Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong by Eric Barker (PDF)

Description

Wall Street Journal BestsellerMuch of the advice we’ve been told about achievement is logical, earnest…and downright wrong. In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker reveals the extraordinary science behind what actually determines success and most importantly, how anyone can achieve it. You’ll learn:• Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires, and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength • Whether nice guys finish last and why the best lessons about cooperation come from gang members, pirates, and serial killers• Why trying to increase confidence fails and how Buddhist philosophy holds a superior solution• The secret ingredient to “grit” that Navy SEALs and disaster survivors leverage to keep going• How to find work-life balance using the strategy of Genghis Khan, the errors of Albert Einstein, and a little lesson from Spider-ManBy looking at what separates the extremely successful from the rest of us, we learn what we can do to be more like them—and find out in some cases why it’s good that we aren’t. Barking Up the Wrong Tree draws on startling statistics and surprising anecdotes to help you understand what works and what doesn’t so you can stop guessing at success and start living the life you want.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐At first glance, you may think that Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong by Eric Barker is another book by some motivational speaker designed to convey the secrets of life and success. Don’t make that mistake. Yes, I know, just about everybody who’s going to tell you how to improve yourself today claims that they’ve based their recommendations on science or, in a burst of faddism, “neuroscience.” Most of them haven’t done enough homework.This book is different. If you’re serious about living a life that’s more like the one you want to live, you should read this book. Before I tell you why, let me tell you something about me so you can judge my recommendations.I’m 71 years old, and for more than half a century, I’ve been working on making myself and my life better. I’ve learned a lot by getting it wrong and then adjusting, and I’ve learned a lot by reading and talking to other people and trying things. As a result, I’ve read a lot of books about how to do life better and this is one of the best. Early in the book, Eric Barker says this: “You’ve been told about all the qualities and tactics that will help you get where you want to go, but there’s no real proof – and perhaps you’ve seen plenty of exceptions. That’s what we’re going to look at in this book.”Barker keeps his promise in six focused chapters. Chapter 1 is about whether playing it safe produces success. Chapter 2 deals with whether nice guys finish last or first. In Chapter 3, he looks at the emerging science of resilience, starting with Navy SEAL training. I bet you’ve never thought of SEAL training as a game, but you might after you read this. Chapter 4 addresses the issue of whether success is based on what you know or who you know. Chapter 5 is all about attitude. Chapter 6 is a step back to review the big picture.Barker makes another promise early in the book. He promises that in each chapter he’ll review both sides of the issue. He keeps that promise and it’s one of the reasons why this is a great and helpful book.This book was valuable to me for several reasons. Here they are.Barker does what many great business and self-help authors do. He states things that you could not have articulated before but seem obvious once he says them. One thing like that for me was the fact that the major reason people don’t get enough sleep is that they spend the time working. He also adds detail and insight to things I already knew.I knew that turning challenges into games was a good thing and it’s a technique I’ve used for years, but I didn’t know much of the science behind it until I read this book. In fact, this book has the best short summary I’ve come across of how to use game elements to make your life and work experience better.Barker reframed things that I already knew. I knew, for example, that the beginnings and endings of things are perceived as important. I used that to design speeches and training programs. After reading this book, I’m thinking about the same thing when I plan my day. There’s a bit of science about why your mood in the morning can affect your whole day. And more about ending the day right.There are also things here that I’d already discovered for myself over the last several decades. Among them are the facts that naps can greatly improve performance and that relationships are the key to a satisfying life. There’s also the idea that saying “no” is a critical skill if you want to be as successful as possible. There’s material on why making progress every day and seeking out small wins is both a good strategy and emotionally satisfying.There were also some things that were brand-new to me. I learned about self-compassion and it’s something that I will try to use in my life. Barker told me about the research that supports the idea that we don’t do the things that make us the happiest naturally. Instead, we do what’s easy. And he introduced me to the idea of intensifiers, traits that are mostly negative but can be huge performance enhancers in certain situations.In addition to covering both sides of several important issues, Barker does a magnificent job of connecting the dots. As you move through the book you will find that things discussed in early chapters will make another visit in later chapters.Toward the end of the book he puts together a framework for creating a successful life. I’ve used several of these frameworks in my life to evaluate how things were going and to get ideas for what improvements I should prioritize. Generally, they had more than four issues. His four are happiness (enjoying), achievement (winning), significance (counting to others), and legacy. A single word for legacy is extending, but I find his definition much more helpful: “Establishing your values or accomplishments in ways that help others find future success.”Bottom LineBarking Up the Wrong Tree is a book which will help you do better at work and in life.

