What do you think?
Rate this book
Carrots and Sticks: Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done
Could you lose weight if you put $20,000 at risk? Would you finally set up your billing software if it meant that your favorite charity would earn a new contribution? If you’ve ever tried to meet a goal and came up short, the problem may not have been that the goal was too difficult or that you lacked the discipline to succeed. From giving up cigarettes to increasing your productivity at work, you may simply have neglected to give yourself the proper incentives.
In Carrot and Sticks , Ian Ayres, the New York Times bestselling author of Super Crunchers , applies the lessons learned from behavioral economics—the fascinating new science of rewards and punishments—to introduce readers to the concept of “commitment contracts�: an easy but high-powered strategy for setting and achieving goals already in use by successful companies and individuals across America. As co-founder of the website stickK.com (where people have entered into their own “commitment contracts� and collectively put more than $3 million on the line), Ayres has developed contracts—including the one he honored with himself to lose more than twenty pounds in one year—that have already helped many find the best way to help themselves at work or home. Now he reveals the strategies that can give you the impetus to meet your personal and professional goals, including how to
Ìý
� motivate your employees
â€� create a monthly budgetÌý
� set and meet deadlines
� improve your diet
� learn a foreign language
� finish a report or project you’ve been putting off
� clear your desk
Ìý
Ayres shares engaging, often astounding, real-life stories that show the carrot-and-stick principle in action, from the compulsive sneezer who needed a “stickâ€� (the potential loss of $50 per week to a charity he didn’t like) to those who need a carrot with their stick (the New York Times columnist who quit smoking by pledging a friend $5,000 per smoke . . . if she would do the same for him). You’ll learn why you might want to hire a “professional naggerâ€� whom you’ll do anything to avoid—no, your spouse won’t do!—and how you can “hand-tieâ€� your future self to accomplish what you want done now. You’ll find out how a New Zealand ad exec successfully “sold his smoking addiction,â€� and why Zappos offered new employees $2,000 to quit cigarettes.Ìý
As fascinating as it is practical, as much about human behavior as about how to change it , Carrots and Sticks is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.
In Carrot and Sticks , Ian Ayres, the New York Times bestselling author of Super Crunchers , applies the lessons learned from behavioral economics—the fascinating new science of rewards and punishments—to introduce readers to the concept of “commitment contracts�: an easy but high-powered strategy for setting and achieving goals already in use by successful companies and individuals across America. As co-founder of the website stickK.com (where people have entered into their own “commitment contracts� and collectively put more than $3 million on the line), Ayres has developed contracts—including the one he honored with himself to lose more than twenty pounds in one year—that have already helped many find the best way to help themselves at work or home. Now he reveals the strategies that can give you the impetus to meet your personal and professional goals, including how to
Ìý
� motivate your employees
â€� create a monthly budgetÌý
� set and meet deadlines
� improve your diet
� learn a foreign language
� finish a report or project you’ve been putting off
� clear your desk
Ìý
Ayres shares engaging, often astounding, real-life stories that show the carrot-and-stick principle in action, from the compulsive sneezer who needed a “stickâ€� (the potential loss of $50 per week to a charity he didn’t like) to those who need a carrot with their stick (the New York Times columnist who quit smoking by pledging a friend $5,000 per smoke . . . if she would do the same for him). You’ll learn why you might want to hire a “professional naggerâ€� whom you’ll do anything to avoid—no, your spouse won’t do!—and how you can “hand-tieâ€� your future self to accomplish what you want done now. You’ll find out how a New Zealand ad exec successfully “sold his smoking addiction,â€� and why Zappos offered new employees $2,000 to quit cigarettes.Ìý
As fascinating as it is practical, as much about human behavior as about how to change it , Carrots and Sticks is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.
218 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
34 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
Ian Ayres
45Ìýbooks38ÌýfollowersIan Ayres is the William K. Townsend Professor at Yale Law School and the Yale School of Management, and is editor of the Journal of Law, Economics and Organization. In addition to his best-selling SuperCrunchers, Ayres has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, and The New Republic. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.Barry Nalebuff is Professor of Economics and Management at the Yale School of Management. His books include The Art of Strategy (an update of the best-selling Thinking Strategically) and Co-opetition. He is the author of fifty scholarly articles and has been an associate editor of five academic journals. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 4, 2012
Have you ever read a research paper in which the researcher already has a preordained conclusion and makes all supporting information fit that conclusion no matter how tenuous the actual connection? That is exactly what this book felt like. I generally enjoy random collections of unusual research studies (Freakonomics, Blink, Mindless Eating) but this one just didn't hold together for me. The author is trying to pull together research to support the idea that this website can help people change their habits through the use of incentive contracts. The research that supposedly supports his work is very random and tenuously connected at best. The writing is not at all witty or even very interesting and I just couldn't follow his connections at times. It isn't completely awful, but it isn't good enough to finish.
