep them going when things get tough. It also allows us to determine if money is a primary motivator. Drive provides us with the research behind the importance of this needed tool for church planting. And for ministry in the 21st century as well. Drive is also a marker for entrepreneurial ministry. And entrepreneurialism in general. The book is easy to read despite its topic. It makes good use of emerging research. But it's a very practical book as well. At the end of the book, Pink provides a toolkit. In it, he provides strategies for awakening motivation for individuals, parents, educators, and businesses. He provides a great reading list of 15 essential books to encourage and promote a healthy environment for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. He also provides a discussion guide to get the discussion started. This is a fabulous book, and will be effective for leaders and followers alike. Whether you are a pastor, small group leader, or business person, this will help motivate those you lead and even help you understand yourself better.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2010 by David Phillips
Format: Hardcover
There are some books you read and you simply absorb and move on about your business. These books either impact you profoundly at a subconscious level, and you don't realize the impact until much much later; or, they don't impact you at all. There are other books that seem to reframe your view right away and the more you converse, you find the language of the text seeping into your conversations and thusly reinforce what you've learned every time you employ the wisdom transfered through your readership. Dan Pink has written three books in a row that have had impact on my perspective. Any regular follower of the blog knows how much I've been influenced by A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future or "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need." Those texts highlighted to me where I needed to go next given the headspace I was in when I read them. If there's any big "a-ha" to me from Pink's new book, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us," it's that he's writing about where I am now. Dan Pink is ahead of the future curve, letting people know behind him what's coming up ahead. When I try to boil down the theme of the book to one central idea, it's that of intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivations. He frames this early on in the book in a number of ways. First, by talking about the failures of Arthur Anderson, Enron, Wall Street and our financial institutions, he dispels the notions that focusing on the mushy stuff doesn't affect the bottom line. Clearly, by losing focus on things like greater purpose, ethics, the people we affect, the change we want to see in the world -- losing that kind of focus and, instead, hyper-focusing on performance results (extrinsic motivators) affects material gains, at least in the short-term, but at the expense of losing those material games and wreaking unspeakable havoc on the lives of people far beyond the scope of your perceived impact. Pink highlights a number of changes I didn't know about that are starting to happen -- for instance, in April 2008, Vermont became the first US state to allow a new type of business called an L3C (low-profit limited liability corporation). It operates like a for-profit business but it's primary aim is to offer significant social benefits. -- an interesting alternative to a 503c corporation. Second, Pink frames the praise of intrinsic motivation by highlighting, with multiple examples, that this isn't new, it's well researched and the evidence holds true in the face of how we think about rewards. He links the notion of how work can translate to play (or vice-versa) to the example of Tom Sawyer getting his friends to pay to paint his fence. This "Sawyer Effect" was researched by behavioral scientists like Harlow (1940s), Maslow (1950s) and Deci (1960s), Lepper and Greene (1970s). There's now seven decades of research on how people are actually motivated, and while you might not have heard of these names, if you're in learning you've no doubt heard of Abraham Maslow. The theme of "the hidden costs of rewards" is recalled with several examples. To be clear, Pink doesn't admonish rewards or money or anything like that. He's making the case, very convincingly, that there's something else, bigger than the material, that we need to focus on -- that once we've met some very basic survival needs, we're ultimately leading unsatisfying lives unless we're working for something bigger than what's immediately in front of us. By tapping into that greater good, we unlock a lot more contribution, engagement and ultimately rewards of a virtuous cycle. One way to identify this potential, Pink cites fairly early on, is identifying heuristics vs. algorithms. This is critically important and timely. By putting creative people on rote tasks all the time (algorithms), we crush the creative spirit that is capable of innovation. Instead, give our workers big goals and the decision latitude to work with whom they need to accomplish and exceed expectations without a lot of constraint (heuristics), and be amazed by the speed and the totality of the result. There are countless examples of these successes, but while we marvel at the outcome we generally close our eyes to the process (or lack of process) by which those outcomes are achieved. If you're new to Pink's writing style, let me tell you that this book is a fast read. It's an easy read. It's an important read and it will open you up to some very interesting research and science behind motivation. This impacts you; this impacts how you impact the people you work with and work for.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2010 by Aaron Silvers
