This is one of Morrison Mentoring's favourite books about motivation. Founded on many years of research, and containing numerous examples drawn from real life, this is a great first-read on self-determination theory. Here's how the publishers describe it:

If you reward your children for doing their homework, they will usually respond by getting it done. But is this the most effective method of motivation? No, says psychologist Edward L. Deci, who challenges traditional thinking and shows that this method actually works against performance. The best way to motivate people—at school, at work, or at home—is to support their sense of autonomy. Explaining the reasons why a task is important and then allowing as much personal freedom as possible in carrying out the task will stimulate interest and commitment, and is a much more effective approach than the standard system of reward and punishment. We are all inherently interested in the world, argues Deci, so why not nurture that interest in each other? Instead of asking, "How can I motivate people?" we should be asking, "How can I create the conditions within which people will motivate themselves?"

"An insightful and provocative meditation on how people can become more genuinely engaged and succesful in pursuing their goals." —Publisher's Weekly

Another Morrison Mentoring favourite, this book is a little more technical, exploring the relationships between what people believe about themselves and their ability to perform tasks. Although written for students of psychology, education and related fields, each chapter is relatively short, and Dweck avoids using jargon, meaning the text remains accessible to an interested reader. Here's how Amazon describes the book:

This innovative text sheds light on how people work - why they sometimes function well and, at other times, behave in ways that are self-defeating or destructive. Dweck presents her groundbreaking research on adaptive and maladaptive cognitive-motivational patterns and shows:

• How these patterns originate in people's self-theories
• Their consequences for the person - for achievement, social relationships, and emotional well-being
• Their consequences for society, from issues of human potential to stereotyping and intergroup relations
• The experiences that create them.

Book of the Week

Inspired by the indolence of a long weekend, this book lives up to the promise of its cover - it truly is "seriously addictive"! Within are simple, step-by-step instructions for doing a whole range of things: elope; remove wax from a carpet; open a Swiss bank account; name your dog; appear wealthy, or even dress for Summer Solstice at Stonehenge.

This book is an absolute delight. Dip into it and lose yourself in the possibilities ...