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Book Club... And Then Some!
The male factor: The unwritten rules, misperceptions, and secret beliefs of men in the workplace
by Shaunti Feldhahn
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
The bottom line of Feldhahn’s 308-page book is: be aware of your workplace behavior and how it might be perceived.
Feldhahn is a bestselling author (her books have sold two million copies and have been translated into fifteen different languages copies). Two of her other books are called For Women Only and For Men Only. She is a nationally syndicated columnist and holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University (from the back flyleaf).
Since I am not a woman in the workplace, I wanted to see how women perceive Feldhahn’s book. Here is what I came up with:
V. Blankenship writes, “As a woman living in a house full of men, husband and 5 sons, and just entering the workforce for the first time in 20 years, I was completely enthralled by this book. Shaunti Feldhahn definitely gets into the male psyche and reveals things that all women need to know, especially women in the workforce today. Its an eye opening, thought provoking read that really makes you think twice about the male/female relationship in the public work place today.”
Kimberly Martinez, of Seattle, WA, writes the following: “This book is not just terrific, it was incredibly needed. Most of us want to be the best we can be at what God has called us to - sometimes we need new tools. Many years ago, there was a book - Mars and Venus in the Workplace. It kind of did what this book does, but it was written by a man.
“Shaunti has done so much empirical research in order to put this book together. If you ever wanted to know what men really think, this book will tell you. Better than that, this book will give you the tools to help men hear what you are really trying to say without any male/female cultural noise messing up the communication loop. “
Connie Y. Mishali, writes, “Shaunti Feldhahn has done a lot of research to get inside the male psyche to figure out what men think and feel in the workplace, what unwritten codes of conduct they live by, how they perceive women in general and their actions in the workplace, and what women can and should do in order to succeed in their careers.
“The information Shaunti has compiled is sometimes surprising, sometimes almost unbelievable, and always helpful! This book is a must-read for every career or business-minded woman. Incidentally, its insights will also help you with your marriage and friendships because you will have a greater understanding of what men experience at work.”
J. Guyer writes, “This is a valuable book for woman in the workplace. Based on surveys and interviews with men about the unwritten rules and expectations that rule the business world, it gives women a tool to better navigate what can seem like a foreign culture. The insights learned from this book can also be eye opening and helpful for women in general in understanding how men think and view women and the world. The Christian version offers a chapter on applying these findings with a Biblical world view toward interacting with others.”
Most of the Amazon.com reviews were favorable. A number of reviewers pointed out the length of the book (said it could be shorter), and some noted, too, that it read like a textbook and was difficult to get through. I found it a bit long, but the research used is interesting, the insights were useful (especially for those new in the business world or for those planning to go into the business world), and the viewpoints are valuable for both males and females. I became a bit tired of reading this book, but that is why I chose to quote so many reviews above — since I am not in business, have never been in business, and have no plans to go into business. Those facts can make a difference in how easy this book is to navigate.
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This book is available from Amazon.com: The male factor: The unwritten rules, misperceptions, and secret beliefs of men in the workplace.
Book Club... And Then Some!
The genius in all of us: Why everything you’ve been told about genetics, talent, and IQ is wrong
by David Shenk
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
For a 302-page book, this is an amazingly short one, and here’s why. The “Sources and Notes, Clarifications and Amplifications” section is 140-pages long! 140 pages!!! Then there is a 20-page “Bibliography,” and there is no index. So, the book ends with a 1 1/2-page “Epilogue,” on page 134! There are ten chapters; thus, average chapter length is about 13 pages.
Despite its brevity, this is an amazingly interesting, very well written, captivating through stories and anecdotes, seemingly accurately explained and described, and thoroughly documented book.
All those who might be interested in purchasing this book should be advised to read the reviews at Amazon.com. Todd Stark’s (from Philadelphia, PA), writes (as part of his review): “In deconstructing talent, Shenk leaves no room to think about what little the scandalously politically incorrect Galton, Spearman, and Terman might have somehow gotten right, what stable developmental trajectories genes might actually provide us under a wide range of environments, and what sorts of things the people Shenk cites favorably might actually disagree with him about.” Be sure to look at Stark’s list of additional readings while you are there.
