What we're reading

The Western World has become so focused on finding our natural in-born abilities that we lose sight of the fact that we can improve with hard work. A few years ago, I was hugely disappointed by Marcus Buckingham's Now, Discover Your Strengths, which is designed to help you discover your talents, based on the idea that you cannot be happy unless you do. But it doesn't help you discover tangible talents, and it perpetuates a misconception.

The growth mindset, in fact, fundamentally separates resilient, successful people from those who coulda' shouda' done.  That's what I'm reading about in Carol Dweck's Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Okay,  I cheated and skimmed the last half. But to do all the books I do, that is how I do it.

If you want to learn similar concepts, but want an enjoyable read, try Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success.