Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Not only does this bring an amazing new take (although implicitly obvious) on what motivates us, but the author also includes instructive guides and sections in the back ok how to apply the knowledge from the book.

This is an easily digestible primer on the science of motivation and how to effectively use it to one’s advantage, either with oneself or as a manager. SPOILER: Don’t confuse this with a guide to manipulation, the key to success is to make things truly meaningful for the individual. The old “What’s in it for me?” tactic.

Re-read. Still great and adequate after so many years. The idea is not that innovative anymore, but still quite unpopular (unfortunately). A must read to everyone managing people, teams or companies. A great read for everyone struggling to maintain productivity and be persistent.

The book is short (considering the subject) and the chapters straightaway hit the points it makes: forget carrots and sticks and focus on autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Further, the book ends with its summary in various formats.

And of course, there's the subject itself. By now, there's not much to say because the ideas here have been adopted into various organizations in some fashion and these no longer feel “surprising”. But it is still a compelling read.

Drive presents an amazing review of the evidence, stories and applications about what truly motivates us. He discusses the outdated carrot and stick system for motivation and makes a compelling argument for intrinsic motivation. For some this may be old news, but his delivery and choice wording leaves the reader with invaluable lessons at the forefront of their mind regardless. A recommended read for anyone trying to understand what motivation is and how to get more of it for themselves or their close ones and colleagues.

In Drive, Pink lays out nicely why in this day and age we will care more about purpose than (financial) rewards. Rewards even can act negatively / counterproductively when not applied thoughtfully. If people can work out of a flow state (and with deliberate practice), they will achieve mastery.

This is an amazing book to start a mind-blowing journey. The best part of this book is the enormous wealth of good leadership and learning literature it is built upon. But It is in it self motivating and guiding towards a more inspired life.What motivates us.AutonomyMasteryPurposeThe only thing I am missing is the Relatedness part of Decis theory([b:Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation 683539 Why We Do What We Do Understanding Self-Motivation Edward L. Deci https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348321812l/683539.SY75.jpg 669927] )But this book covers broader and takes on other studies, which makes it a valuable compilation of good thinking.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
by Daniel Pink


What motivates us? Really?


In reading this book, I'm struck by how damn good at conforming I -am- was. As a kid, I quickly grasped the whole - it doesn't matter if it makes sense, just that you do what the teacher/parent/coach/etc wants when they ask. I was super good at school and giving the ‘right' answer even when it was ‘not-exactly-right'. I went on to try to get my kids to follow the whole do A to get B formula. All of this is exactly in line with the thinking BEFORE I was born, entrenched in the systems of adults to this day. Except, in some places. That thinking was that people are like “smaller, slower horses, responding to juicy carrots and painful sticks” (paraphrasing). Thinking this way leads teachers to ply students with good reader awards after x hours of reading, managers to give cash bonuses if you meet the target, and all kinds of other short-term simple minded rewards that change our why. When you are offered a reward, the why is no longer in your heart...it is the reward. There are countless examples in the book.


The stories in DRIVE show us that these reward structures make us less good versions of ourselves. Thankfully, Daniel finds research that shows our minds are moldable (like you may have read in The Shallows by Nicholas Carr). This is the single biggest takeaway from DRIVE, I think - that you can, personally, change your life such that you are working in line with intrinsic (BETTER) motivation like we are wired from birth. He uses the example of babies and toddlers and how they don't need rewards to be curious and busy - they get inner pleasure from actively engaging in their world. Only after we beat our growing and developing selves into automatons with gold stars, right answers, candy, trophies, certificates, etc... do we become slave to external rewards. I also learned that I misunderstood Type A - I am indeed not Type A, yay! but I do have trouble relaxing control of things that I have finished.



I have read several of the scientific studies cited in this book AND I must have a type because I have also read countless books that reference those same studies - mostly about psychology and behavior related in some fashion to economics. I don't mind getting the info again - honestly, that is how I think learning happens, in layers. That being said , there is a lot of material, but Daniel is pulling it all together in a frank and digestible fashion. Thankfully, at the end of the book, Daniel gives a summary of the book, a long list of recommendations for further reading (summarizing each book and giving the reason why it is applicable to his thesis), and a list of questions for further reading. There's also a set of activities for improving the reader's own intrinsic motivation.


I enjoyed this book - perhaps more so because I listened to it right after I finished When (same author). Since the books are both read by the author, the voice is familiar. I dunno about you, but sometimes the narrator gets between me and the content.


Recommended for adult readers - I think middle grades on up could read it, but there are so many references to work life ... and I just don't see kids with the same interest in what drives motivation...or the life history to have seen motivation gone wrong and ‘get' the examples.


Planned to listen? I played this on 2X on Libby and finished it in less than 3 hours.


I listened to this book running > 19 miles on a random Sunday morning for no reason at all, so I am feeling a little smug that I must have some kind of intrinsic motivation. I'm, like 80%. :)

Mostly reiteration of other books and studies, yet in a fresh and convincing point of view.

I feel as if this book could've been shortened in a few paragraphs, but it was still an interesting read to see what will be the motivation for the next generation in the workforce.

Autonomy, Mastery & Purpose

A very good overview of key theories about creativity and motivation, engagingly written.
My only real beef is that a significant section of the book is ‘filler' with suggestions for applying the book's lessons to the worlds of work and education - I didn't find these to be particularly insightful and a bit shallow in places.
But the substantial first two thirds of the book are very good and I've been recommending it to lots of colleagues as it addresses many of the issues that keep coming up in our teaching.

What drives people to do great work? That's the basic question asked in this book and investigated through various examples at companies that have tried various approaches.

What drives people to do great work? That's the basic question asked in this book and investigated through various examples at companies that have tried various approaches.

I was expecting more of a self-help book, but I found this to be another one of those pseudo-psychology books for the “smarter than you” set, like Malcolm Gladwell (which shouldn't have surprised me, since he has a quote on the cover). A lot of handy tips & pointers for some, I'm sure, but I'm just not into that.

I started reading it, but ended up paging through trying to find something interesting. I ended up...at the end.

I listened to this on audio. It was a worthwhile read, but presented few (if any) new ideas to me, someone well-versed in the motivation literature. That being said, I'd recommend it to anyone interested in motivation or who finds themselves “lost”.

I can't do it. I read half of it and I just can't bring myself to finish it. Drive started off strong with descriptions of what gets people motivated to work in a meaningful way. I took notes, got some good ideas and was impressed that Pink, who is a Business Book Author was seemingly digging up some novel ideas.

Then came the case studies. 3M, Google, Atlassian, FedEx, Herman Miller and Toyota are all there. These companies are, if you've read any business books you'll know this, among THE quintessential business book examples. There are how many companies in the world? Millions? Apparently though, of all the millions of other companies, These Companies and maybe 10 or 20 others are the only ones that are innovative enough to be profiled in books. It's either that or the authors of business books are too lazy to find any other examples and instead will mindlessly and incessantly reuse them as fodder for whatever shred of an idea they might be trying to expand into a book.

Avoid it, read Thinking Fast and Slow instead. Drive is yet another business book that will go down in the regurgitated, superficial ash-heaps of history.

What drives you? What's your purpose? There's a lot to think about here, and it's not just about managing employees in a big company.

Full review - http://bookwi.se/drive-the-surprising-truth-about-what-motivates-us-by-daniel-h-pink/

Short review - This is a great book on the science of what motivates us. Good sections on how to develop more intrinsic motivation (it can be developed). And how to design organizations to be more autonomous and better for workers.