The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
birdbander's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
ela_35's review against another edition
 This book wasn’t for me.Â
I was looking for more information about personality, and instead it seemed like the focus of this book was personal projects and what can influence them.Â
zepysgirl's review against another edition
4.0
I thought it was interesting. I’m familiar with the nature v. nurture debate, but I hadn’t checked in on that for a while, so I’m happy to hear there’s been more updates.
ashcomb's review against another edition
Brian Little goes over here the basic concepts of the big five personality trades and how they influence our lives. He also insists it is our activities that define us, making our personality more flexible than it is often thought. So all this makes it important how we spend our time and what we choose. That is the book in a nutshell. Suppose you are interested in reading about the big five personality trades, in that case, I recommend reading Brian Little's Me, Myself, and Us: The Science of Personality and the Art of Well-Being. It is a more thorough look at the research done about personality and how things like introversion impact us. However, this quick summary might work for you if you are short of time. Again, be mindful that the book only scratches the surface and oversimplifies the matter.
All that said, I still enjoyed the anecdotal book. It refreshed my memory of the big five and why it is essential to be aware of why our choices matter. They do matter. They define our character, what we value and why, and who we want to be. But, of course, we meander at times with our pursuits. None of us are machines that have a clearly defined path to some ultimate success; however, one might define that success. Then there are the circumstances we are thrown into and all the emotions we have to deal with, but still, it is helpful to consider every now and then that if this is the way I want to use all my time, is this who I want to be, and is this worthy of my pursuit. Then again, we all have to eat and preferably have a roof over our heads. It limits our choices somewhat, especially if we are not lucky enough to bend circumstances to our favor. Reality is a tough little nut to crack. So is the future.
I have been rambling about enough. I might as well end this review and say that if you hadn't read about the big five personality trades before or heard Brian Little speak, this is an excellent place to start.
Have a great day, and if you know a worthy pursuit, let everyone know! Thank you for reading <3
All that said, I still enjoyed the anecdotal book. It refreshed my memory of the big five and why it is essential to be aware of why our choices matter. They do matter. They define our character, what we value and why, and who we want to be. But, of course, we meander at times with our pursuits. None of us are machines that have a clearly defined path to some ultimate success; however, one might define that success. Then there are the circumstances we are thrown into and all the emotions we have to deal with, but still, it is helpful to consider every now and then that if this is the way I want to use all my time, is this who I want to be, and is this worthy of my pursuit. Then again, we all have to eat and preferably have a roof over our heads. It limits our choices somewhat, especially if we are not lucky enough to bend circumstances to our favor. Reality is a tough little nut to crack. So is the future.
I have been rambling about enough. I might as well end this review and say that if you hadn't read about the big five personality trades before or heard Brian Little speak, this is an excellent place to start.
Have a great day, and if you know a worthy pursuit, let everyone know! Thank you for reading <3
sanexiah's review against another edition
2.0
It was interesting but definitely not worth a full book. Too many repetitions, the concept is easily understood in a few pages and the rest is boring. I wish the author would have referred to more studies supporting/investigating his topic though.
leanettascott82's review against another edition
3.0
This book is good but is a little to psychology-ish for my taste. The author has spent a lot of time in his field studying up and mastering his profession, but in this book it is too scientific. I thought it was going to be a sort of self help guide to help me learn about myself. But it started off talking about biology and all that and lost me right there. I learned chromosomes and ribosomes in biology 101 I don't need another course so someone who hasn't taken those courses will be even less so interested. I think this book was written perfectly for a student of psych but for your everyday person it is a bit much.
Now don't get me wrong besides the science-y stuff I did get a few takeaways from it. Like for instance the "Big Five (5)" and how they shape whether I'm a go getter or not and the self test in the appendix. Those things made it worth it to keep going even though I was bored and fell asleep whilst reading several times.
Overall if you like scientifically researched books exploring the realm of who you are and what shapes you as person then by all means this book is definitely the way to go, if not then keep looking this isn't going to be your cup o'tea.
Now don't get me wrong besides the science-y stuff I did get a few takeaways from it. Like for instance the "Big Five (5)" and how they shape whether I'm a go getter or not and the self test in the appendix. Those things made it worth it to keep going even though I was bored and fell asleep whilst reading several times.
Overall if you like scientifically researched books exploring the realm of who you are and what shapes you as person then by all means this book is definitely the way to go, if not then keep looking this isn't going to be your cup o'tea.