Together is Better: A Little Book of Inspiration

by Simon Sinek

Most of us live our lives by accident - we live as it happens. Fulfilment comes when we live our lives on purpose.

'What are you going to do with your life? What are you doing with your life now?'

'Do you have goals? A vision? A clear sense of why you do what you do?'

Almost everyone knows someone who has grappled with at least one of these questions. The answers can often seem elusive or uncertain.

Though there are many paths to follow into the unknown future, there is one way that dramatically increases the chances we will enjoy the journey. To travel with someone we trust.

We can try to build a successful career or a happy life alone, but why would we?

Together is better.

This unique and delightful little book makes the point that together is better in a quite unexpected way. Simon Sinek, bestselling author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last, blends the wisdom he has gathered from around the world with a heartwarming, richly illustrated original fable.

Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.

Genres: Nonfiction, Leadership, Business, Self Help, Personal Development, Psychology, Inspirational

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Simon Sinek is an optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.

Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. With a bold goal to help build a world in which the vast majority of people go home everyday feeling fulfilled by their work, Sinek is leading a movement to inspire people to do the things that inspire them.

Sinek’s unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention and have earned him invitations to meet with an array of leaders and organizations, including: Microsoft, MARS, SAP, Intel, 3M, the United States Military, members of the United States Congress, multiple government agencies and entrepreneurs. Sinek has also had the honor of presenting his ideas to the Ambassadors of Bahrain and Iraq, at the United Nations and to the senior leadership of the United States Air Force.

Sinek is an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. He is also active in the arts and not-for-profit world, working with Education for Employment Foundation to help create opportunities for young men and women in the Middle East region. When not in hotels, he lives in New York, where he teaches graduate level strategic communications at Columbia University.

Reviews

[Lucas Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe you're like me. You've read dozens (or even hundreds) of business books. You think you've heard it all. And you have. You've heard every platitude before. A bunch. So much so that you start to roll your eyes when you see a another tired old platitude. Then you see this book, and you think... oh boy: A whole book of tired business platitudes. And it is. Except... except... this time, this one time, for reasons you can't quite explain (maybe it's the scratch-and-sniff scented page)... for some reason one of the platitudes hits you square in the middle of the nose. Pow. Such a simple book, and yet it was able to accomplish in the 10 minutes it took to read something that other books which took 8-10 hours never could... understanding. The simplicity of this book allows you to think about how this applies to you instead of distracting you with yet-another-tired-example.

So get this book and let me know if it gives you an "Ah Ha" moment like it did for me.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was truly a delightful little book. It's the perfect mix of heartwarming illustrations and inspiration quotes sure to make us ponder where it is that fulfillment comes from and how we can obtain it. The lines that I found the most powerful and absolutely true were: "Excitement comes from the achievement. Fulfillment comes from the journey that got you there." I encourage anyone to give this awesome little book a few minutes of your time!

[Milly Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uffff! Una experiencia holística, kinestésica, olfativa (si, el libro huele!), gustativa (yo me como al autor y a sus ideas, lo amo), visual (ilustraciones increíbles), auditiva (ajá, viene con música), que enciende tus sentidos pero sobre todo, tu alma.

Sinek lo ha anunciado antes: "quiero hacer un libro que contenga mi mensaje (juntos es mejor) pero que también vaya en congruencia con mis ideas sobre el exagerado uso de la tecnología en esta época y por eso, NO VA A SER UN EBOOK! (ni lo será, eso espero yo!). Para los que aun leemos (y leeremos) sólo en papel, esto es un halago hermoso.

Además, como Juntos es Mejor, lo hace en equipo: él lo escribe, otro lo diseña, otro compone la música, uno más le pone el olor, y claro, hay quién lo inspira para poderlo lograr, uno más en el gran equipo.

Segura estoy que si eso hiciéramos con cada idea que tenemos, si la compartiéramos, si nos dejáramos ayudar, si nos atreviéramos a soltar el control y a dividir las tareas, si trabajásemos en grupo, seríamos mucho más plenos, todos.

