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Give and Take

Grant divides people into three groups:

  • Givers: people who freely help others
  • Takers: people who help others only when it directly benefits them
  • Matchers: people who help others only if they receive it

He makes the case that ‘givers’ are more successful than the other groups, though on average do worse - ie highly successful people are more likely to be 'givers'.

Grant relies too much on anecdotes and statistics to make his case which limits the value of the book. It was nice reading about the success stories of various givers, but something more concrete and scientific would've been more useful.

Takeaways​

People are more likely to help you than you think​

...when we try to predict others’ reactions, we focus on the costs of saying yes, overlooking the costs of saying no. It’s uncomfortable, guilt- provoking, and embarrassing to turn down a small request for help.

Givers may better succeed in the long term​

Giving helps foster relationships and build trust with others which helps in the long run.

Know when to set boundaries​

Otherwise 'takers' will take advantage of you.