Then, there is Kevin Currie-Knight from Newark, Delaware, who writes (as part of his review), “WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! It is true, of course, that studies deal with groups and averages, not individuals and specifics. But, this does not mean that studies can't be generalized, as that is the whole point of studies with controls on variables, sufficient sample sizes, etc.”
M. A. Glenn, of Santa Cruz Mountains, CA, writes: “Shenk's premise is that there are no geniuses, there are no exceptional people, we just have to work at developing the talent that is latent in all of us. He relies on a marginal branch of genetics that holds that genes don't have much to do with our natural endowments. We are all mostly the same and factors other than our genes shape us. Hence, no need to discuss nature vs. nurture because it's all nurture.
"No doubt, hard work and drive are important, but Shenk never addresses the source of this hard work and drive. Could it be part of one's genetic makeup? No, Shenk is convinced that genes have little to do with talent and achievement. He uses this premise to attack IQ, the Bell Curve, genius, talent, and even Ayn Rand. Incredible! Of course, if there are no exceptions, then we, as individuals, are not only equal under the law, but equal in all ways. The subtext is that individuality and merit are old notions that we must move beyond. How democratic! I hated it at summer camp when everyone was a winner. Competition drives us and pushes us to our inherited limits.
"Most troubling is the logical inconsistency in Shenk's argument: if genes play little role in achievement, then what about natural selection. His handling of the Kenyan runners is laughable. After centuries of natural selection to run faster, Shenk concludes that we don't know that genes have anything to do with it. Unanswered, of course, is how this idea relates to such hot topics as homosexuality. If this is gene determined,w hy the exception? If this is part of Shenk's theory, then is he really saying that homosexuality is learned? He's stays far away from any unpopular implication of his premise. This is a shallow, PC argument for mediocrity and a not so subtle attack on individual achievement, written by a popularizer with little, if any, education in the subject.
"If we just work hard enough, and follow Shenk's suggestions, we might become a mid-life Mozart. Wrong. There is greatness and, yes, you have to inherit the basic stuff for greatness, such as long legs for jumping, before you can practice your way to stardom. If Shenk had been born with talent, it would not have taken him three years to write this thin polemic. Footnoted, but, so what? A waste of time.”
Brazen999, from Florida, writes: “This book sells hope to those that don't measure up genetically and those that wish everyone did measure up genetically. The book can be summed up as "You can do it!", said in the style of Rob Schneider. But he makes a whole mess of oxymoronic and contradictory claims to push that message through though.”
R. M. Smith, another reviewer of the book at Amazon.com, writes, “Sometimes journalists can make sense of complex scientific topics and sometimes they can't. Unfortunately, in this book, David Shenk falls into the latter category. "The Genius in All of Us" is another example of the romantic fantasy that is gripping some realms of popular psychology and all of public education at the moment (think No Child Left Behind). Yes, human nature is plastic, but it is not as yielding as Shenk would like us to believe. In the real world, our genomes impose tighter constraints. For instance, I doubt that David Shenk has an IQ of 85 which he has re-worked through 10,000 hours of writing practice culminating in the publication of a book.”
Now, I don’t want to suggest that all the reviews of this book at Amazon.com are negative as the above selections would indicate. There are a total (at this writing) of 34 reviews with an average customer rating of four stars out of five. But, what these reviews indicate is significant. Some of the positive reviews are rather superficial and don’t look below the surface. I feel, when you read the complete reviews of those who give the book a negative review (and I have been incredibly selective in the portions I have quoted above), they have some serious—and some quite in-depth—concerns.
If you want a quick-read motivational book, this is a good one to choose, after all, David Shenk’s bottom line is a simple one: all people can do better by working harder. Who can deny that? — scientific evidence or not!
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This book is available from Amazon.com: The genius in all of us: Why everything you’ve been told about genetics, talent, and IQ is wrong.
Book Club... And Then Some!
The Art of Choosing
by Sheena Iyengar
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Sheena Iyengar is the S.T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia University. This is important to know because, at the outset, it reveals the degree of research, citations, and qualifications you will get throughout the book. Ivengar does not disappoint.
