This book may, on the surface, sound like the strengths books of Markus Buckingham, but it is significantly different. To start with the strengths listed here are 12 "executive skills" (executive as in execution, not position). These have been determined based on neuroscience. They are:



1. Self restraint

2. Working memory

3. Emotion control

4. Focus

5. Task initiation

6. Planning and prioritization

7. Organization

8. Time management

9. Defining and achieving goals

10. Flexibility

11. Observation

12. Stress tolerance



While the 12 strengths here are certainly more manageable than the 34 in the model espoused by Buckingham, I don't think they are as crisp. That is, many can be used, or not, in a variety of different ways. For example, is one who keeps one's computer files organized but one's desk disorganized strong in "organization"?



But there are many good ideas here, many I hope Buckingham incorporates. Probably the most important is the idea of being aware of one's weakest areas, not just one's top strengths, is key. As discussed in Smarts - skills are distributed, more or less, as a bell curve - most people have a few at which they are really strong, and a few at which they are really weak- but the majority are more "in between". When looking to match people to job responsibilities, it is hard to have a perfect match, but if one focuses on most of the top skills and none of the bottom ones, that will result in a much better fit than looking at only the top skills.



Another good idea presented here is the idea of not just looking at fit between skills and a job or tasks, but corporate culture as well.



This book also has some limitations, especially when compared to the model used by Buckingham. The quizzes provided to determine strengths are poor. I actually found the quizzes used to assess strengths in others to be more useful at self-assessment than the provided self-assessment quizzes. One thing that hurt the model presented here, as well as all the quizzes, was failing to take into account interest. One's success at various skills can be based on interest of applications of the skills, and success is largely questioned rather than talent and/or interest.



In summary, Smarts is a well-written book with some great ideas, but it, in my opinion, is best used in conjunction with one or more of Buckingham's books.