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Top Dog

By: Po Bronson, Ashley Merryman
Narrated by: Po Bronson
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Publisher's summary

It's a dog eat dog world. Don't be on the menu.

What are the differences between a winning and losing performance? Why are we able to rise to the challenge one day, but wilt from it the next? Can we in fact become better competitors? In Top Dog, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman use cutting-edge science to tease out the hidden factors at the core of every great triumph - and every tragic failure. By enabling you to identify your own competitive style, Top Dog will help you tip the odds of success in your favor. Integrating wisdom from politics, finance, genetics, neuroscience, psychology, military training, sports, economics, education and more, Top Dog offers counterintuitive, game-changing insights into the nature of competition, such as:

  • Why the home-field advantage in sports is just as relevant in diplomacy and deal-making
  • That women are better at judging risk, while men are better at ignoring it - and how this plays out on K Street and Wall Street
  • Why younger siblings are more competitive than first-borns, and how early-childhood influences shape competitive styles forever
  • That the shape of entrepreneurs' hands can be just as revealing as their business plans
  • How a single biochemical can predict a winner before an event has even begun
  • Why discord can be better than harmony, and why stars on a team do deserve special treatment

As President Dwight Eisenhower said, "What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog." In Top Dog, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman reveal the size of the fight in all of us.

©2013 Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman (P)2013 Hachette Audio
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What listeners say about Top Dog

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Old material, New Refreshing Perspective

If you could sum up Top Dog in three words, what would they be?

Strong Alternative Approach

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Not because it wasn't worth listening to in one sitting, but because the material is best suited for those interested in taking the time for self reflection and application.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting but lacks novelty

What made the experience of listening to Top Dog the most enjoyable?

I think the performance was very enjoyable and the cases which were presented and disected were current and interesting.

Would you be willing to try another book from Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman ? Why or why not?

Yes I would be. I found the way the book was written interesting enough that I would give another a try.

Which character – as performed by Po Bronson – was your favorite?

N/A

What did you learn from Top Dog that you would use in your daily life?

There is a very interesting section about additive thinking and subtractive thinking which are forms of self criticism. You can guess which one is effective is creating Top Dogs but you should read the book to learn more.

Any additional comments?

As an athlete I take an interest in psychology and do a lot of reading on the topic. I have also been educated in Psychology. I found very little information in this book which is not available else where. Most of this has been known for sometime unlike the information in Kahneman's book, Thinking Fast & Slow.

Very good read if you have no prior knowslege of the subject.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very Informative

Trying to understand individualism and collectivism in human nature is truly mind boggling. Yet, it's only somehow an answer we seek to help us live amongst each other. Great book overall and helped with clarification on the polarized world we live in today. TWO THUMBS UP 👍 👍

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent.

Very good book. Should be required reading in late high school / early college. Would recommend to anyone. Malcolm Gladwell-esque

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Wanted to like

but this just motivated me to stop listening. Too many long stretches of just boring content. Sorry, didn't work for me as an audiobook

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Average

Really good premise but content was all over the place. No real set direction on where it was going. Disappointed.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Weeeeeeeeeeeaaaaak

What disappointed you about Top Dog?

I thought it would have a stronger or more compelling explanation and insight. I wasn't really sure why I was being given all this scientific data and what it all meant.

What do you think your next listen will be?

None of your beeswax

What three words best describe Po Bronson’s performance?

Non-offensive-ish

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Top Dog?

I would've added a summary at the beginning and end of each concept. I got lost in what he was talking about and why.

Any additional comments?

Po, try harder.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Doesn't "go" anywhere

Lots and lots of scientific data and anecdotal information without any conclusions. Not actionable. Disappointing. I kept waiting to get to the meat of the message...then the book ended.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

too many unnecessary facts

struggled to finish. too many unnecessary facts could have been a lot shorter. there were some good parts to it though

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