Format: Hardcover
"Drive" is an excellent take on what motivates people in modern society compared with times past. Things it covers are: 1. A couple of decades ago rhesus monkeys solved a puzzle without a reward of food, water or sex. They began playing with it and solved it, implying a thrid drive - some intrinsic reward. They even made more errors when an external reward was used - raisens. Then, more recently similar results were found in an experiment (a Soma puzzle) with humans, implying humans also have this third, intrinsic, drive - for novelty, challenge, with scientific proof counter to what business usally does to motivate workers. 2. Like computers, societies have operating systems - a) Motivation 1.0 - in older times just for survival, b) Motivation 2.0 - the industrial revolution led to rewards and punishments, carrots and sticks to motivate workers, c) Motivation 2.1 - some refinements like flex hours and casual dress, d) Motivation 3.0 - purpose driven rather than monetary compensation - think Wikipedia versus Microsoft's Encarta encyclopedia, Firefox, Apache web server, Linix. Strongest motivation - enjoyment. Vermont - first state to implement a new business organization, "low profit limited liability corporation" with purpose maximized rather than profit. 4. Behavioral economics shows people motivated also by irrational motives. US census showed many non-employer businesses. Financial rewards can turn play into work - reducing performance, loss of creativity. - the Sawyer Effect. 5. Extrinsic rewards can work for left-brain algorithmic tasks, but not for right-brain flexible problem-solving, creative solutions - can lead to bad, even unethical behavior and sort-term thinking like what led to the recent Great Recession - too much pay caused epic problems. Goals which lead to mastery are good - rewarding the activity better than rewarding the result. 6. Rewards best if unexpected, not if-then but now-that. 7. Self Determination Theory (SDT) - Type I person - 3 needs of a Type I person: a) autonomy - over 4 T's - task, time, technoque, and team, b) mastery - a flow - 3 laws to get in the flow - mindset, pain, asymptote - getting closer and closer to perfection but never reaching it, c) purpose - words are important like having an oath, when an employee says "we" rather than "they" for the company. 8. Toolkit for a Type I person - a) flow test - one sentence for a person like freed the slaves for Lincoln, b) small question - like was today better than yesterday, c) take a "sagmeiter" - a sabbatical like every 7 years - do something different like travel, d) do annual personal performance reviews, e) get unstuck by going oblique - by pushing out of a mental rut, f) move 5 steps closer to mastery - deliberate practice, g) 3x5 cards with question/answer to give meaning to each day, h) create your own motivational poster. 9. Nine ways to get your organization to be Type I - have 20% free time, encourage peer-peer now-that rewards, conduct an autonomy audit, take 3 steps to giving up control, play "whose purpose is it?", Reich's pronoun test - we or they, design for intrinsic motivation, Goldilocks for groups - not too easy, not too hard tasks, turn offsite into "FedEx day." 10. Type I compensation - get it right then get out of sight. Ensure internal, external fairness - harder job gets paid more, etc. Pay more than average. 11. Tips for parents on how to motivate kids: homework - autonomy, mastery, purpose, have a FedEx day, Do It Yourself (DIY) report cards, don't combine allowances and chores, praise strategy and effort not IQ, let kids see the big picture of things. Overall, this book is very insightful and an easy read - recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2010 by Joseph
Format: Hardcover
Brilliant people -- if they are lucky -- have one good book in them; the next one often disappoints -- often there are no more after that. Every new Dan Pink book makes me pause: "will this be as good as the last?" I've yet to be disappointed. Anyone who knows Dan knows how good his mind is (left AND right brains!). They also know that he has a wise, witty, fun, and fast way to take some of us who are stuck . . . clean the lens of our telescope and sharpen our view of what sits on the horizon. He also has a pattern of being annoyingly prescient. . . delivering an "aha" just when you've about run out of insights. In the course of my work I see many C-Suite inhabitants who are scratching their heads about why their people aren't as excited about THEIR visions for their business as they are. Turns out, most employees have little visceral connection to the change visions of newly