September 10, 2012
Interesting, and I'll keep stickK.com in mind if I ever find there is a commitment I REALLY want to keep but don't have the intrinsic motivation to fulfill. One would hope that if something truly was REALLY important to me I'd be able to achieve it without the sticks offered on stickK, but we are all human and at times weak, perhaps such a formal commitment would prevent the 'slippery slope' action that many of my less formal commitments fall prey to.
I guess the above indicates that I feel this book is a bit of a sales-pitch, which is distasteful. Another distasteful thing is that there's lots of title-dropping in this book, Harvard professor this, Yale professor that. Sheesh, Ian, I got it, you're a professor at Yale Law and are in that Ivy circle.
That said, this was an interesting read, and I learned several nuggets of information, which I'll list here, mostly to jog my memory later: A) Many of us find it hard to wait for a better option when we could have an adequate option now; this is pretty much at the route of most weak-will mistakes. B) You can disable choice by making the option of not following the commitment too bad to accept (or conversely reward for following it too good to refuse). C) By putting small things at stake you can only guide daily choice. D) You can increase your future self's intrinsic motivation by proving (memorably) what you're willing to sacrifice today in order to achieve something. E) Giving yourself a virtual head-start on your goal can make it seem more achievable. F) It is likely that on any given day we have a limited supply of self-control; to meet our commitments and live better lives we can either increase our supply or decrease the demands placed on it (which includes making some things automatic). G) Remember that no one is perfect, focus on what matters most.
I guess the above indicates that I feel this book is a bit of a sales-pitch, which is distasteful. Another distasteful thing is that there's lots of title-dropping in this book, Harvard professor this, Yale professor that. Sheesh, Ian, I got it, you're a professor at Yale Law and are in that Ivy circle.
That said, this was an interesting read, and I learned several nuggets of information, which I'll list here, mostly to jog my memory later: A) Many of us find it hard to wait for a better option when we could have an adequate option now; this is pretty much at the route of most weak-will mistakes. B) You can disable choice by making the option of not following the commitment too bad to accept (or conversely reward for following it too good to refuse). C) By putting small things at stake you can only guide daily choice. D) You can increase your future self's intrinsic motivation by proving (memorably) what you're willing to sacrifice today in order to achieve something. E) Giving yourself a virtual head-start on your goal can make it seem more achievable. F) It is likely that on any given day we have a limited supply of self-control; to meet our commitments and live better lives we can either increase our supply or decrease the demands placed on it (which includes making some things automatic). G) Remember that no one is perfect, focus on what matters most.
November 8, 2010
You’ve probably heard of the expression “carrot and stick (also “carrot or stick�). It’s an idiom that refers to a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to induce behavior.
The origin of the phrase is supposedly from a practice of a wagon driver would tying a carrot on a string to a long stick and dangling it just out of reach in front of a donkey pulling the wagon. The donkey moves forward to get the carrot, and pulls the cart in the process.
That seems pretty cruel, and I can’t imagine a donkey would fall for it for very long.
The phrase has evolved more to mean that you can give a reward (carrot) or a punishment (a crack with the stick?) to “motivate� behavior. Punishment and reward. Psych 101...
more at
The origin of the phrase is supposedly from a practice of a wagon driver would tying a carrot on a string to a long stick and dangling it just out of reach in front of a donkey pulling the wagon. The donkey moves forward to get the carrot, and pulls the cart in the process.
That seems pretty cruel, and I can’t imagine a donkey would fall for it for very long.
The phrase has evolved more to mean that you can give a reward (carrot) or a punishment (a crack with the stick?) to “motivate� behavior. Punishment and reward. Psych 101...
more at
August 18, 2017
It's a good thing I didn't file a commitment contract to finish reading this book because I'd have to split integrity hairs as to whether "skimming" the last 25% is the same as "reading."
