givers are the biggest winners

Maria Popova reviews
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success,
by Adam Grant

"Givers, takers, and matchers all can— and do— achieve success.  But there’s something distinctive that happens when givers succeed: it spreads and cascades.  When takers win, there’s usually someone else who loses.  Research shows that people tend to envy successful takers and look for ways to knock them down a notch.  In contrast, when [givers] win, people are rooting for them and supporting them, rather than gunning for them.  Givers succeed in a way that creates a ripple effect, enhancing the success of people around them.  You’ll see that the difference lies in how giver success creates value, instead of just claiming it."

Read the whole review here