Helping: Summary Review
This is a summary review of Helping containing key details about the book.
What is Helping About?
"Helping" is a book by organizational psychologist and MIT Professor Emeritus Edgar H. Schein. It provides an overview of the psychology of helping and the various factors that motivate people to help others. The book covers topics such as the nature of altruism, the reasons why people help, and the impact of culture and personality on helping behavior.
Helping is a fundamental human activity, but it can also be a frustrating one. All too often, to our bewilderment, our sincere offers of help are resented, resisted, or refused—and we often react the same way when people try to help us. Why is it so difficult to provide or accept help? How can we make the whole process easier? Helping is a concise, definitive analysis of what it takes to establish successful, mutually satisfying helping relationships.
Summary Points & Takeaways from Helping
Some key summary points and takeaways from the book include:
* Understanding the nature of altruism: Schein explores the concept of altruism and argues that people help others for a variety of reasons, including empathy, guilt, and the desire to reciprocate.
* The impact of culture and personality on helping behavior: Schein examines the influence of cultural norms and individual personality traits on helping behavior, arguing that these factors play a significant role in shaping why people help and how they do so.
* The role of relationship building in helping: Schein emphasizes the importance of relationship building in the helping process, and argues that the development of strong relationships between helpers and those they are helping is critical to the success of any helping endeavor.
* The importance of understanding the needs of others: Schein argues that effective helping requires a deep understanding of the needs of others, and that helpers must be attuned to the unique perspectives and experiences of those they are trying to help.
* The importance of reflection and self-awareness: Schein encourages helpers to engage in regular self-reflection and self-awareness in order to better understand their own motivations and tendencies, and to continuously improve their ability to help others in meaningful ways.
Who is the author of Helping?
Edgar Henry Schein, is a former professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He has made a notable mark on the field of organizational development in many areas, including career development, group process consultation, and organizational culture.
Book details
- Print length: 167 pages
- Genre: Nonfiction, Business, Psychology
What are the chapters in Helping?
Chapter 1 What is Help?
Chapter 2 Economics and Theater: The Essence of Relationships
Chapter 3 The Inequalities and Ambiguities of the Helping Relationship
Chapter 4 Helping as Theater: Three Kinds of Helping Roles
Chapter 5 Humble Inquiry: The Key to Building and Maintaining the Helping Relationship
Chapter 6 Applying the Inquiry Process
Chapter 7 Teamwork as Perpetual Reciprocal Helping
Chapter 8 Helping Leaders and Organizational Clients
Chapter 9 Principles and Tips
What do critics say?
Here's what one of the prominent reviewers had to say about the book: "An uncommonly wise book about a topic achingly overlooked and so indispensable for how we live our lives, professional or personal. I honestly cannot imagine any leader, teacher, consultant, therapist, anybody who wouldn’t benefit from reading this masterpiece.” - Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, University of Southern California, and coauthor of Judgment and Transparency
* The editor of this summary review made every effort to maintain information accuracy, including any published quotes, chapters, or takeaways. If you're interested in furthering your personal development, I invite you to check out my list of favorite personal development books page. On this page, you'll find a curated list of books that have personally impacted my life, each with a summary and key lessons.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
