Months ago, we already talked about researcher and professor at Stanford University Dr Carol Dweck and her excellent speech about developing a growth mindset and the therewith connected researches. We introduced to you the idea of the two different mindsets, the fixed and the growth mindset, in more detail. Today we want to take a look at her actual book "Mindset - Changing The The Way You Think To Fulfil Your Potential" so maybe we can motivate some of you to read it.
Mindset - The Book by Dr Carol S. Dweck
Overall, Dweck shows in her book how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavour can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset - those who believe that abilities are fixed - are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset - those who believe that skills can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment.
The following table sums up the three main chapter blocks of the book:
Chapter # | Topic |
1 - 3 | Basic theory and supporting evidence |
4 - 7 | Tests theory and practice in sports, business, relationships and teaching |
8 | Explores the paths to changing mindsets in yourself and others |
Carol Dweck also introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset (assuming to act/think according to the growth mindset but not doing it correctly or even staying in the old habits unconscious) and guides people toward adopting a more in-depth, truer growth mindset.
The book sounds a bit corny upon first sight, but when you get yourself into it, Mindset is entertaining, fun to read, and both practical and tactical. It is definitely worth your time! If you do not have time to read through all of it, I recommend you after reading the introductory chapters (1-3) to skip the middle sections that do not apply to you to continue with the final chapter (8) to learn how to change your mindset. Mindset references science all the way through, and is the result of over 30 years of research by the author Carol Dweck.