This book was excellent. I enjoyed the advice it gave along with the explanations based on biology and psychology. The tone is nice and it is fun to read. It was nice to know that there is more than one way to go about a task. ( )

Written by a leading expert on Attention Deficit Disorder, Dr. Hallowell, now sets his sights on using neuroscience to help management increase employee performance.

Dr. Hallowell maintains in this book that peak performance comes from putting in motion a cycle of excellence. This cycle is fueled by five concepts:
1. Putting the right people in the right job, not just according to the criterion of skill sets but also according to problem solving style and aptitude (select)
2. Connecting with others, whether management/employee, employee/employee, or company/client (connect)
3. Using an attitude of play to free up creativity and innovation (play)
4. Using challenges as a vehicle of positive stress to build confidence and persistence (grapple and grow)
5. Appreciating and recognizing good work and behavior (shine)

Each of these concepts has a chapter devoted to it with detailed explanations; key points are summarized at the end of each. In conclusion the book finishes with a chapter on the cycle of excellence which connects all previous chapters and lays out a protocol for implementation of the ideas.

I enjoyed this book; while written for management it is still useful for individuals whether employee, parent or coach. The how and why of the concepts were clearly explained and the steps of how to apply them were well laid out. The information is not so new or different as to be earth-shattering but the explanations of why the concepts work in regards to psychology/neuroscience were very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in performance psychology most particularly if you deal in an area where motivation is of primary importance. ( )