I am a boy who likes reading and I read all kinds of books. When I do this, I have ended up with two speeds—fast and slow depending on how worthwhile I find the book. I like to analyze and ponder over the words and contents of the books, which can sharpen my mind.
When I read the book Intrinsic Motivation（《内在动机》）, I ask myself, "What kind of book is it? "Well, first of all, I have to say Dan Pink writes well, which is probably not surprising as he is a speechwriter for an American leader. The text is neither academically difficult nor very casual. It states information clearly without effort. The subject matter of the book is motivation, and it starts with a discussion of how external motivation is less effective for modern knowledge work, where wide intelligent decision-making and innovation are important.
The book shows that the tricky nature of how we are truly motivated is filled with plenty of examples and descriptions of research. For example, it is shown how payment can signal that a task is undesirable and so reduce intrinsic motivation. The heart of the book is the analysis of intrinsic motivation, in particular through the three key elements of autonomy, mastery and purpose. The rest of the book then takes an applied position, showing how these principles can be applied in the workplace. The book ends up with a comprehensive summary, covering the contents from several different angles and providing an easy future reference.
This is the sort of book I like most. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, I took quite a long time to read and re-read this excellent book. It covers the subject of motivation strongly and well, and is now one of my definitive references in a rather large library.
