Perceptive and wise self-improvement advice.
A psychologist focuses his attention squarely on men in society in this guide.
Journeyman, a quaint, somewhat archaic word, takes on new meaning in Daloisio’s expansive exploration of the literal journey of a man in the modern world. The author takes a deep dive into his own life; he exposes his feelings and frailties with a genuine candor that is likely intended to get other men to unapologetically admit their vulnerabilities. Daloisio weaves his personal story into chapters that are heavy on psychology but instructive rather than clinical. Beginning with a chapter entitled “The Story of You,” the book opens with a discussion of persona, “the hidden self” and “the unknown self,” transitioning to the “four archetypes of the masculine psyche.” While such jargon may be intimidating to some, the author is careful to define all of these terms in layperson’s language, using solid examples for clarification. In a man’s journey, writes Daloisio, he must cope with his “inner versus outer selves,” both of which are covered in significant detail. Additional concepts that appear with appropriate explanations include “voices of the reactive mindset” and “moments of truth.” Perhaps most important, though, are the author’s prescriptions for personal improvement. For example, he writes insightfully about self-awareness, self-regulation, mindfulness, self-respect, “your inner guidance system,” and the growth mindset. When discussing transformation, Daloisio lays out a helpful 12-step process designed to steer readers through positive change. He also puts forth a unique way of individualizing his counsel, employing a three-part approach to change—a story, a formula, and a framework—“to accommodate varying learning and thinking styles.” The author veers into Buddhist teachings at the end of the book, but not without a purpose, aiming to illustrate a man’s contemporary odyssey via 10 stages defined by a 12th-century Zen master. In closing, Daloisio again references his personal challenges, noting that his transformative experiences formed “the impetus to dig deeper, to learn, to practice, to teach others.” The author’s heartfelt revelations lend a very human aspect to the manual, helping to reassure those men who might find the paths of their own journeys difficult.
Perceptive and wise self-improvement advice.Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63299-474-5
Page Count: 234
Publisher: River Grove Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...
A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.
The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our minds.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
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These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.
A helpful guide to working effectively with people from other cultures.
“The sad truth is that the vast majority of managers who conduct business internationally have little understanding about how culture is impacting their work,” writes Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, an international business school. Yet they face a wider array of work styles than ever before in dealing with clients, suppliers and colleagues from around the world. When is it best to speak or stay quiet? What is the role of the leader in the room? When working with foreign business people, failing to take cultural differences into account can lead to frustration, misunderstanding or worse. Based on research and her experiences teaching cross-cultural behaviors to executive students, the author examines a handful of key areas. Among others, they include communicating (Anglo-Saxons are explicit; Asians communicate implicitly, requiring listeners to read between the lines), developing a sense of trust (Brazilians do it over long lunches), and decision-making (Germans rely on consensus, Americans on one decider). In each area, the author provides a “culture map scale” that positions behaviors in more than 20 countries along a continuum, allowing readers to anticipate the preferences of individuals from a particular country: Do they like direct or indirect negative feedback? Are they rigid or flexible regarding deadlines? Do they favor verbal or written commitments? And so on. Meyer discusses managers who have faced perplexing situations, such as knowledgeable team members who fail to speak up in meetings or Indians who offer a puzzling half-shake, half-nod of the head. Cultural differences—not personality quirks—are the motivating factors behind many behavioral styles. Depending on our cultures, we understand the world in a particular way, find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, and consider some ways of making decisions or measuring time natural and others quite strange.
These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.Pub Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61039-250-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
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