Payoff
by Dan Ariely
A TED-sized book on motivation: why money is a weak motivator, why acknowledgement and meaning are strong, and what destroying people's work in front of them does to effort. Short and sharp.
Read it if…
you manage people and want the research on what actually motivates them in an hour.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want the long version; see Drive.
Try instead: The Artist's Journey →
Three things you will actually use
- Acknowledgement beats bonuses.
- Meaning is the motivator; money is the condition.
- Ignoring work is almost as bad as shredding it.
Do this first
Acknowledge one piece of work specifically today.
Our verdict
Motivation in an hour.
See the book →
Compare with other Motivation books
Browse all Motivation book reviews or get the free Reality Code Cheat Sheet.
As an Amazon Associate, WisdomDeck earns from qualifying purchases. Links marked “Click to see” go to Amazon. We are not paid for opinions, prices and availability are not shown here and change on Amazon, and we never see your purchase details. Nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice.