Thanks for the Feedback

Two Harvard Law School professors offer a psychologically minded lesson on the many ways feedback influences people. Heen and Stone narrate their book with the clarity and freshness of scholars who are still excited about teaching but never let their love of ideas predominate over their desire to help. Feedback is complex: Whether intended or not, it's received as a multilayered message that provides more than judgment or evaluation--it's input not just about the receiver's job or performance but inevitably speaks to a person's desire for appreciation, autonomy, acceptance, and personal identity. With its many tips for fine-tuning given feedback and suggestions for processing received feedback, this guide will inspire listeners to seek and embrace feedback as a necessary part of growing and improving everything they do. T.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

May 15, 2014

From the coauthors of Difficult Conversations, this title is a practical guide to identifying triggers and blind spots that keep us from receiving or giving feedback well and from learning from the process. Interesting stories and intelligent, realistic discussion about human reactions in specific situations make this book an excellent business or interpersonal relationship tool. However, the coauthors are also conarrators here. While Heen's delivery is clear and clean, Stone lacks articulation and, with the falling ends of sentences, is often just too hard to hear. His personal appearances may benefit from the laid-back verbal style, but the narration of a business book does not. VERDICT An optional purchase for libraries where the previous title was popular.--Karen Perry, Univ. of North Carolina, Greensboro

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