From the title and the author's credentials, I hoped the book would cover how to determine effective incentives. There is a bit of that here, but mostly this book is a combination of endless anecdotes--most about the author's weigh loss regime and contracts--and one long pitch for his commitment contract website (which he specifically said in the beginning of the book he was NOT going to do). There's just enough about other researchers' findings to keep you reading for a while, but by the 60% mark, it all starts to sound like one long, repetitive, pithy infomercial. It might have made for a good long article in Psychology Today, but it's too shallow a pool for a book.
From the title and the author's credentials, I hoped the book would cover how to determine effective incentives. There is a bit of that here, but mostly this book is a combination of endless anecdotes--most about the author's weigh loss regime and contracts--and one long pitch for his commitment contract website (which he specifically said in the beginning of the book he was NOT going to do). There's just enough about other researchers' findings to keep you reading for a while, but by the 60% mark, it all starts to sound like one long, repetitive, pithy infomercial. It might have made for a good long article in Psychology Today, but it's too shallow a pool for a book.
January 2, 2018
Same old story on Psychology on delayed gratification and how to stick to habits and resolutions. No new idea, most of the research we've already heard of, especially with the work by J.B Foggs at Stanford. The only key lesson will be the analogy on sticks and carrots which was quite plausible in defining how to streamline the masses to stick to one path, can be used in the competitive strategy environment.
January 2, 2018
I read this book thanks to Blinkist.
The key message in this book:
We are slaves to now and often forgo long-term benefits to indulge in immediate rewards. Lucky for us, there’s a way to overcome this bad habit and it starts with carrots and sticks, or rewards and repercussions.
Actionable advice:
Make your long-term goals a reality with commitment contracts.
The next time you decide to make a major life change like quitting smoking, losing weight or saving money, make sure you follow through by drafting a commitment contract. It’s easy to build an effective contract for yourself as long as you set realistic goals and severe punishments for failing to meet them.
Suggested further reading:
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
The Power of Habit explains how important a role habits play in our lives, from brushing our teeth to smoking to exercising, and how exactly those habits are formed. The research and anecdotes in The Power of Habit provide easy tips for changing habits both individually as well as in organizations. The book spent over 60 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
The key message in this book:
We are slaves to now and often forgo long-term benefits to indulge in immediate rewards. Lucky for us, there’s a way to overcome this bad habit and it starts with carrots and sticks, or rewards and repercussions.
Actionable advice:
Make your long-term goals a reality with commitment contracts.
The next time you decide to make a major life change like quitting smoking, losing weight or saving money, make sure you follow through by drafting a commitment contract. It’s easy to build an effective contract for yourself as long as you set realistic goals and severe punishments for failing to meet them.
Suggested further reading:
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
The Power of Habit explains how important a role habits play in our lives, from brushing our teeth to smoking to exercising, and how exactly those habits are formed. The research and anecdotes in The Power of Habit provide easy tips for changing habits both individually as well as in organizations. The book spent over 60 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
November 28, 2023
- [ ] We prefer small immediate rewards over big long term ones
- [ ] Humans have very less self control
- [ ] Don’t try to change 2 things at once,your self control will quickly finish
- [ ] Stick motivates more than carrot
- [ ] Shouldn’t be small repeated tiny stick should be 1 big stick
- [ ] Make punishment hurt so much you wouldn’t dare consider not doing it
- [ ] Make a commitment contract with yourself
- [ ] Should incorporate severe public exposure
- [ ] Have a referee
- [ ] Contract should commit things like daily commitment to weight control
- [ ] Punishment for exceeding certain weight
- [ ] And range between dieter is expected to naturally fluctuate
- [ ]
- [ ] Humans have very less self control
- [ ] Don’t try to change 2 things at once,your self control will quickly finish
- [ ] Stick motivates more than carrot
- [ ] Shouldn’t be small repeated tiny stick should be 1 big stick
- [ ] Make punishment hurt so much you wouldn’t dare consider not doing it
- [ ] Make a commitment contract with yourself
- [ ] Should incorporate severe public exposure
- [ ] Have a referee
- [ ] Contract should commit things like daily commitment to weight control
- [ ] Punishment for exceeding certain weight
- [ ] And range between dieter is expected to naturally fluctuate
- [ ]
January 2, 2018
This book didn't really teach me anything new, except maybe give me a few interesting ideas regarding my fight against bad habits.
I am often seduced by immediate rewards even though understand he repercussions of not following throught with my original goal.
