Everyone should read Mindset by Carol Dweck http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Success-Carol-Dweck/dp/1400062756 http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-

Everyone should read Mindset by Carol Dweck http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Success-Carol-Dweck/dp/1400062756 http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Success-Carol-Dweck/dp/1400062756 I think that it is a very important book. It is like a self-help book -- without the fluff and with science behind it. It talks about "growth-oriented mindset" (who focus on learning) versus "fixed mindset" (who think that intelligence is a fixed thing). And most people have both mindsets in different areas. And main point is you can change your mindset and what a difference that makes: you aren't afraid of looking bad (for a fixed mindset person, looking bad will amount to "i'm stupid", "i don't have it"). But for a growth minded person, looking bad simply means that they haven't put in the necessary time/effort to get better. This is why you should never praise a child's intelligence. Eventually the child will think that "I was born with this talent" and will stop putting in the effort, and will become stuck -- that is, they were prodigies while growing up. But now, as an adult, they haven't progressed any further. A really great book!!