The Why You Do

Unlocking Our Behavior to Prevent Misunderstandings

By: Don Crosby

Narrated by: Duane Berg

Isn't it time you understood why you do what you do?

We've all heard the old adage "life doesn't come with an instruction book", but what if it did? Author Don Crosby wants us to realize our potential - not just doing what we've been told we should do, but all that we truly can do. His personal, humorous, and even touching stories will help you to become your own true, best self. At the same time, we all know that those around us - whether friends, family, or co-workers - can have a huge impact on our potential.

Crosby takes the time in The Why You Do to show how knowing more about the people around us can truly make life better - at work, and at home. Backed by cutting-edge behavioral measurement technologies, these are not simply touchy-feely suggestions and ideas, but techniques you can use and apply. Broken into three helpful sections, The Why You Do will help listeners learn who they are, how they fit into the world, and how to learn more about themselves - and others.

©2015 Donald James Crosby (P)2015 Donald James Crosby

An invitation rather than a manual

The book - read clearly and with energy by Duane Berg - is based on a personality system, itself based on a proprietary statistical analysis of personality-related word lists. The book barely touches on the motivational / personality dimensions used by the system, and then only in the last couple of chapters. In other words, reading the book will help you understand whether you want to pay for a Proscan analysis (the proprietary personality test, available online), and it will help you make sense of the results you get from that test. But it won't give you the tools you would need to do it on your own. "The Why You Do" will not really explain why you do what you do. I was tempted to give it fewer stars for that reason, but (a) it may very well open a path for someone that will eventually lead them to self-understanding; and (b) Don Crosby's life story is well-told and emotionally involving. There are some indications in the book that Crosby wishes he could be more explicit about some of the technology, but while he is a leading proponent of the system, he doesn't own it.

Disclaimer: my curiosity aroused by the book, I filled out the Proscan survey and got back a nicely-formatted report. While it was mostly right about my general personality, I didn't have the kind of "Aha!" reaction that Crosby describes in many of his anecdotes. Your mileage may vary.