I realised I am not giving myself severe punishments in case of failure and also I often try to deal with my problems on my own. Friends have helped me improve before, so I think they can be really beneficial when it comes to tackling down nasty habits.
I am often seduced by immediate rewards even though understand he repercussions of not following throught with my original goal.
I realised I am not giving myself severe punishments in case of failure and also I often try to deal with my problems on my own. Friends have helped me improve before, so I think they can be really beneficial when it comes to tackling down nasty habits.
January 2, 2018
'A' is a small apple. 'B' is a BIG apple.
B is bigger than A. A is smaller than B.
B must be heavier than A. B must have more volume than A.
If you felt like all the conclusions drawn were obvious from the first line, this book is not for you.
The book tells you everything you already know.
We value short term rewards more than long term ones and punishments are cheaper than rewards. Summary completed.
B is bigger than A. A is smaller than B.
B must be heavier than A. B must have more volume than A.
If you felt like all the conclusions drawn were obvious from the first line, this book is not for you.
The book tells you everything you already know.
We value short term rewards more than long term ones and punishments are cheaper than rewards. Summary completed.
May 19, 2018
I digested this book in various bite size pieces.
It’s dense with many studies cited and referenced and is perhaps a bit overly detailed for some.
Not something I’d classify as ‘light reading� but nonetheless an interesting story of the origins of , commitment contracts, how they work, where they may fail.
The book warmed the left side of my brain with its logic.
It’s dense with many studies cited and referenced and is perhaps a bit overly detailed for some.
Not something I’d classify as ‘light reading� but nonetheless an interesting story of the origins of , commitment contracts, how they work, where they may fail.
The book warmed the left side of my brain with its logic.
March 17, 2018
I heard of this book because of Tim Ferriss mention of .
I preferred The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, more to the point and feels like an advertisement.
Overall, it's worth checking out Stickk, not so sure about the book.
I preferred The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, more to the point and feels like an advertisement.
Overall, it's worth checking out Stickk, not so sure about the book.
June 3, 2018
People favor small immediate rewards over bigger, long term ones. Easy to lose self control when it’s already weakened. The big stick is often more effective and cheaper. Small taxes on bad behavior don’t have much effect. Penalty needs to be much bigger
February 1, 2018
Fascinating and informative. A must read for those struggling with commitments.
March 11, 2018
I like the concept and the tools, but the book wasn’t super engaging.
June 18, 2018
The way i worked with collegues change alot after this book - thankyou!
September 8, 2021
The book is promoting the Stickk website, which is an interesting concept. I am just not interested in commitment contracts.
March 1, 2022
2.5/5 - super interesting subject matter, but so repetitive with study, after study, after study, ... didn't really get a ton out of it as it was so tedious to make it through the case studies.
October 1, 2023
It quickly becomes and advertisement for the author's website.
November 16, 2023
Great book if you want to know what motivates you, and how you can use behavioral economics to motivate yourself and others better!
Read
December 27, 2024got tired halfway through it -- couldve been summarized in a bullet point list.
August 31, 2020
It has been a while, but I found this book a bit hard to read as I wasn't very engaged by the author. I don't think I was able to finish it once I got in about half-way. I may go back and give it a second shot at some point...
December 14, 2010
I won an uncorrected proof of this book in a First Reads giveaway.
I am giving this book a generous three-stars. Ayres reviews lots of research on different commitment issues. Is it better to offer incentives for fulfilling commitments (carrots) or punishments for failing to fulfill those commitments (sticks)? In which situations is it better to offer one rather than the other? He also reviews current research on future discounting -- when people would rather have something right now, rather than wait for something better at a later date. Some of the answers to these questions are a little surprising. I thoroughly enjoyed the anecdotes Ayres gave to accompany each chapter.
To what I didn't like... I felt like a significant chunk of the book was a soft sales pitch for his commitment contract website, stickK.com. It would have helped if Ayres had better explained stickK.com, how it got its name, and why he created it up front, rather than peppering the text with references to it. I also would have appreciated if he had included somewhere a table showing when using which types of incentives/punishments was most useful. The final book may have that information, but my proof copy had none of the figures and tables. :(
Overall, an interesting non-academic read for those interested in learning about and using the power of commitments.
