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awesomebrandi's review against another edition
4.0
This is a non-fiction book about reconsidering our points of view, and it gives examples of things that can happen when we do or don't 'rethink' things. I don't understand the negative reviews, honestly, other than it being a bunch of people who want to prove they're just so much smarter than everyone else. Seems like this book maybe hit an uncomfortable truth with some people, which I can see it doing.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read that I agreed with. Over the last few years, I've really been challenging myself to put aside the 'preacher' mindset, and do more active listening, in an attempt to bridge the gap with some people. I don't think everyone can be reached, but I think a lot of people can be, if we participate in active listening and truly care about making a difference.
The biggest issue I had with the book, was pretty much zero discussion or mention of disability of any kind, other than brief mentions of Autism in relation to fear mongering around vaccines. The author even said 'autism and other syndromes', which did bother me, as Autism is not an illness or 'syndrome'. But, I obviously have strong personal feelings about the subject, so I would love to engage in a conversation with the author. The other issues were similar, talking about IQ and EQ, which are ableist concepts, and a few other things. To his credit, he does basically imply that IQ tests are not accurate indicators of 'success' long term, which is absolutely true.
I just felt disability was so clearly left out of this book, which bothers me. Probably would have been a five star if I didn't feel so bothered by zero touching on disability. I think discourse around disability, Autism, etc, aligns so closely with what he's saying in this book. I feel like leaving it out is a disappointment, when we really need to look at the nuances and use active listening to better help people understand the Autistic/Disabled community. Additionally, I didn't care for the use of words like 'stupid' and the ilk. Again, ableism.
The book is a fast read, and I enjoyed his conversational approach to non-fiction writing. I even laughed out loud a couple of times.
Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read that I agreed with. Over the last few years, I've really been challenging myself to put aside the 'preacher' mindset, and do more active listening, in an attempt to bridge the gap with some people. I don't think everyone can be reached, but I think a lot of people can be, if we participate in active listening and truly care about making a difference.
The biggest issue I had with the book, was pretty much zero discussion or mention of disability of any kind, other than brief mentions of Autism in relation to fear mongering around vaccines. The author even said 'autism and other syndromes', which did bother me, as Autism is not an illness or 'syndrome'. But, I obviously have strong personal feelings about the subject, so I would love to engage in a conversation with the author. The other issues were similar, talking about IQ and EQ, which are ableist concepts, and a few other things. To his credit, he does basically imply that IQ tests are not accurate indicators of 'success' long term, which is absolutely true.
I just felt disability was so clearly left out of this book, which bothers me. Probably would have been a five star if I didn't feel so bothered by zero touching on disability. I think discourse around disability, Autism, etc, aligns so closely with what he's saying in this book. I feel like leaving it out is a disappointment, when we really need to look at the nuances and use active listening to better help people understand the Autistic/Disabled community. Additionally, I didn't care for the use of words like 'stupid' and the ilk. Again, ableism.
The book is a fast read, and I enjoyed his conversational approach to non-fiction writing. I even laughed out loud a couple of times.
aneibauer's review
5.0
Adam Grant does a great job of mixing narrative storytelling with sound research to tell a compelling story. I am really excited to improve my practice of rethinking and bring this into my classroom for my students.
nicolemardell's review against another edition
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
harmonictempest's review against another edition
4.0
Solidly worth my time. The first section on the value of re-thinking your own opinions was largely not news to me because Adam Grant is the sort of scientist whose ground is well covered by pop sci articles.
But the second section on talking to people with other opinions was a vital read in the pandemic and Trump eras. The book was worth it for this section alone, which made me realize how ineffective I was at either connecting to OR convincing those I deeply disagree with.
And the third section about rethinking your life was fine too, but didn’t make as strong an impression.
But the second section on talking to people with other opinions was a vital read in the pandemic and Trump eras. The book was worth it for this section alone, which made me realize how ineffective I was at either connecting to OR convincing those I deeply disagree with.
And the third section about rethinking your life was fine too, but didn’t make as strong an impression.