Books like Beyond Pleasure and Pain — picked by fans

I love this book because it challenges us to think about what motivates people and how we can get the best out of ourselves and those around us.

Pink suggests, based on a lot of research, that having a clear purpose, learning new things that matter to us, and having autonomy to take initiative are the three most important things that “drive” us, and while there might be more to the equation, this is a great place to start in unlocking our potential.

John Adair was an ex-military guy who wrote brilliantly on leadership and time management, and this book is no exception: understanding what motivates people is crucial for leaders, and in Leadership and Motivation, John Adair re-frames the topic in terms of his Action-Centred Leadership model.

His insights are anchored in the Fifty-Fifty Rule, which asserts that half of an individual’s motivation comes from within, and half from their environment, particularly the leadership they experience.

The book’s core is Adair’s Eight Key Principles for motivating others, including: be self-motivated; recruit self-motivated individuals; treat people as individuals; set achievable challenges; recognise progress as motivating; create a motivating workplace; ensure fair rewards; and offer recognition.

Highly practical ideas.

Here is a book that strongly focuses on self-motivation, not team or organisational motivation. It’s highly practical and useful, giving 36 drivers of successful motivation with cautionary information to help you avoid falling into delusions.

For example, the first driver is “visionary thinking,’ but of course we can all imagine we are practising visionary thinking when in fact what we are indulging in is ‘idle dreaming.’

The book includes, along the way, loads of wonderful snippets of wisdom from profound thinkers: e.g., “You’ve got to think about ‘big things’ while you are doing small things, so that the small things go in the right direction.” – Alvin Toffler.

Excellent advice. 

This book really completes the cycle of motivational targets: if the last book was about the individual, this one drills down further to students at school and university.

We often think young people don’t need motivation because they are young – they should have it, shouldn’t they? Covid 19, I think, has revealed very clearly the opposite. Here we have a clear, step-by-step guide including topics like what motivation is, why it’s important to have it, how to develop enthusiasm, how to set and achieve goals, how to improve your memory and concentration, and more besides.

Finally, this is all geared around being successful at college, and so its importance cannot be overemphasized.

This book was a very inspiring read. I adored the connections of friendship and teamwork, also the encouragement to step up and step out when necessary to be brave. 

I loved the fact that it encourages you to discover your own true uniqueness, to go beyond your comfort zone, and to embrace the skin you're in.

While this book lacks the elegant organization of Collins or the memorable simplicity of Adizes or 4DX, it is stuffed with valuable wisdom.

It will be the longest read for your team, but it will make all of you better managers and give you specific traction points for organizational development and culture building. One of its fundamental points is particularly powerful for all of us: assume good intent. 

Understanding ourselves starts with understanding our motivations and shifting our thoughts toward internal empowerment. Why We Do What We Do offers an exploration into acting with autonomy and understanding how to manage ourselves consciously. Our internal empowerment is achieved through reframing success where the focus is placed on creating space for outcomes, balancing motivation through experience, and managing the pressures of the external environment. I am a firm believer that you can build a plan, but your path is your path. Allowance for the personal freedom to explore your path given autonomy and competence is core to motivation. This book elicits a perspective toward making changes in a way that’s true to your choices and managing the noise that surrounds you. 

To me, an important book should: (1) help us to understand and see things differently; (2) be based on careful research and empirically based; and (3) stand the test of time.

Motivating others is the primary purpose if leaders. McClelland led research into the unconscious processes that motivate people. Using projective techniques and latent coding of myths, folklore, music, prayers, literature and such, he and his colleagues unlocked the deeper messages socialized into people. In this book, McClelland reveals a rich 50 year history of rigorous research from psychology, anthropology, sociology, and history. His theory of motivation is the most liberating and useful, as well as validated through voluminous research. He compiled and updated his many books, articles and those of colleagues in this, his last magnum opus. If you wish to learn about Needs for Achievement, Affiliation and Power and how they explain everything from effectiveness to relationships to… show more.

ET is a formidable force, and this book unequivocally proves it.

It underscores the importance of taking control of your life and embarking on the journey to become the best version of yourself – something we all aspire to. ET breaks down this journey and shares the secrets to waking up, taking action, and uncovering your "why."

I highly recommend this book to anyone in search of motivation and a roadmap for achieving their full potential. It serves as a vital first step that we all must take, which in return will lead us to build a support network of village members on our path towards greatness.

Hyperbolic discounting is a term used in behavioral economics to describe our tendency to overvalue immediate gratification while undervaluing future rewards. When asked to choose between getting (A) one apple a year from now or (B) two apples a year and a day from now, people pick (B). However, if the choice is between getting (A) one apple today or (B) two apples tomorrow, people find (A) more attractive. Why is it so difficult to acquire good habits, like going to bed early or getting important work done, instead of playing with our smartphone? The idea of hyperbolic discounting offers a brilliant explanation, shedding light on the troublesome natures we humans possess. Although that’s not the main focus of this book, it’s still an excellent, easy-to-read introduction to behavioral economics.