In this 329-page book, there is a 12-page index, 16-page bibliography, 22-page section of notes, and 7 pages of acknowledgments—leaving 268 pages of content. There are seven chapters plus an epilogue, with chapters averaging about 36 pages in length. I mention this simply to call to your attention the denseness of this book. It is full of substance, to say the least, but it is readable and full of interesting stories.
To give you an example of Ivengar’s writing style, I offer this from the, “Past Is Prologue,” opening section of the book:
“In 1971, my parents emigrated from India to America by way of Canada. Like so many before them, when they landed on the shores of this new country and a new life, they sought the American Dream. They soon found out that pursuing it entailed many hardships, but they persevered. I was born into the dream, and I think I understood it better than my parents did, for I was more fluent in American culture. In particular, I realized that the shining thing at its center—so bright you could see it even if you, like me, were blind—was choice.
“My parents had chosen to come to this country, but they had also chosen to hold on to as much of India as possible. They lived among other Sikhs, followed closely the tenets of their religion, and taught me the value of obedience. What to eat, wear, study, and later on, where to work and whom to marry—I was to allow these to be determined by the rules of Sikhism and by my family’s wishes. . . “ (p. xi).
And, as useful as her background is when considering how she decided to pursue her study of “choice,” is her description of her book:
“Each of the following seven chapters will look at choice from a different vantage point and tackle various questions about the way choice affects our lives. Why is choice powerful, and where does its power come from? Do we all choose in the same way? What is the relationship between how we choose and who we are? Why are we so often disappointed by our choices, and how do we make the most effective use of the tool of choice? How much control do we really have over our everyday choices? How do we choose when our options are practically unlimited? Should we ever let others choose for us, and if yes, who and why? Whether or not you agfree with my opinions, suggestions, and conclusions—and I’m sure we won’t always see eye to eye—just the process of exploring these questions can help you make more informed decisions” (p. xiii).
I found the book insightful, informative, interesting, and valuable—but it is also very long. You really must want to know the answers to the questions Iyengar raises and have an overpowering interest in the subject, “choice” because, whether you like it or not, and despite the many wonderful stories she shares, Iyengar is an academic, and she writes like one.
J. Powell, of Brooklyn, New York, writes this as his review of Iyengar’s book at Amazon.com: “This is a very good book that really requires a lot of introspection, and a high level of reading comprehension.
For myself anyway, this is not light beach reading that you can blow through, but an interesting, deeply reflective tool that will help you understand yourself and others just a little bit better.
The author uses numerous scientific studies from industry and her own studies and observations to bolster her work.
The book helps the reader take a more global perspective on how various cultures and our upbringing help to influence how and why we make certain choices.
Very good book.”
John Laughlin, of Frederick, Maryland, writes, “I came across this book while doing extensive reading in Behavioral Economics. It is truly excellent. Not only does it fill in some holes on the "business" side of choice, but -- more importantly -- it adds considerable depth to the area of "personal" choice, which is lacking in most economics-focused books.
The power of the author's insights become even more apparent when the book is read in conjunction with books like Blink, Outliers and The Long Tail (all of which the author refers to).
The book is especially helpful for those of us in the US who have limited experience with the cultures of other countries in which choice is less valued and more curtailed. Finally, anyone who is coping with end-of-life decisions will appreciate the final chapter on choosing your own end of life.”
I think these two reviews will help you make your decision as to whether or not this is the right book for you. I agree with both of these reviews.
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This book is available from Amazon.com: The Art of Choosing.
Book Club... And Then Some!
Power of 2: How to make the most of your partnerships at work and in life
by Rodd Wagner and Gale Muller
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
One of the reasons this book caught my attention was simply that I have written extensively on interpersonal communication—relationship partnering. My Understanding Interpersonal Communication college textbook (designed for freshmen and sophomore students) went through seven editions, and had this book become available during any of that time, it certainly would have been used throughout that book as a competent, highly relevant, well-written addition. I used sections from books like this one in my “Consider This” boxes scattered in all the chapters.
