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| Authors: Tom Rath, Donald O. Clifton
Publisher: Gallup Press
Category: Book
Rating:  94 reviews
Sales Rank: 514182
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 128
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8
Dewey Decimal Number: 158.1
Publication Date: July 6, 2004
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| Customer Reviews:
A Bucket, A Dipper & You November 14, 2005
24 out of 24 found this review helpful
The authors of this book have impressive credentials and are a grandfather and grandson team of Donald O Clifton and Tom Rath. Don is recognised as the "Father of Strengths Psychology" and "Grandfather of Positive Psychology" and has co-authored the best-selling "Now, Discover Your Strengths" with Marcus Buckingham. This is his very last book. Tom is the Global Practice Leader with Gallup.
The book's main concept uses the metaphor of a bucket and a dipper. The bucket stores positive emotions. The ideal situation is where a bucket is full or overflowing bucket and at the other end of the spectrum is the undesired state of an empty bucket. The dipper on the other hand, either fills up or empties others' and our own buckets. We fill buckets by increasing positive emotions and empty buckets by decreasing positive emotions or via negativity. As simplistic and commonsensical as it sounds, this concept is backed by extensive research.
The introduction starts with early psychology and how it looked at "What's wrong with people". However, Don flipped the question and started researching on "What's right with people". Over the course of time, it was uncovered that human lives are shaped by interactions and these are rarely neutral. Most of our interactions are either negative or positive.
Negativity Kills. The authors' cite the example of the Korean War and how the American POWs were made to feel hopeless without using much physical torture. The Korean captors used the weapons of self-criticism and mistrust as well as withheld positive support to mentally break down the POWs. On the other hand, positivity increases productivity, loyalty, engagement in social circles and better customer care. The authors identify praise and recognition as the critical components of positivity.
We live in a negative culture where praise and recognition are rare. However, the authors caution that the praise and recognition given has to be personalized. "Employee of the month" type of praise and recognition hardly work as it is impersonal and almost everybody in the end ends up getting one. In the process, a lot of research is cited including an interesting one done by Elizabeth Hurlock which showed that children who were praised improved much more than those who were ignored or criticised.
Time and again throughout the book, the authors state the advantages of positive emotions and the disadvantages of negative emotions. The authors urge the readers to wisely use the daily countless moments of interactions to fill buckets and state that the magic ratio is 5-to-1 (5 positive interactions to 1 negative interaction). Studies prove link between optimism and lifespan. For example, cigarettes reduce lifespan on average by 5.5 yrs in males and 7 yrs in females but negative emotions have a deadlier effect on lifespan.
In the middle of the book, Tom presents his personal story of how optimism and 'bucket filling' helped him overcome a rare disorder called the Hippel-Lindau disease which causes unexpected tumours in the brain, pancreas and other body parts.
The authors' time and again urge to make bucket filling a daily practice in our personal lives. Furthermore, personalize the praise and recognition. The mantra "Individualise, Individualise, Individualise" is oft-repeated.
The book winds up with "Five Strategies for Increasing Positive Emotions".
* Strategy 1 (Prevent Bucket Dipping): This can be achieved by becoming conscious, by always asking "Am I adding or dipping?", by preventing dipping, by positively influencing people around and by avoiding persistently negative people. They also urge readers to keep score and provide a worksheet on their site [...]
* Strategy 2 (Shine a Light on What is Right): This can be achieved on by focusing on what's right instead of what's wrong. Help others to feel positive and acknowledge others when they fill your bucket. The website also has a "Positive Impact Test" to assess the current level of positive impact as well as to monitor the improvements.
* Strategy 3 (Make Best Friends): This can be achieved by making best friends at work or outside.
* Strategy 4 (Give Unexpectedly): People prefer unexpected gifts as it has an element of surprise. It does not have to be an expensive or tangible gift (like trust and responsibility). Seek chances to give.
* Strategy 5 (Reverse the Golden Rule): Reverse the golden rule of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" into "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them". Read carefully, you'll get it.
Finally, notice the changes after a period of time. The workplace should be more productive and fun. On a personal front, the relationships with family, friends and self should also improve.
Go ahead, fill a bucket today.
The book as a Mindmap at [...]
 You have to be kidding me. July 18, 2005
22 out of 34 found this review helpful
Unbelievable, if you need a book to basically tell you that if you praise people and are more positive they will be happier, you obviously have bigger problems and need to look elsewhere. This book MIGHT be fitting for people who are relentless when it comes to being negative towards others.
The ideas in this book will cause some people to misconstrue its information and actually use it as a justification tool to avoid what is really causing negativity in life/workplace in the first place. What do I mean by this you ask? For example in the workplace, instead of actually looking at a problem and what is causing people to be negative, the person that created the negativity in the first place can use this book as a crutch and just accuse people of bucket dipping. The reality might be that the bad ideas, systems, policies etc. put in place by the "bucket dipping accuser" are the real root of the problem and negativity of others. There is no use for this book. Oops, I guess I'm bucket dipping, shame on me.
Do Not Buy This Book!!!!!!!! June 6, 2005
18 out of 24 found this review helpful
Do not waste your time with this rip off. They charge you $18.00 to tell you one thing. "Be nice to people and it will make you feel good." This book is extremely short, double spaced and a complete waste of time. The authors probably wrote this thing in less than a week.
I am so sick of these purported "helpers" that gouge the public out of their money without offering a damn thing. This is beyond disgusting. This is thievery.
There is nothing new here. Move along.
Absolute Pablam April 16, 2005
17 out of 27 found this review helpful
One of the least rewarding three-hour reads I can recall. Sentimental love note to the founder of Positive Psychology from grandson that uses one elementary metaphor to teach one pricinple that is intuitively obvious: People/employees benefit from being praised instead of berated and criticized. Gallup organization should be embarrassed for their association with this puffed up lightweight treatment of the Strengths literature. Amazon.com and others who promote the work as something substantial should be exposed for selling sugar-coated baby food.
 What a pleasant surprise! August 3, 2004
16 out of 21 found this review helpful
I am usually a positive person, but this book made me examine how even the little things I say and do make an impact on people. The book has concise, heartwarming examples and left my bucket overflowing. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to have a more fulfilling and rich life. I truly enjoyed it.
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