Named one of the Top 23 Productivity Books of 2023 by The Next Big Idea Club
"…Gervais's ability to intertwine theory with actionable strategies make this a worthy addition to collections. Will appeal to a broad, general readership." — Library Journal
Advance Praise for The First Rule of Mastery:
"I love Mike Gervais—his insights, his straight talk, and his pitch-perfect advice! Mike draws on the latest research and his own practices and principles to explain why we care so much about what other people think of us and what to do about it." — Angela Duckworth, bestselling author, Grit; cofounder, The Character Lab
"Whether our pursuit of being our best is in business, in parenting, or in sports, Michael Gervais's The First Rule of Mastery helps us place attention on those elements within our control rather than wasting focus and energy on those that are not." — Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft
"With each page, Michael Gervais gently guides us toward a liberating realization: our worth is not defined by the judgments and opinions of others, but by our own self-awareness, passion, and commitment to our craft." — Misty Copeland, principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre
"The First Rule of Mastery eloquently and convincingly shares modern insights and timeless wisdom to free us from the fear of other people's opinions (FOPO)." — Brady Brewer, Executive Vice President, Starbucks Corporation
"This book is an indispensable road map to self-mastery for us all." — Kerri Walsh Jennings, five-time Olympian and four-time medalist
"I so wish I had read this book earlier in my life. This is absolutely a game changer for anyone looking to become their very best self. . . ." — Julie Foudy, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion; two-time Olympic gold medalist
"An essential read for leaders seeking to inspire a culture of learning over external validation." — Kathleen Hogan, Chief Human Resources Officer, Microsoft
"This book is a master class on looking inward to determine our own value." — Apolo Ohno, eight-time Olympic medalist
10/01/2023
Performance psychologist Gervais (host of the podcast Finding Mastery; cocreator, Performance Science Inst. at Univ. of Southern California), writing with Kevin Lake (chief creative officer, Finding Mastery), guides readers in unlocking their full potential by dismantling the pervasive fear of people's opinions (FOPO). Through a blend of real-life anecdotes, research, and practical exercises, Gervais navigates the nuances of FOPO, including its psychological underpinnings and its connection to internal considerations such as self-worth and belonging. Organized around three phases—unmask, assess, and redefine—the book helps readers find a better understanding of themselves and their relationship with external judgments. Each chapter focuses on a topic (the relationship between FOPO and the human need to belong, for example) or a question (why does the human brain naturally tend toward self-criticism?) to work through, including anecdotes from Gervais's experiences and from his and others' research. Each chapter concludes with an exercise to try out the book's suggestions. VERDICT Though the subject is widely covered in popular titles like Carol Dweck's Mindset, Brené Brown's I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Wasn't), and Nick Trenton's Stop Overthinking, Gervais's ability to intertwine theory with actionable strategies make this a worthy addition to collections. Will appeal to a broad, general readership.—Sara Holder