⭐WOW!I’ve read many self-help books (and clearly this author has too), but only halfway into the book it had safely earned a spot in my Top 10! I tend to be very skeptical of books with lots of hype around them (having recently been disappointed with Brene Brown’s “Braving the Wilderness”), but no…this one deserves the hype!While I can’t say I was personally surprised by a lot the advice he provided (again, I’ve been around it for years), I can definitely say a lot of wisdom which took me years of trial-and-error to find is in this book. So if you’re new to self-help, save yourself the search and heed the advice in here!There’s also one other strength this book has that a lot of others don’t: It’s fun to read! I’m not kidding, the author uses some of the most creative analogies I’ve heard to illustrate his points. When are you ever going to read a book that uses a colonoscopy to illustrate the way you end your day affects how you remember it?!My only issue with the book is one most people probably won’t care about, but the science-minded individual in me does. The author cites many studies in the book, and while I’m grateful he does (better more than less!) I do wish he had referenced them more specifically. My concern is on more than one occasion he might have stretched his claims further than the studies merited. To be fair, A LOT of Pop Psychology books do this, so this is just a minor quibble.But I digress. This book takes some of the best wisdom you’ll find in self-help, makes it immensely entertaining, and doesn’t sacrifice its quality to do so. I have no issues recommending this book to even the most casual reader.The hype is warranted!

⭐Barking Up the Wrong Tree is the best self-help book I’ve read since Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Person nearly 30 years ago. Barker condensed the last 20 years of productivity and success scientific research into his 300 page book during the writing of his blog for the last 10 years. This stuff is pure gold. I just wish I knew about this 20 years ago but the book was only written 5 years ago. The first chapter tells you when to comply with the rules and when to strike out as a maverick. The second chapter tells you when you want to be a nice guy and when do you need to be cut throat. (Answer: pirates, drug dealers and prison gangs are successful by being nice for long term success. Short term relationships like used-car salesmen need to be cut-throat for short term quick gains.) The third chapter tells you when to quit, i.e. when you will never realistically make it, versus sticking to it with grit with tricks like making the struggle into a fun game. The fourth chapter is about when it pays to be an extrovert using social media or being an introvert diving into deep work Cal Newport style. There is a lot of nuisance in this book so you will need to re-read sections, look at the end notes, and buy the books Barker references. This BOOK IS AWESOME!!! You will not be able to loan this book out because you will never get it back from your friends. I have read half the book and feel like I just started reading. Barker is hilarious, the stories are fascinating, and the advice is priceless. Barking Up the Wrong Tree will be a roadmap toward your success and keep you from banging your head against repeated failure. I almost missed reading this book because the price was way too expensive when it first came out. I bought a used copy for $2 when I saw Barker’s new book on the science of relationships. It is really scary because reading this book has been life changing, making me look at everything I work on with a new, clearer perspective.