minted, "fix the business or shut the lights" CEOs. Like most successful people in Western culture, when the going kept getting tougher, the tough have simply done what they know faster, harder, quicker . . . and then wonder why things continue to deteriorate. To paraphrase Dan, it worked well then . . . until it didn't! We are left with employee "town halls" filled with stone-faced survivors who stare at a cheerleading -- just got off the jet CEO -- who can't wait until he/she gets back on the jet so they can refocus on survival. We wait to hear about this week's "genius" who's going to save the company as much for dark entertainment as for anything else. They'll tell us about "quick wins" and "low-haniging fruit" and about how valued we all are. Whatever the talking head is saying is not connecting with me. Tell us what you want and we'll figure ways to not do it because we don't believe in it and, anyway, we know there will be another genius talking head at the podium in 12 months. Since the 80s we seem to have doomed ourselves to simply work harder and harder, shrugging our shoulders at diminishing returns and lately see a world that barely seems to make sense at all. Our companys have lost their stories and their souls; and its been made pretty clear that there isn't a lot of incentive to buck the trend, let alone find work that fits our story. Once again, Dan Pink asks us to challenge our assumptions in a new world. Unlike too many authors who rant only about what's broken, Dan offers us analysis, understanding, and an elegant shift in our lenses. He has tapped the energy of a growing minority of talented folks who are drawn to "legacy companies" that have all but lost their ability to exist. It's no longer a matter of "can you grow this business by "x?" It is "do we have enough time left for you to save/reinvent this business?" These new leaders are excited by an innate and intuitive belief that they can DO something with these "brands" before it's too late. And not because they're getting paid lots of cash . . . but because they want to be remembered as the person whose unique experience, insight, and passion made "that business" even better than it ever was, who found new ways to delight new customers. We're weary: of 5 steps & tools that don't work; of revolving CEO doors; of inane short-term decision-making that we know is setting us up for more ugliness. Colleagues, this is one voice whose book is food for the journey as well as the soul. You'll be refreshed by many deconstructions of assumptions that will make you wonder why you hadn't seen things in quite that way before. And, in classic Dan Pink style, he makes sure that you will enjoy the ride.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2010 by Robert B. Mintz, Ph.D.
Format: Paperback
This book has great ideas and approaches them from a scientific perspective, which is great. The author is 100% correct that business has fallen behind with how it brings out people's motivation and "drive" to do their best work with lasting results. But I found the book to be very repetitive and either saying the same thing over and over again, or changing up the wording so that it seemed like something different was being said but not really. It seemed like it was drawn out that way to make the book longer than it needed to be for whatever reason, and the guides in the back that applied to different areas of life seemed to do the same thing as they were just repetition of what the book beat you over the head with. I usually only ever like buying new copies of books so that they are "mine" but for some reason I bought a used copy of this book and was completely satisfied!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2026 by Giselle Wallace
Format: Kindle
As the title indicates, this book is about what motivates us to perform and the evolution of the underlying motivations as time progressed. The main concept introduced by Daniel is what he calls "the Motivational Operating Systems". In his own words these are "the sets of assumptions and protocols about how the world works and how humans behave, that run beneath our laws, economic arrangements, and business practices." The author then goes on to explain the progression of this operating system: "Motivation 1.0 presumed that humans were biological creatures, struggling for survival. Motivation 2.0 presumed that humans also responded to rewards and punishments in their environment. Motivation 3.0, the upgrade we now need, presumes that humans also have a third drive - to learn, to create, and to better the world." Despite the upgrade in the underlying motivational operating systems, Daniel argues that "most business haven't caught up to this new understanding of what motivates us. Too many organizations...still operate from assumptions about human potential and individual performance that are outdated, unexamined, and rooted more in folklore than in science. They continue to pursue practices such as short-term incentive plans and pay-for-performance schemes in the face of mounting evidence that such measures usually don't work and often do harm" A very insightful read on human behavior/motivation backed by years of scientific research. The book not only presents the concepts but also presents to us what its implications are from a management and leadership standpoint. Another great feature of the book is the summary and glossary of terms at the end. They serve as a great reference/refresher. A recommended read! Below are some excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful: 1- "Carrots and Sticks: The Seven Deadly Flaws - 1) They can extinguish intrinsic motivation. 