Waiting

My sister recommended Wait: The Art and Science of Delay, by Frank Partnoy, to me. She said it was really good and so I was slightly tempted to buy it when the library didn't have a copy readily available, but then I figured that I would heed the title and wait. But, I finally did get my hands on a copy, and finished it this last week.

I really enjoyed the book. There was a lot of good insight shared and some good research and Partnoy applied his concepts to a wide variety of scenarios that can have practical implications. For example, slow and steady in investing is a wise approach.

One of the chapters I found really interesting was the one on apologies. I thought his point about waiting to apologize to allow the victim time to air their grievances was a good one, but I think he didn't highlight the benefits to the apologizer. In some circumstances, an apology right away can seem insincere because the offender hasn't really had time to realize why they seven owe an apology. In some situations, an immediate apology might signify remorse at getting caught rather than remorse for actions. I also think it was unfortunate that many of his examples were politicians apologizing, because many of those accounts seemed to be more about image than real remorse. But, that might be a bit judgmental on my part.

I also thought the chapter about hourly versus salaried positions was really interesting. I have definitely found myself calculating how many hours something would cost me. It was interesting to see how that can affect us. And there was a great chapter on procrastination and making it work for you. (Which may not have been the best thing to tell an inveterate procrastinator. Or maybe a terrific thing to tell me, if I actually apply it).

Don't think, though, that this is a book about patience. It is really a book about timing and utilizing all the time available, instead of rushing things. Which is really different from patience, in my ever-so-expert experience (ha ha). It is definitely worth reading.