Daniel Pink Reviews

Daniel H. Pink

PRAISE FOR
Drive
The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Publishers Weekly
According to Pink (A Whole New Mind), everything we think we know about what motivates us is wrong. He pits the latest scientific discoveries about the mind against the outmoded wisdom that claims people can only be motivated by the hope of gain and the fear of loss. Pink cites a dizzying number of studies revealing that carrot and stick can actually significantly reduce the ability of workers to produce creative solutions to problems. What motivates us once our basic survival needs are met is the ability to grow and develop, to realize our fullest potential. Case studies of Google's 20 percent time (in which employees work on projects of their choosing one full day each week) and Best Buy's Results Only Work Environment (in which employees can work whenever and however they choose—as long as they meet specific goals) demonstrate growing endorsement for this approach. A series of appendixes include further reading and tips on applying this method to businesses, fitness and child-rearing. Drawing on research in psychology, economics and sociology, Pink's analysis -- and new model -- of motivation offers tremendous insight into our deepest nature.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Pink's ideas deserve a wide hearing. Corporate boards, in fact, could do well by kicking out their pay consultants for an hour and reading Pink's conclusions instead."
--Forbes

"Pink's deft traversal of research at the intersection of psychology and economics make this a worthwhile read-no sticks necessary."
--SEED

"[Pink] continues his engaging exploration of how we work."
--Inc. Magazine

"Pink's a gifted writer who turns even the heaviest scientific study into something digestible-and often amusing-without losing his intellectual punch."
--New York Post

"A worthwhile read. It reminds us that those of us on the right side of the brain are driven furthest and fastest in pursuit of what we love."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Pink's analysis -- and new model -- of motivation offers tremendous insight into our deepest nature."
--Publishers Weekly

"Important reading...an integral addition to a growing body of literature that argues for a radical shift in how businesses operate."
--Kirkus

"Drive is the rare book that will get you to think and inspire you to act. Pink makes a strong, science-based case for rethinking motivation--and then provides the tools you need to transform your life."
--Dr. Mehmet Oz, co-author of YOU: The Owners Manual

PRAISE FOR
A Whole New Mind
Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Publishers Weekly
With visionary flare, Pink argues that business and everyday life will soon be dominated by right-brain thinkers. He identifies the roots and implications of transitioning from a society dominated by left-brain thinkers into something entirely different -- although at times, he seems to be exhorting rather than observing the trend. As a narrator, Pink delivers in a well executed manner, with occasional hints of enthusiasm. He maintains a steady voice that is well suited for a business-oriented text, and his crisp pronunciation and consistent pace keeps listeners engaged and at ease. Updated with new material.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Booklist
"Abundance, Asia, and automation." Try saying that phrase five times quickly, because if you don't take these words into serious consideration, there is a good chance that sooner or later your career will suffer because of one of those forces. Pink, best-selling author of Free Agent Nation (2001) and also former chief speechwriter for former vice-president Al Gore, has crafted a profound read packed with an abundance of references to books, seminars, Web sites, and such to guide your adjustment to expanding your right brain if you plan to survive and prosper in the Western world. According to Pink, the keys to success are in developing and cultivating six senses: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Pink compares this upcoming "Conceptual Age" to past periods of intense change, such as the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, as a way of emphasizing its importance.
-- Ed Dwyer
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

An audacious and powerful work.
-- Miami Herald

For soon-to-be liberal arts graduates, it makes an encouraging graduation gift.
-- Newsweek

For those wishing to give their creative muscles a workout, the book is full of exercises and resources.
-- Harvard Business Review

This book is a miracle. Completely original and profound.
-- Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence

Very important, convincingly argued, and mind-altering.
-- Po Bronson, author of What Should I Do With My Life?