Ajá, es posible que sea un libro de autoayuda como muchos otros que hayas leído, pero también es posible que aporte sobre liderazgo, empresa, actualidad, amor, solidaridad, trabajo en equipo y resiliencia. Eso dependerá de ti, y de cómo lo quieras leer.

Yo? Yo voy a comprarlo en español y lo voy a regalar a los míos!

[Gemma · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book stinks! No, literally - one of the pages is scratch and sniff and it permeates the entire reading experience, and not in a good way. The tone of the book is bizarrely patronising, "this story is a metaphor", considering it is just a whole whack of well-worn quotes brought together to create a very tenous "story" (which, in case you missed it, is a metaphor.)

I'm sure this book is well intentioned, and if you need something quick and easy to digest with lots of quotable sound bites then this might do it for you. If you get queasy from odd synthetic smells or you're looking for meaningful advice to help you move your career or company forward, you might want to look elsewhere.

[Holly's Little Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was gifted to me by my management team in celebration of my promotion, and it was the perfect little story of inspiration. Filled with excellent advice on what it means to be a leader and how to find your passion and keep it, I highly recommend gifting this to those who need a bit of inspiration when taking on a new venture.

[Jelena Jonis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like a hot chocolate on a snowy winter day - you consume it and your world instantly becomes lighter. A warm shot of positivity and motivation.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply written but lots of impactful statements. Inspiring for all leaders

[Ashim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just felt all of what was written were generic opinions, but without context or stories. Takeaways have meanings when you know the struggle and journey.

[Reza Mahmoudi]

سایمون سینک این کتاب رو در سال ۲۰۱۶ منتشر کرده که نمی‌توان آن را جز به صورت چاپی تهیه کرد و خواند. می‌گوید این کتاب آنقدر مصور است و حالت خاصی دارد که هیچ‌یک از دستگاه‌های دیجیتالی مثل موبایل و کامپیوتر نمی‌توانند آن را به خوبی نمایش دهند و او تمایل داشته که تصاویر کتاب با کامپیوتر ساخته نشوند و تمام آنها با دست کشیده شده‌اند.
همچنین این کتاب، عطری خاص دارد. او با شرکت ۱۲۲۹ که در زمینه‌ی ساخت عطرهای سفارشی برای شرکت‌ها و فروشگاه‌ها و سالن‌های ورزشی و اشخاص فعالیت می‌کند، قرارداد بسته و یک هویت بویایی برای کتاب او ساخته‌اند. این شرکت می‌گوید که یک هویت بویایی برای برند شما می‌سازیم.
سینک بیشتر روی هدیه دادن این کتاب توسط افراد مختلف به یکدیگر تمرکز کرده است و صفحه‌ای در کتاب را برای همین منظور درنظر گرفته است تا افراد بتوانند با نوشتن نام فرد موردنظرشان در آن صفحه، کتاب را به او هدیه دهند.

برش کوتاهی در مورد این کتاب برایتان می‌نویسم تا با سایر مشخصات کتاب آشنا شوید:

می‌خواستم چیزی ساخته باشم که هیچ فرمت دیجیتالی نتونه درستش کنه.

یک کتاب مصور نقل‌قول.

و خیلی هم اصرار داشتم که نقاشی‌ها روی کامپیوتر انجام نشده باشه.

و با دست صورت گرفتند.

کتاب، یک ترانه و موسیقی هم دارد.

از آلو بلک، خواننده، یه آهنگ به من داد که خیلی بهش میاد.

و متن موسیقی هم پشت کتاب گذاشته شده، و در واقع اشعار با دستخط خودش (آلو بلک) نوشته شدند.

و بهترین قسمتش اینجاست.

کتاب، معطره.

با کمک یک شرکت فوق العاده به نام ۱۲۲۹ تونستیم یک عطر دست‌ساز بهش اعمال کنیم.

و برای من این عطر خوش‌بینی رو طراحی کردند.

پس وقتی برگه‌ها رو بو کنید، خوش‌بینی تمام وجودتون رو پر می‌کنه.

و چیزی که خیلی جالبه، چنین کاری رو توی کتاب‌های الکترونیکی نمی شه انجام داد.