I am giving this book a generous three-stars. Ayres reviews lots of research on different commitment issues. Is it better to offer incentives for fulfilling commitments (carrots) or punishments for failing to fulfill those commitments (sticks)? In which situations is it better to offer one rather than the other? He also reviews current research on future discounting -- when people would rather have something right now, rather than wait for something better at a later date. Some of the answers to these questions are a little surprising. I thoroughly enjoyed the anecdotes Ayres gave to accompany each chapter.
To what I didn't like... I felt like a significant chunk of the book was a soft sales pitch for his commitment contract website, stickK.com. It would have helped if Ayres had better explained stickK.com, how it got its name, and why he created it up front, rather than peppering the text with references to it. I also would have appreciated if he had included somewhere a table showing when using which types of incentives/punishments was most useful. The final book may have that information, but my proof copy had none of the figures and tables. :(
Overall, an interesting non-academic read for those interested in learning about and using the power of commitments.
March 8, 2012
*What's your motivation?*
I feel like this review should start with a clarification of the book's subtitle of: "Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done." In the context of this book, the "power of incentives" translates to using the author's website of stickK.com to become financially committed to your goals. Sure, this extrinsically motivational web-based approach has worked for many (the author does not hold back on sharing the details about his company), but it's not an approach that promotes deeper psychological growth.
The author is an economist and a lawyer, and the book's content reflects just that. So, if you're looking for a self-help book on becoming more internally motivated or a fascinating exploration of the human behavior side of behavioral economics, you might feel disappointed by this book. But, if you're a hard-core economist and get excited by legal contracts and commitments, you'll likely love this book.
Just know what you're getting into before committing yourself to this book---otherwise you might need to employ your own set of carrots and sticks to get through it.
I feel like this review should start with a clarification of the book's subtitle of: "Unlock the Power of Incentives to Get Things Done." In the context of this book, the "power of incentives" translates to using the author's website of stickK.com to become financially committed to your goals. Sure, this extrinsically motivational web-based approach has worked for many (the author does not hold back on sharing the details about his company), but it's not an approach that promotes deeper psychological growth.
The author is an economist and a lawyer, and the book's content reflects just that. So, if you're looking for a self-help book on becoming more internally motivated or a fascinating exploration of the human behavior side of behavioral economics, you might feel disappointed by this book. But, if you're a hard-core economist and get excited by legal contracts and commitments, you'll likely love this book.
Just know what you're getting into before committing yourself to this book---otherwise you might need to employ your own set of carrots and sticks to get through it.
September 23, 2010
We set resolutions every year, but how often do we actually follow through? How can we give ourselves that extra little kick to make sure we get things done?
Ian Ayres explores different methods of motivation in this book. Will we be more likely to follow through if we will be rewarded if we succeed, or if we will lose something if we fail?
This book is very well-researched, and cites numerous studies on what motivates people. It is well written, and quite interesting to read. It is not a self-help book, although many people will find useful ideas; rather, it is research on what motivates people.
I especially enjoyed the section on the body's chemical responses to exercising self-control.
As other reviewers have mentioned, there is a little too much of the author's website, stickK, in the book, but most of the references are relevant and interesting enough that they didn't bother me.
I received a review copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads program.
Ian Ayres explores different methods of motivation in this book. Will we be more likely to follow through if we will be rewarded if we succeed, or if we will lose something if we fail?
This book is very well-researched, and cites numerous studies on what motivates people. It is well written, and quite interesting to read. It is not a self-help book, although many people will find useful ideas; rather, it is research on what motivates people.
I especially enjoyed the section on the body's chemical responses to exercising self-control.
As other reviewers have mentioned, there is a little too much of the author's website, stickK, in the book, but most of the references are relevant and interesting enough that they didn't bother me.
I received a review copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads program.
November 20, 2014
This book is an unabashed 200 page advertisement for the author's website, , where people can use the ideas of behavioral economics to set up "commitment contracts" in order to motivate themselves to to fulfill goals they set (weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking, etc.) Honestly, I really like the idea, though I'm not completely sold on the effectiveness of these commitment contracts. Ian Ayres doesn't really present any opposing views or credible scientific research to back up his claims. It could be that people who use commitment contracts are more likely to fulfill their goals, but couldn't it be that people who choose to use commitment contracts are more motivated to begin with? I don't know, and I'm not sure that's a question that can be easily answered. I'm sure commitment contracts do work well for some people, the question is under what conditions do they work and for whom. The author doesn't have a clear answer for that, except to say that commitment contracts should be chosen carefully.
