Lasting Contribution
by Tad Waddington
Published by B2 Books
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Reviewed by Muhammed Hassanali
Subtitled: How to Think, Plan, and Act to Accomplish Meaningful Work
Waddington’s main objective is to provide a general guideline of what readers need to accomplish in their quest to making this world better for others. He assumes that the reader has a clear notion of what this individual contribution is (which for some individuals could be the most challenging task).
The framework draws from Aristotle’s Four Causes in that each of the causes translates to a step in the process. Efficient Cause is about understanding how different factors influence each other (engaging in “complex thinking”). Material Cause is the resources you have. Formal Cause is your plan to achieve your objective. Final Cause is the over-riding rational to accomplish your goal.
The book draws from examples in Eastern and Western philosophy, various religions, sociology, mythology, and business. While the breath of material is vast, there isn’t a reliance on any one single work or discipline. Waddington draws only those portions that fit his overall framework. In this sense, Lasting Contribution is an original work and not an outgrowth of a particular discipline or an attempt to integrate the disparate disciplines.
One feature of this book is that it tries to anticipate challenges to the framework presented and addresses some of these challenges. This approach serves a dual purpose. One is to respond to potential criticism, and the second is to provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the framework presented. In essence, it provides a second more critical look at the same framework. This built in redundancy is what Waddington recommends in Chapter 2, so he is following his own advice.
The appeal of books like this one depends on how much the reader’s perspective coincides with that of the author. This book articulates the ideas well and draws on different disciplines to help the reader understand them. Examples help make these ideas concrete and deepen the reader’s appreciation of the overall framework. Responding to anticipated criticism helps provide further insight to the intricacies of the proposed framework.
In short, this is a well-written book, and most readers–regardless of whether they agree with the author–will gain something from it.
This may well be a life-changing book that I read completely during a 90-minute flight.
Armchair Interviews says: Thought-provoking read.