The GO-GIVER

A little story about a powerful business Idea

Tobiloba Adejumo
Tobiloba Adejumo

๐Ÿš€ The Book in 3 Sentences

  1. Live a life of service without really thinking about reward
  2. A go-giver equation becomes complete when you choose to receive
  3. You will have what you focus on

๐ŸŽจ Impressions

I started reading this book strangely with the intention of stopping halfway and maybe picking it up the next day but it wasn't possible. This book held me spell-bound. It has a mocktail of comedy and truth. I could actually relate to most of the things there because I have seen these laws work for people. The amazing thing this book did for me is that it gave names to the principles I knew but couldn't define.

Who Should Read It?

  • I think everyone who is interested in getting more out of life should definitely read this book.
  • Also if you are passionate about having more from life or you feel you've silently being chosen to change the world ๐Ÿ˜†, then this book is for you.
  • If you are not a book person - maybe English is not also your best language - then this book is for you because the words here are not grandiose or grandiloquent. They are simple to understand and follow-through.

โ˜˜๏ธ How the Book Changed Me

How my life / behaviour / thoughts / ideas have changed as a result of reading the book.

  • It made me generally become more comfortable with focusing on the good in every situation
  • It made me generally become more comfortable in opening myself to the power of giving and also completing the go-giver equation by receiving
  • It made me re-examine my life if truly I have people that truly want me to succeed without the need of being rewarded.
  • It made me realise that genuinely great people and successful people are always willing to tell you their 'trade secret' because what they always do is to serve.

โœ๏ธ My Top 3 Quotes

  1. Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
  2. Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other peopleโ€™s interests first.
  3. Watch out for the other guy. Watch out for his interests. Watch his back. Forget about fifty-fifty, son. Fifty-fiftyโ€™s a losing proposition. The only winning proposition is one hundred percent. Make your win about the other person, go after what he wants. Forget win-winโ€”focus on the other personโ€™s win.

๐Ÿ“’ Summary + Notes

Random annotations, contemplations and thoughts that tugged at my heartstrings while reading

  • People do not believe in giving because they are not as successful as they want to be.
  • How good people survive surprises everyone. Be good to people regardless of what they think about you.
  • Learn how to tell beautiful stories. Hearing Pindar tell stories made me remember a tweet by James Clear about storytelling. Storytelling is an art. It is really important you have illustrations about everything - stories that you can tell in every situations and the only way you have become a wonderful storyteller is by reading a lot of historical contents and also writing a lot of stories. Telling stories makes it easier for people to understand you.

Tobiloba Adejumo

Doctoral Candidate, Research Assistant at The University of Illinois Chicago | Biomedical Optics and Ophthalmic Imaging Lab