Book Recommendations

Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise, and Other Bribes
by Alfie Kohn, 1999

The basic strategy we use for raising children, teaching students, and managing workers can be summarized in six words: Do this and you'll get that. We dangle goodies (from candy bars to sales commissions) in front of people in much the same way we train the family pet. Drawing on a wealth of psychological research, Alfie Kohn points the way to a more successful strategy based on working with people instead of doing things to them. Kirkus Reviews called Punished By Rewards "a clear, convincing demonstration of the shortcoming of pop-behaviorism, written with style, humor, and authority," and Thomas Gordon, the founder of Parent Effectiveness Training, said, "Every parent, teacher, and manager should read this book - and hurry." ISBN: 0618001816