Lasting Contribution: How to Think, Plan, and Act to Accomplish Meaningful Work

Frankly, I did not know what to expect as I began to read this book but soon realized that, accompanied by Tad Waddington, I had embarked on a journey of discovery to learn the answer to a very important question: How can I make a contribution that lasts? Waddington asserts that "lasting contributions [begin italics] are caused [end italics]. Simply put, you [begin italics] cause [end italics] a lasting contribution to happen. The problem is that the way people usually think about causality does not serve them well when it comes to thinking about taking action. " Waddington notes that some 2,300 years ago, Aristotle argued that it is useful to think in terms of four causes: material (i.e. of what a thing is made), efficient (i.e. how something is made), formal (i.e. what a thing is), and final (i.e. why a thing is). "This book was written to help you not in the way a hammer helps you to build a house, but in the way a blueprint does. It prepares you for action." Waddington devotes a separate chapter to each of the four causes, explaining its nature and functions, citing examples of it in all manner of situations, and suggesting its relevance to human experiences shared by most of those who read his book. The "blueprint" metaphor is especially appropriate because each person who embarks on the aforementioned journey of discovery is, in effect, preparing to serve as architect of his or her own life. Here is a selection of brief excerpts that provide at least some indication of this book's scope and flavor: "The efficient cause is concerned with taking action to get results, particularly in a complex and dynamic world such as ours...Effective action in a complex world requires considered action - knowing when and how to take action and when not to. But on what do you base your actions? The material cause addresses the issue of your most important resources." (Pages 18) "The material cause involves the resources that you can use to bring about a lasting contribution...In many ways, the material cause is less concerned with your material assets than with how you cultivate yourself...Consequently, it is important to cultivate yourself so that you can seize the opportunities offered...Next, you need to make full use of your arête [i.e. your virtue or excellence in terms of perception, expertise, and mastery]. The formal cause is that way." (Page 30) "The formal cause is the DNA of action. It is the recipe for success, the rules of the game...the blueprint that tells you how to construct the causal chain from your values to your results. It is the road map that informs how to get from here to there. But where is there and why go? The why of action is addressed by the final cause." (Page 44) "The final cause embodies your values. It gives motive force, because it comes from what you value. The stronger the value, the greater the power of the final cause. The more clearly articulated the value, the better you can embody it through action...As the en

Six proofs that Dr. W's book is a TARDIS: 1. It is much larger on the inside than on the out. In just over 100 pages it packs in science, art, economics, philosophy, mathematics, ethics, psychology, sociology, biology, and much more. 2. It will take you many places--from Antarctica to Asia, from mountain tops to wheat fields, from China to Chicago, and on and on. 3. It takes you many places in time: the dawn of civilization, the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, the invention of the airplane, to war, and most important, it takes you into the future by showing how your contributions can endure through time. 4. It is quirky. Key roles are played by Aristotle and Oprah's shoes. Squirrels, muses, and high-casualty cocktail parties make cameo appearances. It plays the social construction of reality off the construction of social reality and even proves the existence of Santa Claus. 5. There is an underlying seriousness and brilliance that grounds it, holds it together, and makes you look at things differently. For example, it defines `meaning' and shows you how to get it. 6. It is a shape-shifter. You'll see it differently every time you read it. It's a self-help book, a business book, a philosophy book. It's unlike any book you've ever read. And it is well worth the reread.

A wonderful read. Should be required reading for all high school and college students. I wish I had 20 copies to give to friends and non-profit volunteers.

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.