Rule Makers, Rule Breakers

How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World

By: Michele Gelfand

Narrated by: Katherine Fenton

A celebrated social psychologist offers a radical new perspective on cultural differences that reveals why some countries, cultures, and individuals take rules more seriously and how following the rules influences the way we think and act.

In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, Michele Gelfand, “an engaging writer with intellectual range” (The New York Times Book Review), takes us on an epic journey through human cultures, offering a startling new view of the world and ourselves. With a mix of brilliantly conceived studies and surprising on-the-ground discoveries, she shows that much of the diversity in the way we think and act derives from a key difference—how tightly or loosely we adhere to social norms. Just as DNA affects everything from eye color to height, our tight-loose social coding influences much of what we do.

Why are clocks in Germany so accurate while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why do New Zealand’s women have the highest number of sexual partners? Why are red and blue states really so divided? Why was the Daimler-Chrysler merger ill-fated from the start? Why is the driver of a Jaguar more likely to run a red light than the driver of a plumber’s van? Why does one spouse prize running a tight ship while the other refuses to sweat the small stuff?

In search of a common answer, Gelfand spent two decades conducting research in more than fifty countries. Across all age groups, family variations, social classes, businesses, states, and nationalities, she has identified a primal pattern that can trigger cooperation or conflict. Her fascinating conclusion: behavior is highly influenced by the perception of threat.

“A useful and engaging take on human behavior” (Kirkus Reviews) with an approach that is consistently riveting, Rule Makers, Ruler Breakers thrusts many of the puzzling attitudes and actions we observe into sudden and surprising clarity.

Illuminating

Recommended for anyone desiring to get a greater understanding and perspective on today's polarizing forces.

A Must Read

Ms. Gelfand is brilliant!!
This book gave me a new lens to view everything from global events down to the relationship with my wife. I'm particularly fascinated with the way tight/loose finds logic in why the world has such a dizzying array of social norms. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will forever have a new way of looking at the world.

Long and drawn out

The book had interesting points and perspective; however it went from my running listen to my sleep aid. Found the content and reader’s voice repetitive and uninteresting.

Great (Must) Listen...

This book is a must listen for future and present leaders, and an exemplification of how ‘use-cases’ mustn’t be seen in a vacuum, but observed and understood in the fluid marketplace of ideas.

Culture is the dark matter of socialization.

Lots of generalizations

Objectively this is an okay book. The author did an extensive amount of research, and makes some good connections, but there are too many generalizations and some inaccuracies too. She neglected to mention racial discrimination that occurred in many Latin American countries like Brazil. She attributed the American civil war to being only about slavery, but it was more
Complex than that. Discrimination also existed in the north during the civil war, but it doesn’t get as much coverage because slavery wasn’t present.