21A - Reading Reflection 2

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

The book that I read for this reflection was Mindset. The reason I chose the book was because the subject can be used in business and personal life. The general theme of the book is there are two mindsets 1) Fixed Mindset 2) Growth Mindset. A fixed mindset is one that believes we are inherently born with qualities such as intelligence and talent. With this mindset individuals don’t believe they have to cultivate these qualities. The opposite is true for individuals with a growth mindset. They believe that the basic qualities they have need to be challenged to grow.


2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

The book connected with what we have learned mostly because we have seen numerous examples of individual entrepreneurs follow the growth mindset. They work extremely hard, fail, work harder, fail, and continue to work even harder. To be a successful entrepreneur you must have a growth mindset. To be an entrepreneur you must challenge your ego. Accept that you will fall but have the will to get back up and go again.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

I would use an example that was used in the book and one that I challenged my daughter with. I would create a small number of questions that ask specifically why an individual would ask these questions. The answer to these questions would indicate if you are more prone to be of a fixed or growth mindset.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

I think my biggest aha moment reading the book was understanding how many people that I know think a specific way. When I understood the concept, it became very clear to me why these people acted the way they did. The second aha moment was discovering that they did not have to have a fixed mindset. With practice, even in parenting, we change the way individuals look at challenges and approach them in a different way.