by Bob Sullivan & Hugh Thompson
Plateau Effect definition:
The plateau effect is a force of nature that lessens the effectiveness of once effective measures over time. The plateau effect is a state that is experienced when the human body fails to respond to exercise that has proven effective in the past, similar to the concept of diminishing returns. A person enters into a period where there is no improvement or decrease in performance.
Book overview:
The Plateau Effect shows how athletes, scientists, therapists, companies, and musicians around the world are learning to break through their plateaus—to turn off the forces that cause people to “get used to” things—and turn on human potential and happiness in ways that seemed impossible. The book identifies three key flattening forces that generate plateaus, two principles to guide readers in engineering a plateau’s destruction, and three actions to take to achieve peak behavior. It helps us to stop wasting time on things that are no longer of value and to focus on the things that leverage our time and energy in spectacular ways.
Anything you want to do better—play guitar, make friends, communicate with your children, run a business—you can accomplish faster by understanding the plateau effect.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Plateau-Effect-Getting-Success/dp/0525952802
Book reviews:
Amazon Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars
“One of the challenges in reading The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success is figuring how to classify it. Amazon has it ranked mainly in applied psychology, but also time management and inexplicable personal finance. In some ways it is all of the above and more. In fewer than 300 pages, the authors reference myriad different areas of science, mathematics, psychology and more; in the effort to show the reader how they can elevate themselves from the stuff in life that glues them to the status quo.” — Ben Rothke
The Plateau Effect offers solutions to people and companies who feel that they are stagnating… In The Plateau Effect: Getting From Stock to Success, Bob Sullivan, an NBC News columnist, and Hugh Thompson, a math professor and IT security expert, argue that they have found a cure for this condition. They call it “constant recalibration,” or always rethinking your approach to problems.
— When your returns are diminishing
Los Angeles Times | 5/31/2013
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/31/business/la-fi-books-20130602
“Many readers will be fascinated by their descriptions of such underlying matters as acclimation, flow and distortion mechanisms…well-written and entertaining.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The authors write in clear, engaging and sometimes irreverent prose as they dart across case studies from Amazon to Zappos…a stimulating read, offering some inventive theories and solutions.” – Financial Times
“Sullivan and Thompson have identified a phenomenon that plagues us all, robbing us of energy, delight, and successful results. Poignant stories, intriguing information, and insightful advice make this a must-read for any of us that want easier ways to keep the important fires lit. Warning: they’ve nailed stuff close to home for all of us!”
—David Allen, author of Getting Things Done
“Their book is an entertaining and valuable guide that will show you how to quit the struggle and get up off the ground.”
—Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind
“You already know what the plateau effect is. No matter what the endeavor, we’ve all experienced that feeling of diminishing returns from our efforts. Now Bob Sullivan and Hugh Thompson present the definitive guide for those who believe things can get a lot better and want to rise above their plateaus. Turn your back on the daily grind for good.”
—Ori Brafman, coauthor of Sway
“Intriguing… will inspire readers to tackle major changes.” –Publishers Weekly
Content:
Part One: The Science
Three forces
1. Do the maths
Undercovering the forces that drive the plateau effect
2. Going flat
The first plateau force
3. The greedy algorithm
The second plateau force
4. Bad timing
The third plateau force
Part Two: The Engine
Building your approach
5. Flow mechanism
Step functions, choke points, and mystery ingredients
6. Distortion mechanism
Navigating bad data and other tricks of the plateau
Part Three: The Achievement
Peak behaviors
7. Attention
The first action
8. Agility
The second action
9. Application
The third action
The Ending
Appendix: the eight elements of plateaus
About the author:
Bob Sullivan and Hugh Thompson are entrepreneurial analysts with 40 years of experience between them researching, writing, and analyzing systems and human nature. Bob is an investigative journalist for NBC News and MSNBC.com and the bestselling author of Gotcha Capitalism and Stop Getting Ripped Off. Hugh is a mathematics and computer science professor and speaker who teaches executives how to protect themselves from 21st Century hazards.
Bob Sullivan (http://bobsullivan.net/) covers Internet scams and consumer fraud for MSNBC.com. He is the winner of multiple journalism awards for his coverage of online crime and author of Gotcha Capitalism: How Hidden Fees Rip You Off Every Day and What You Can Do About It. and Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic. He is the winner of numerous journalism awards, including the 2002 Society of Professional Journalists Public Service award.