دوست داشتم چیزی بسازم که بشه به‌صورت فیزیکی باهاش ارتباط برقرار کرد.

و جوری طراحی شده که به‌صورت هدیه داده بشه.

توی صفحه اول نوشته شده: برای … از طرف ….

چون می‌خواستم به عنوان هدیه به کسی داده بشه.

و گفته بشه «ممنون از اینکه الهام‌بخشم بودید».

یا به کسی داده بشه که می‌خواید الهام‌بخش اون باشید.

و برای ترویج این امر ساخته شده.

برای ارتباط فیزیکی و درگیر شدن با دنیای واقعی.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick easy read that highlights key points of leadership.

[Dunori · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me this was mostly a simplified version of his other book - “Leaders Eat Last...” - a bit too simplified for me actually although it’s very possible that I may have a different opinion if I had read this one first. My favourite part of the book was the very very uniqueness of page 3, which alone may make it worthy of recommending to anyone in search of a little inspiration.

[Mason Frierson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll be honest...I didn’t love this book. This book isn’t a masterpiece nor is it one of the best books on leadership I’ve read in a while. This book is sort of an inspirational book filled with quotes from Sinek with colorful illustrations that you can move your finger across the page and smell, as Sinek likes to call it, the scent of optimism (I wasn’t able to smell any scent from the book probably because the book is over a year old or my nose wasn’t able to smell it). This book is an easy read and anyone whether an adult or a child can read through this in one sitting. That’s the good thing about this book is that Sinek makes it easy and enjoyable to read.

However it falls short for me when it’s not inspiring or thought provoking to read and that’s the problem for this book. If you want to read a book on leadership from authors who provide facts, data, science, true stories, etc. you won’t find it in this book. You’re better off with either Simon’s two previous books Start With Why or Leaders Eat Last or if you’re like me who doesn’t want the sappiness from Sinek’s books and if you want something with more grit I recommend Extreme Ownership by Leif Babin & Jocko Willink which is probably one of the best books on leadership I have read.

Don’t get me wrong, some of what Sinek says is true and inspiring but some of things he says I just don’t buy it. For instance he says that “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” Stress isn’t the opposite of passion. You can be passionate about working hard for something while at the same time deal with the stress with the amount of work, deadlines, customers or God knows what. Sinek tends to look at the future of the business world with a sense of optimism but the stuff he talks about isn’t grounded in realism. Sure a leader is to look out for the team but he also needs to make sure that he and his teammates fulfill their mission everyday and members of the team need to contribute to that mission whatever their role is. It’s not a leader’s responsibility to hold their teammates hands and coddle them. A business (big or small) isn’t a democracy, it’s a sports team and not everyone gets drafted and not everyone gets to be quarterback.

Having said that he’s right about somethings such as a leader doesn’t necessarily have to have a title to be a leader only do things that make him a leader through his right actions and not his titles. Being a leader doesn’t mean you have to be the CEO of some corporation, you can be a leader by being a good example to others and inspire others to do something bigger than themselves. And that’s what I like about this book. I don’t hate it nor do I love it and I don’t consider it a masterpiece just a book you can put on your coffee table and read it to yourself or to your children for delight and some inspiration on leadership.

[Stefania · Rating 1 out of 5]

AWFUL!

I like inspirational books, I like writing quotes on my journal and I got this book because of its high reviews. Glad it was from the library and I didn’t pay for it.

The story is about three kids dreaming of building a better playground but the author needed 2 pages to explain to us, dumb readers, that in reality it was just a metaphor about workplace.

Then we had a trivial story made of quotes.

And for the last part of the book, the author had to remark that we are really really dumb, so he needed to explain all the quotes.
I’m not joking. The same quotes from the story with his explanation and it’s point of view.

Oh, the irony of him explaining about leadership while he is just a preacher. And a very bad one.

Apparently he does TED talks but no thanks, this book really put me off.

[Alexis Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from my current boss - we've been discussing my transition to a new job, my worries and fears, my confusion about what I want to do with my life/in my career... and this book was a TREAT. It was exactly the motivation and inspiration I needed. I'll revisit it multiple times. It's the kind of book you'll want to seek out when you're looking for a push.