January 29, 2011
Written by a Yale law professor and economist, this is a very interesting book on using the power of incentives and commitment contracts to accomplish your goals. Positive incentives (rewards) are the carrots, and negative incentives are the sticks. Using the collected wisdom of economics and behavioral economics, the author provides an in-depth discussion of the topic -- without the text becoming academic or boring. Overall, I found the book a good read and easy to listen to -- much easier than his book Lifecycle Investing.
What’s neat is that the author has founded a company based on these ideas called stickK.com. Using the website, you can make an online commitment contract where you put money on the line that will go to a charity or anti-charity if you don’t fulfill your goal. You can set up a referee and also inform other people of your commitment. Check it out at:
What’s neat is that the author has founded a company based on these ideas called stickK.com. Using the website, you can make an online commitment contract where you put money on the line that will go to a charity or anti-charity if you don’t fulfill your goal. You can set up a referee and also inform other people of your commitment. Check it out at:
December 19, 2013
The title of this book should be called, "Developing the StickK.com Website," as it felt like a long advertisement for the author's private venture. The behavioral economics concepts in the book were not based on new research, but rather cherry-picked from the field to support his reasons for developing the website. As such, nearly all of the interesting parts of the book (based on behavioral economics research) have been covered in many other books. The liberal leaning of the book was apparent (much to be expected from a Yale professor), but it wasn't overwhelming.
Aside from those gripes, a good 30% of the book seemed to talk about weight loss strategies, which I don't particularly care about. However, the principles behind the strategies were discussed and used to describe why commitment contracts are the best solution in certain instances.
Aside from those gripes, a good 30% of the book seemed to talk about weight loss strategies, which I don't particularly care about. However, the principles behind the strategies were discussed and used to describe why commitment contracts are the best solution in certain instances.
October 16, 2010
Having struggled with my weight all my life, I was very interested in what Mr. Ayres had to say. After reading this book, I certainly do not feel alone in my struggles. Whether it is losing weight, quitting smoking or saving money, many of us seem to have a problem with making and keeping commitments.
This is not a quick read with a one-size fits all solution. Mr. Ayres take you step by step through the research on why some commitments work and others don't and what it takes to make the commitment work long term.
The most important idea that I am taking away from this book is that willpower can be thought of as a muscle that can get stronger with excercise.
I received my copy of Carrots and Sticks through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ FirstReads program.
This is not a quick read with a one-size fits all solution. Mr. Ayres take you step by step through the research on why some commitments work and others don't and what it takes to make the commitment work long term.
The most important idea that I am taking away from this book is that willpower can be thought of as a muscle that can get stronger with excercise.
I received my copy of Carrots and Sticks through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ FirstReads program.
October 1, 2013
Really enjoyable book about the underlying psychological barriers that limit our ability to do what we know we need to do and how to overcome those errors with commitments.
Here are some of my favorite ideas:
-Develop Commitment Contracts and find people that will hold you accountable....ideally involve money.
-Get accountability partners that will help you "tie your hands to the mast."
-Peer comparisons are very powerful when you want to influence others....tell them that everyone else is doing something and they are more likely to comply.
-For happiness, it may be better to be a "satisficer" vs a "maximizer" Committing to secure the very best may be a recipe for disaster.
-Experiment with StickK for setting up commitment contracts.
Here are some of my favorite ideas:
-Develop Commitment Contracts and find people that will hold you accountable....ideally involve money.
-Get accountability partners that will help you "tie your hands to the mast."
-Peer comparisons are very powerful when you want to influence others....tell them that everyone else is doing something and they are more likely to comply.
-For happiness, it may be better to be a "satisficer" vs a "maximizer" Committing to secure the very best may be a recipe for disaster.
-Experiment with StickK for setting up commitment contracts.
April 15, 2011
Finally got finished with this book I won from Good Reads.Usually it doesn't take me so long to reread a book, even a non-fiction one of this kind, so I apologize for the delay. The book got off to a really interesting start, but then it sort of lagged in voice and became more of a report on data and statistics which bogged me down. I've read many books of this nature before (thinking Outliers as my most recent) and I've really enjoyed finding out the information within. Unfortunately Carrots and Sticks just did not keep me wanting to know more. I can't say that it was bad, because it was well-written, it just did not seem to fulfill the promise I thought the blurb had given.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.