My manager gave me a free copy of this book because the author's recent talk was very inspiring.

I initially categorized the book as any other self-help genre available on the market, however as I read it, I quickly learnt I was wrong. The author used several experiences and examples of how fruitful it can be to question the norm in organizations. It was a quick and easy read. I shared my copy with others who might find it an interesting read as well! ( )

I started this book because I had heard the author being interviewed on The Hidden Brain program on NPR. The topic seemed interesting and she told a great story.

As it is, I am not unhappy about buying the book, nor am I unhappy reading it. Francesca Gino is a great story teller, she is able to extract the lessons she wanted from the stories and her descriptions of the stories are excellent. Her firsthand stories of her teaching business executives at Harvard, her and her husbands venture in to the world of improv comedy, and most interestingly, her apprenticeship at the Osteria Francescana with Chef Massimo Bottura captured my full attention. In fact, it is her continuous reference back to the chef and the restaurant that kept me interested.

Her stories throughout the book, whether it is her tour of the Pixar facilities and the retelling of “Sully” Sullenberger story were well done and she is a very capable yarn spinner, and she is quite adept at focusing the stories into her main points about being a rebel in the button down world of today’s business.

The book is split into eight chapters and she lays out the landscape of what being a rebel means in today’s world. The main points that she emphasizes: having an eye for the new and the novel, having a different perspective that is well considered and consciously rational, the importance of diversity, being authentic in your actions, and being actively engaged, are actually gospel in today’s church of the innovative management. I don’t think anyone would argue with her conclusions.

That is precisely the problem: the points that she attributes to the qualities of a rebel has been covered ad nauseum in other business books. It seems that every important point she brings up are familiar to me. It means that either I have read too many of these kinds of books or she is treading old ground. It is probably a combination of both, but I was actually a bit disappointed that there is not more substance to the secret of being the rebel.

Having said that, it must be pointed out that the title is still apt: the status quo in American business is still at a point where all the points that the writer made are not the norm, that senior management are clinging to their old ways by reflex and familiarity. The behavior that she is promoting can indeed be seen rebellious. It is just that all this has been said before. If this book does play a role as catalyst in changing the status quo of American business and management. Then I am all for it.

In the end, I enjoyed the read, the author has a nice style, and when she talks about Osteria Francescana, I am fully riveted, because that is a world that I am unfamiliar, and I learned. I just wish that she had more original points to make. ( )

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This was an interesting read. For a non-fiction book it had some good real life examples and studies of leaders in the workforce. However, I would have liked if there was more of an outline on how to take the steps to become a rebel leader. It was actually a quick read and I gained a couple insights. ( )

Based on the book’s title, one might expect to read about reckless revolutionaries who disregard any rules and despise all conventions. Francesca Gino’s perception of rebels is different. Some of the people she portrays as examples of rebels are humble, nurturing individuals. Gino’s focus is more on the inner constraints that rebels overcome to produce original outcomes; such constraints as assumptions, beliefs, biases, and habits. Before one can challenge outer norms, one must be able to confront internal constraints. Gino’s writing style is clear and engaging. Her portraits of rebels draw the reader in and illustrate the characteristics of individuals who dare to be different and initiate innovation. She then supports her points with references to her own research and that of other scholars. This is a book to be read by anyone wanting to live beyond the norm in any arena of life. ( )