"Most of us live our lives by accident - we live as it happens. Fulfillment comes when we live our lives on purpose."

"If you say your job is something you "don't plan on doing forever," then why are you doing it now?"

"Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion."

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, wise, and charming little book about leadership in organizations but it easily applies to life in general. The illustrations are playful and touching and one page even invites the reader to lean in and smell. . . A quick, inspirational, and fun approach to work and life.

[James Tostevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent! It’s highly unique, simplistic approach and stunning illustrations make this story particularly powerful! An inspirational read!

[Maria Irina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Munca asiduă pentru un lucru pe care îl urâm se numește stres.
Munca asiduă pentru un lucru pe care îl iubim se numește pasiune.’ ❤️

[Roseby Valencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and inspiring read. Nice illustrations also 😁.

[Stephan Benzkofer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In cleaning out my office, I found this little book hidden away, a gift from my father. He didn't often give me books as gifts, and I remember being touched and appreciative. As the subtitle says, it is a little book of inspiration, written by the well-known speaker of TedTalk fame.

The discovery abruptly ended my task as I sat down to reread it and realized how much I missed in the first reading. It was a Christmas gift from 2016, just a year after I left a longtime job and was still floundering around seeking a new career, and I now recognize that he understood the turmoil I was experiencing better than I knew. I wish I could call him up to let him know!

[Venitta Nohra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've heard the author talk about the millennials in one interview and i was fascinated by what he had to say and then he started talking about his new book together is better and at that moment there was no doubt in my mind that i had to buy this book. I Waited for two weeks to get it and when i finally got it it took me 20 minutes to read it. I must admit the scratch and smell option that this book has is really nice but i got to say i was really disappointed i mean i paid 20$ for a book that has barely 3 pages of sentences combined. I did not feel like the author brought anything new to the table except for the way the book was made and for the first time i am actually thinking about returning a book and swapping it for another one!!!

[Mari Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overrated. The book looks like a collection of inspirational quotes without any context. There's a chapter that explains some of them, but it's not enough to make the book good. I expected it to be more deep because it was chosen for a book club, but there wasn't much to discuss.
It can be a nice gift for anyone starting a career, as it does not require any professional experience to be understood and has very cute illustrations.

[Richard Simmonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than a little book of inspiration, this book is an insight into how we understand people, what motivates and ultimately moves them. Allow Simon Sinek to change your perceptions of what leadership is ... As he says in the book 'some people still think they are leaders simply because they got a promotion.'

[Karolina Šilingienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title says, it’s a little book of inspiration. Read it while drinking my morning coffee:) quotes by Simon Sinek are genious and illustrations of Ethan Aldridge simply heart warming. I will definitely pass this book to someone else to get inspired.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, inspirational words of wisdom written in a quick picture book. Solid ideas of what it means to be a leader for today, looking to the future. A must for anyone's shelf, who wants to make a difference!

[Violeta Laralá · Rating 2 out of 5]

Provides some nice quotes but not much more. I guess it's good for those who need to hear the right phrase in the right moment of their lives. The 5 star rating makes this look harsher than it should be.

[Aude Odeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short. Sweet. Easy to digest. But highly nutritional.

For anyone who has a leader. Or wants to be a leader. Or wants to be a better leader.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book about leadership and living life in today's business and creative world. So simple, yet so powerful.

[Annetius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Μια ντεμέκ φιλοσοφική κοτσάνα.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um pequeno livrinho com uma grande mensagem! Para ler, refletir, inspirar e interiorizar.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no clue what this book was when I bought it and even when I started reading it. This is a very easy read. Pages of inspirational leadership quotes, principles, and anecdotes. I loved it. It took me about 25 minutes to read the entire book, but this is one I will refer back to from time to time. Lots of good advice.

This really reminded me of a book I loved in my younger years called Life's Little Book of Instructions..... or something close to that. That book was a book written by a father to his daughter as she moved away to school. A collection of bulleted points that he feared he hadn't taught her or told her well enough. That was a great book too. Anyway, lest you don't realize what this book is... there you go.