One of the strengths of this book is their use of original Gallup polling research to identify “the dimensions of partnership.” The authors “analyzed the responses of thousands of people in search of the variables that are best at differentiating between a great partnership and a poor one. People from all walks of life scored their working relationships with their coworkers, fellow volunteers, other students, managers, and hundreds of others with whom they regularly interact[ed]” (p. 7).
The research the authors conducted reveal eight elements of a powerful partnership: 1) complementary strengths, 2) a common mission, 3) fairness, 4) trust, 5) acceptance, 6) forgiveness, 7) communicating, and 8) unselfishness (pp. 28-30). Brief definitions and explanations are offered in the introduction to the book, then there is a separate full chapter on each one with a final chapter, “In Closing: Looking Within,” summarizing them. There is a section “Additional Insights for Businesspeople,” and an appendix, “How the Gallup Research Was Conducted.”
Let me, through a quotation from the book and the chapter on “Communicating,” provide an example of their writing as well as a demonstration of the power that partnerships offer (as revealed, of course, throughout the book):
“To solve the puzzle [trying to find the structure of DNA], required a tremendous amount of conjecture. The ability to bounce ideas off each other proved to be the principal strength of the collaboration between [Francis] Crick and [James D.] Watson. The American admired that Crick ‘never stops talking and thinking.’ The two men ate lunch together almost every day. Afterward, they would exchange ideas while strolling along the grounds [at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, where Crick was already working]. They shared coffee in the mornings and tea in the afternoons. When the group in Cavendish was offered an extra room, two of Watson and Crick’s colleagues announced they were going to give it to them ‘so that you can talk to each other without disturbing the rest of us’” (p. 147).
The demands that great partnerships require of each participant are extreme and well described in the chapter, “Looking Within,” toward the end of the book.
The stories and anecdotes are arresting, the writing style is straightforward, comfortable, and engaging, and the insights, research, and substance of the book make this a “must read” selection for everyone involved in, interested in, or moving into an essential and necessary partnership. All those who are beginning a relationship should read this book as well. A great book!
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This book is available from Amazon.com: Power of 2: How to make the most of your partnerships at work and in life.
Book Club... And Then Some!
It’s not rocket science and other irritating modern cliches
by Clive Whichelow and Hugh Murray
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
This is a 5-inch by 7 1/4th-inch, 194-page book full of cliches and their explanations.
There are general cliches as well as cliches from the arenas of the media, entertainment, commercial, and business, and those in the political, and social areas, too.
I loved Whichelow and Murray’s first two sentences of the introduction to the book: “Over 50 years ago the film producer Samuel Goldwyn said, ‘Let’s have some new cliches!’ Well we’ve got shedloads of new cliches—and then some!” Do you see why I like the first two sentences so much? No, it’s not the substitution of “shedloads” for a much racier way of saying the same thing. It’s the last three words: “and then some”
—the name of my publishing company!
Do you want to know what I find most fascinating about this collection? Being a writer, I am 1) amazed at how many of these cliches I recognize, and 2) how many of these cliches I have used (or continue using), and 3) how many cliches I have never heard. Now, it must be understood that this book was produced in England; thus, there would be some that are particular to Great Britain.
I have never heard of “gobsmacked” which means surprised, “but perhaps to about the power of ten” (p. 28), “(I nearly) choked on my cornflakes” (p. 14), “going pear-shaped” (p. 29), “schadenfreude” which means “delight in other people’s misfortunes” (p. 86), “z-list celebrities” (p. 100), “shoot the puppy” which means “to consider the most extreme and controversial course of action” (pp. 136-137), “beggars belief” which is “often used by opposition politicians to express their complete astonishment at some piece of government incompetence” (p. 149), and “ring-fence” the building of “dirty great, probably electric, fences around [money] . . . to stop themselves [from getting to it]” (p. 161).
Here is what’s interesting about the list in the previous paragraph: it consists of very few words out of hundreds listed in the book. In other words, the authors have, indeed, selected highly recognizable, common (by definition) cliches that most readers will recognize. That makes the book fun, entertaining, and (at least a little bit) informative.
This is an enjoyable, short read.
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This book is available from Amazon.com: It’s not rocket science and other irritating modern cliches.