Will give you a new way to look at your work, your talent, your future.
-- Worthwhile magazine

Wow! A Whole New Mind is one of those rare books that marks a turning point.
-- Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow

PRAISE FOR
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko
The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need

Booklist
Instructional comics are at least as old as the World War II comic-book pamphlets showing GIs how to do various things (or, reputedly, not do, such as get VD). This book is ostensibly the first American business-career advisor in comics form, though manga industry buzz has it that such is ancient hat in Japan (where, furthermore, 40 percent of all books are manga -- so there). Gotta say it’s nifty enough. It traces the titular young office drone’s transformation into an asset to the company via the six rules he learns from a smart-alecky genie he summons by cracking apart pairs of cheap chopsticks. Up-and-coming business guru Pink contributes a text that many may find didactically routine and only just over-the-bar in terms of humor, but Ten Pas, an American thoroughly steeped in manga style, moves it like it was preferred stock. His panel design and page layout are slick as glare ice, and he makes the customary repertoire of manga grimaces and “sound” effects strut like showgirls. More enjoyable than may have been intended.
--Ray Olson

"Any career consultant -- or high-school guidance counselor -- who doesn't immediately order copies of this book in bulk is missing the boat -- big time." -- Miami Herald

"Hard-hitting and informative yet bursting with optimism . . . Pink has a knack for teaching in such an entertaining way that you'll forget you are learning." -- Forbes

"Outrageous, delightful ... If the precepts in 'The Adventures of Johnny Bunko' help some slackers open nail salons or become billionaires in some offbeat business, that's all to the good" -- Wall Street Journal

"The ideal gift for those in need of a career shakeup who claim they have no time to even think about next steps." -- NYTimes.com

PRAISE FOR
Free Agent Nation
The Future of Working for Yourself

Library Journal
Not all "free agents" are highly paid athletes whose main skills are dunking a basketball or hitting a baseball. In fact, as Pink (contributing editor, Fast Company) reveals, over 25 million Americans are now self-employed, and fewer than one in ten works for a Fortune 500 company. This excellent work synthesizes the seismic shift in attitudes about and patterns of work in the economy from the early 1950s era of William Whyte's The Organization Man to today's independent worker, the free agent. Pink astutely summarizes what this major shift in the definition of employment now means to millions of Americans and explains the various types of free agents (including soloists, temps, and those involved in their own microbusiness). Other chapters cover examples of how self-sufficiency works so well for numerous life situations, while in many cases free-agency employment does not work well at all. This work may not be rooted in empirical research, but Pink's thorough review of the literature and his extensive roadwork interviewing hundreds of independent workers successfully merges psychosocial data with pragmatic reality. This major contribution to better understanding the trend toward independent contract work is highly recommended for all university libraries and larger public libraries.
-- Dale Farris, Groves, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Booklist
With Manpower, Inc., the temporary agency, the nation's largest private employer and one-quarter to one-third of American workers operating as "free agents," this author offers analysis of this "new economy" and advice on how to succeed in it. The Fast Company cover story that Pink, a former Gore chief speechwriter, wrote on the growth of "free agency" produced so much feedback that he traveled across the country with his young family to interview "America's new independent workers" for this book. Pink examines facts and figures, explores the roots of increasing free agency, and considers the new work ethic, employment contract, and time clock it generates. He outlines the structure of free-agent work and major disruptions (especially for involuntary free agents) and offers some predictions about how this new paradigm will affect institutional arrangements, including education, "e-tirement," real estate, finance, and politics. Pink understands how busy free agents are; each chapter closes with "The Box," which punchily summarizes the chapter's key points.
-- Mary Carroll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"... Free Agent Nation is a delight."
-- The Financial Times

"A book with interesting facts, . . . appealing interviews, friendly prose and a provocative point of view."
-- The New York Times

"Beautifully written . . . profoundly prophetic . . . 25 years from now we'll still be discussing Free Agent Nation.”
-- Tom Peters, co-author of In Search of Excellence

"Bound to be one of the decade’s most important books."
-- Virginia Postrel, columnist, New York Times, and author of The Future and Its Enemies

"Compelling . . . there is so much insightful information that the reader wants to underline almost every word."
-- HR Magazine

"Free Agent Nation will turn your notion of a "career" upside down. It might even set you free."
-- Scott Adams, Dilbert cartoonist

“A nice surprise . . . punchy prose . . . prescient prognostications.”
-- Miami Herald

“Enlightening and insightful.”
-- Harvard Business School Working Knowledge

“That rare business book—both substantial and enjoyable to read.”
-- The Economist

“Warning: This book may make you rethink your career.”
-- CNN.com