Benchan Book Review #1: Give and Take by Adam Grant

Hi everybody. Since I like reading books, I decided to start writing about which books I have been reading recently, specifically books which are published in both English and Japanese so that they’ll be more accessible to everyone. If you’ve read the same books or want to chat about books, please talk to me any time.

Today’s book is Give and Take by Adam Grant. If you want, you can find it on Amazon in English or Japanese.

As you can tell from the title, the book is all about giving and taking, and more specifically, givers and takers.

Who do you think is more successful, givers or takers?

Some people might say takers are more successful as they are often using others while striving to reach their own goals. Some might say givers, as people naturally like people who are helpful and kind.

Adam Grant suggests something different, that the most successful people are those who balance giving and taking. As a giver, it’s important to not let other people who do not appreciate you use you. As a taker, it’s important people trust that you are not taking advantage of them so that they want to help you.

The idea is not that every interaction in your life is a give and take situation. That would be too cold and businesslike for most people.

The important thing is to balance giving and taking in all aspects of your life

I think this idea is really powerful and useful. Personally, I find it difficult to “take”. I usually want to do things for myself without asking others for help. But sometimes it’s important to trust in, and rely on others.

Has anyone read this book? Let me know your opinions!