⭐This book uses science to explore what makes us successful.Even self-help haters will find this book interesting as it dispels some common misconceptions around success and takes a holistic approach with sections on work life balance and relationships that I found particularly relevant personally.It’s hard to criticise this book but self-help connoisseurs might recognise a lot of the concepts here from other books. With that said there is plenty of original content that make this book very valuable.Here are some of the ideas that I took away from the book:On playing it safe• School grades are very good at predicting self-discipline and ability to go along with the system but not very good at predicting success and riches• The same attributes that make some people objectionable can enable them to be very successful• There is a similar concept for investing in companies. Just because a company has good products, a good team and customers doesn’t mean it will be very successful. Companies with one massive strength can dominate and make do with weaknesses in other areas• Be aware of your own strengths and find environments that complement themOn being a jerk• Effort is a poor predictor of success• Work hard but be sure to keep your boss(es) happy instead• Making sure you’re noticed does not require you to act like a jerk• Be a giver to foster good relationships and trustOn ‘Grit’• Be optimistic with positive self-talk to improve your ‘grit’• Don’t perceive bad events as being permanent, pervasive or personal• Develop your own meaningful purpose in life.• Create games when completing tasks to increase grit and reduce stress• Eliminate time wasting people and activitiesOn people• Know yourself• Don’t network, make friends and check in often• Help other people to build a network• Show gratitude often with other people.On work life balance• Track your time to make sure you’re spending enough time on stuff that will make you happy. You will be shocked at how much time you waste!• The problem with many high achievers is that they don’t spend enough time on relationships.• Healthy relationships are the strongest predictor of happiness and focusing too much energy on careers and making money may come at a great cost if left unchecked• Try and split your time between enjoying, winning, giving and extending• Allocate specific times for achieving these goals and the rest of your to do list• Schedule blocks of time for deep work, the early mornings work well because it is typically free of distractionsOn success• Success is alignment between where you are and where you want to be combined with healthy relationships and a personal positive story about the whole that keeps you going through tough times• You should also choose the right career and company to work for that matches your personality and level of introversion or extroversion• Lastly, understand the huge importance of relationships, they are correlated to your success

⭐I purchased this book because I liked the content and format of Eric Barker’s blog articles. I found the numbered points, and the short summary at the end of the article very useful. I guess I was expecting something similar from the book.This book does contains alot of interesting stories, information and tips. However the chapters can be very long, and the main points can become a bit lost. There is no real summary or breakdown give at the end of each chapter, or even the end of the book to bring it all together. I learnt alot from this book, but there is no easy way for me to quickly refer back to this at a later date without re-reading it cover to cover.

⭐Ever been to a book shop and felt there are so many interesting books you want to read but you don’t have the time? Regardless of what you do in your life, read this book. It will make you happier. He gives you a summary of the latest research in what can make life better for you and for everyone around you. It’s an easy and pleasant read (with the audible & kindle set I swapped between listening while driving/walking or reading), he’s funny. Even when he seems to be staring the obvious (eg working hard will help your career) he does surprise you with new information and ideas (all backed by good science) and twists the way you (or most of the world) think. Can’t recommend enough. Having had a career which I’m proud of (engineer, MBA, consultant) and now raising kids, I feel that this book is important for everyone: the young starting out, those who are happy where they are but not sure where to focus next (or wondering if they can improve), parents (your children will benefit from it), or even if you are about to retire. I bought copies for my husband, my parents, siblings and friends. Waiting a bit to buy for the kids as they are just learning to read…

⭐I’m struggling to read this book – not because of its intellectual content, but simply because the paperback version is small – 18 x11cms, and the font is tiny. Not sure why this edition was created in this format, as it’s almost impossible to read unless in very good lighting.The content itself is very good, and makes a lot of good points, as well as directing you to source materials and references.So, to summarise, I would say buy this book, you will learn a lot from it. JUST DON’T BUY THE MASS MARKET PAPERBACK!(sorry to shout!)

⭐I ordered mass-market version because it was cheaper, and I was like “Wow, great!”.But then, when it was delivered, I was unpleasantly surpised by the quality of the so-called book: it was half the size of a normal book (probably A6), very poor quality paper (kind of a cheapest rough toilet paper quality), very small print, and the quality of the print was also bad – difficult to read. To provide such a product to readers without warning them first about the quality is a discgrace, really. I do believe that Amazon should take this book out of its marketplace – it’s not a book, it’s something that looks like a book, but in essense is not.If authors respect readers and themselves, they should take out this version off their site, too. Otherwise, a possibly great content is spoiled completely by this mockery of a book.

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