The No Complaining Rule

Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work

Jon Gordon
Review by Lisa Sansom

The back jacket cover of this book states that this is “a story about positive ways to turn complaints into solutions, innovations and success.” And that’s very much what it is—a story. Written in the easy-to-read parable style , this “story” is apparently based on an actual company that implemented a “no complaining” rule to great acclaim and positive results. The story is simple, and no chapter is longer than four pages of large type. The author also helpfully provides templates, checklists and resources at the end of the book. Overall, it felt like the main principles of this book could be summarized in about a dozen pages, and the narrative was pedantic. However, some of the concrete ideas are sincerely worthy of consideration.

Studies show over and over again that positivity is a contributor to health and contentment in life and work. This book is a useful introduction to the concept of starting down the road of positive thinking, but serious devotees will want more.