Us Plus Them Lib/E: Tapping the Positive Power of Difference

by Todd L. Pittinsky

Moving beyond mere toleranceUs-versus-them is the costly mind-set in which organizations, communities, and whole nations too often find themselves trapped. In fact, recognizing difference as a positive force can bring astonishing value to even the most diverse organizations.In Us Plus Them , leadership scholar Todd Pittinsky introduces a groundbreaking new science of diversity Debunks the assumption that wherever there is difference there will be inherent tension and animosity Challenges the effectiveness of our standard attempts to fight prejudice and combat hate in our schools and workplaces, our civic and religious lives Reveals how we benefit from the mixing of different ethnic, racial, national, social, and religious groups in a globalized worldThrough a wide range of examples—from Maine and Michigan to Rwanda and Bhutan, and from small-town classrooms to corporate boardrooms—Pittinsky opens our eyes to misunderstood yet useful aspects of us-and-them relations, including many of the neglected positive dimensions of difference. He provides a bold new assessment of the popular and scientific approaches to the issue, proving that it’s time to move beyond mere tolerance to build communities in which the two sides of the us-and-them equation engage each other because they both want to .Much as Martin Seligman and positive psychology have shifted the focus from mental illness to mental healthiness , this book shifts our mind-set to diversity as a positive force. Understanding the science and practical use of that energy will help us build the schools, neighborhoods, companies, and nations we want, and not simply avoid the ugliest problems of the past. Pittinsky shows us that our great diversity experiment hasn’t failed—it hasn’t even begun.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

Audio CD

First published June 26, 2012

Reviews

[Manoj Saha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The positive outlook matters. This book makes us aware of how negative the general outlook is and why changing the outlook is the key to improve our well-being holistically.

[Jay Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good contribution to the long list of efforts to help humans move beyond "win/lose" and "zero-sum." I read it five months ago and don't remember one specific point the authors made.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect with this book. I literally judged it by the cover and was intrigued, so I gave it ago. For anyone who is concerned with our does work around equity, is in a leadership position, or is concerned with the fate of society as we know it (only slightly hyperbolic), I recommend this. The premise of us vs. them /in vs. out groups and the ways in which we go about theoretically promoting positive relationships among and between supposed opposing groups is really turned on its head. While there are minimal suggestions for specific strategies, it really is a call to action to change the way we go about building inter-group affinity.

[Jack Oughton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wonderful message, which I feel is let down a little in execution