2) They can diminish performance. 3) They can crush creativity. 4) They can crowd out good behavior. 5) They can encourage cheating, shortcuts, and unethical behavior. 6) They can become addictive. 7) They can foster short-term thinking." 2- "...For creative, right-brain, heuristic tasks, you're on shaky ground offering "if-then" rewards. You're better off using "now that" rewards. And you're best off if your "now that" rewards provide praise, feedback, and useful information." 3- "...Type I behavior emerges when people have autonomy over the four T's: their task, their time, their technique, and their team." 4- "The first two legs of the Type I tripod, autonomy and mastery, are essential. But for proper balance we need a third leg - purpose, which provides a context for its two mates. Autonomous people working toward mastery perform at very high levels. But those who do so in the service of some greater objective can achieve even more. The most deeply motivated people - not to mention those are most productive and satisfied - hitch their desires to a cause larger than themselves." 5- "Motivation 2.0 centered on profit maximization. Motivation 3.0 doesn't reject profits, but it places equal emphasis on purpose maximization." 6- "So, in the end, repairing the mismatch and bringing our understanding of motivation into the twenty-first century is more than an essential move for business. It's an affirmation of our humanity." 7- "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." 8- "Type I behavior: A way of thinking and an approach to life built around intrinsic, rather than extrinsic, motivators. IT is powered by our innate need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Type X behavior: Behavior that is fueled more by extrinsic desires than intrinsic ones that concerns itself less with the inherent satisfaction of an activity and more with the external rewards to which that activity leads."
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Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2011 by O. Halabieh
Format: Hardcover
Why are lawyers so miserable? Surveys like this one from the American Bar Association [...] consistently show that, despite having relatively prestigious and lucrative careers, lawyers are less happy with their jobs than many other professionals. Why is that? Is it the long hours? The burden of student loans carried over from law school? The endless lawyer jokes? In Drive, Daniel Pink argues that they're unhappy because they lack the right motivation. A good salary is a start, but human being require other stimuli in order to thrive in the long run. Lawyers, especially junior associates at big firms, have relatively little control over their work and face strict demands on how much time they need to bill every day, week, month and year. Young lawyers find themselves dissatisfied with their careers because they find they don't get to choose work that they find interesting or rewarding. Assignments are handed to them by partners and they have to make do with whatever they can get. So instead of facing-off in court against Perry Mason, Ally McBeal or Patty Hewes (pick your generation), they wind up working on an assembly line cranking out billable hours. What lawyers are missing is a sense of autonomy-- one of the three factors that Pink argues are crucial for motivating the 21st Century workforce. I'm not going to summarize the whole book since Pink does such a good job himself. Here's the "Cocktail Party" summary from the toolkit he provides as an appendix: 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. I admire how Pink keeps his thesis simple enough that it's easy to understand and recall (having 3 main points is key) while backing up his ideas with anecdotes from business and scientific studies. And the "cocktail party" summary is something many writers should adopt. If nothing else, it might help some of them focus on what it is that they really have to say. Don't let Pink's use of science turn you off-- it's covered quickly and written about in a clear manner that makes it palatable for all kinds of readers. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the idea of what motivates people. You don't have to be a "business person" to find something valuable here. If you feel stifled in your own job, Drive might help you find a way to make it more rewarding-- or help you make the decision that it's time to do something else. It also has suggestions on how to motivate your kids to do their chores, how to lose weight in ways that are more likely to work in the long run, and how to reform our educational system so that kids can motivate themselves. But I'd mostly just recommend Drive for its insights into what makes us happy-- and what doesn't.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2010 by Corby Guenther