Book Summary
| Language | English (430) |
|---|---|
| Published On | 2013 (4) |
| Timeperiod | 21st Century (186) |
| Genre | business (16), nonfiction (88) |
| Category | Success (13) |
| Topics | generosity (5), influence (17), leadership (38), networking (9), reciprocity (1) |
| Audiences | educators (29), entrepreneurs (123), managers (89), professionals (93), students (293) |
Table of Contents
- What’s Inside Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
- Book Summary
- Chapter Summary
- Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success Insights
- Usage & Application
- Life Lessons
- FAQ
- Famous Quotes from Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
What’s Inside Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
Synopsis
Grant shows why people who create value for others strategically and sustainably, outperform over time. Through evidence, stories, and tools, he explains how to give without burning out, build a reputation that travels, and convert generosity into durable success.
Book Summary
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success book summary: Adam Grant maps three reciprocity styles givers, takers, and matchers, and shows, with rigorous research and vivid stories, how “otherish” givers outperform in the long run. What does this book talk about? It explains how to practice high-impact generosity, protect time and energy, and build networks and reputations that compound. Why is this book important? It overturns the zero-sum myth of success, offering practical habits that help you achieve more while lifting others, relevant to careers, teams, and communities.
Key takeaways:
• Be an “otherish” giver: generous with boundaries and self-advocacy
• Use the 5-minute favor to create compounding goodwill
• Tap dormant ties and giver networks to unlock opportunities
• Guard against burnout with time-boxed help and priorities
• Build reputational capital through consistent, visible contributions.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 1: Good Returns – Success depends not just on talent or hard work, but on how we interact whether we give, take, or match.
Chapter 2: The Peacock and the Panda – Givers may seem vulnerable, but their quiet generosity often builds lasting trust and influence.
Chapter 3: The Ripple Effect – Helping others creates networks of goodwill that multiply opportunities over time.
Chapter 4: Finding the Diamond in the Rough – Givers lift others by seeing potential where others see limits.
Chapter 5: The Power of Powerless Communication – Humility and genuine listening can persuade more effectively than dominance.
Chapter 6: The Art of Motivation Maintenance – Givers succeed long term by balancing generosity with self-care and clear boundaries.
Chapter 7: Chump Change – Giving doesn’t mean being exploited; wise givers learn to spot and manage takers.
Chapter 8: The Scrooge Shift – Even takers can transform when generosity becomes the norm in a culture.
Chapter 9: Out of the Shadows – The most successful givers quietly shape systems that reward collaboration over competition.
Chapter 10: Actions, Not Intentions – True success endures when giving becomes a way of life, not just a strategy.
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success Insights
| Book Title | Give and Take |
| Book Subtitle | A Revolutionary Approach to Success |
| Author | Adam Grant |
| Publisher | Viking (Penguin Group USA) |
| Translation | Original language: English; no translation |
| Details | Publication Year/Date: 2013; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-0670026555; Last edition: Penguin Books 2013; Number of pages: 320 |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.07 / 5 – 39,500 ratings – 2,696 reviews |
About the Author
Dr. Adam Grant studies how people find motivation and meaning, and how leaders build better workplaces. He writer for New York Times and advises organizations on culture, and innovation.
| Official Website | Facebook | X| Instagram | YouTube
Usage & Application
How to Use This Book
Feeling stuck because networking feels transactional? Flip the script.
1) Career growth: Offer a 5-minute favor intro someone to a client, share a template that saved you 6 hours, or annotate a teammate’s deck. Track a 20% reply boost on outreach within a month because reciprocity kicks in.
2) Team leadership: Create a weekly “give wall” in Slack, people post what they can give (code reviews, mock interviews). Watch cycle times drop 12–20% as help flows faster to bottlenecks.
3) Sales/BD: Lead with value. Send a one-page audit with benchmarks (3 concrete fixes). Close rates rise when prospects feel you’re a giver, not a taker. Start small, protect your time, and systematize giving so it scales without burnout.
Video Book Summary
Life Lessons
– Sustainable generosity beats self-sacrifice: set boundaries to keep giving over the long haul.
– Relationships compound when you offer value first and often, without keeping score.
– Reputation is built by consistent micro-gives, not occasional grand gestures.
– Smart giving activates dormant ties and widens opportunity beyond your immediate circle.
– Protect focus: say yes to high-impact asks; gracefully decline or time box the rest.