Careers Book Review: Drive by Daniel Pink
Mon, September 6, 2010 at 12:01 
We recently shared a video where Daniel Pink explains his theory on “the surprising truth about what motivates us”. We thought it’d be a good follow-up to feature Pink’s book of the same title as our Editors’ Choice Book of the Month in our inaugural newsletter. This review tells you more about the book.
Key
*** Definitely! Go out and buy it.
** A good read! Get a copy from your local library.
* You know what, don’t even bother.
Drive: The Surprising truth about what motivates us ***
By Daniel Pink, Canongate books, 2010.
“Encourage a kid to learn math by paying her for each workbook she completes and she’ll become more diligent in the short term but will almost certainly lose interest in math in the long term”.
This statement of the bleeding obvious forms the basis of Daniel Pink’s latest self-help guide: Drive: The Surprising truth about what motivates us. And yet, as Pink argues, if this is so obvious, why are so many businesses and administrative models still based on the flawed logic that targets, quotas and higher rewards lead to higher performance?
Drawing on case-studies and scientific research at some of the world’s finest institutions, Pink debunks the myths of classic motivation theory and questions our implicit assumption that a desire for more money and a bigger office serves as the driving force behind workplace motivation. Money and other ‘extrinsic motivators’, Pink says, often have the unintended effect of stifling creativity, diminishing motivation and occasionally encouraging unethical behaviour.
Pink calls for a new approach to analysing human motivation based on what he calls, Type 1 behaviour: a concern ‘not with the external rewards of an activity but with the inherent satisfaction of the activity itself’.
Pink’s Type 1 philosophy of course echoes many of the core values that underpin our approach to careers support here at Position Ignition. The belief that real job satisfaction comes from genuine passion and a fulfilling sense of purpose, remains at the heart of what we do and why we do it.
What’s more, the joy of Drive is that it need not only apply to your work life or career. In pursuing hobbies or even in selecting subjects to study at school, Daniel Pink’s argument is clear: the reward for pursuing an activity should, first and foremost, be the activity itself.
And although you might not be able to quit the tedious 9-5 just yet, Drive will give you reason to take stock and re-evaluate your life, to think deeply about who you are and what your passions are. And ultimately, to ask yourself the question: if I’m so passionate about such and such, why on earth am I not doing more of it?
Review by Nate Evuarherhe Jr., for Position Ignition
For more careers advice in book form, see our Recommended Reading List.
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