Howdy folks!
There are 234 pages in the paper back version of this month’s book Mindset by Carol S. Dweck. So given that we’re just about halfway through the month of December, you’d want to be somewhere around the pages 120-140 mark by now…. eek! I’m only on page 97!!
All good though, plenty of time off next week to make up the difference!
And if you haven’t yet picked up this one this month, that’s cool too! Our end of month book club call is taking place in the first week of Jan, so you have more than enough time to dive in yet!
In today’s email we’ve put together a couple of summaries from the lessons in the book so far as well as shared a few resources that build on and relate to the core messages in Mindset.
Enjoy!
P.S. If you’ve not yet upgraded to the paid version of the Bad Ass Bookshelf then now is a great time!
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﹅ Key highlights from Mindset so far…
1. Beliefs quietly drive performance
One of the most powerful ideas in the book is that success is shaped less by raw ability and more by what we believe about our ability. When people see skills as something that can be developed, they take on harder challenges, persist for longer and learn more from setbacks. The fixed mindset, by contrast, is all about proving yourself, which often leads to playing it safe.
2. Failure means very different things depending on your mindset
Dweck shows that failure isn’t a stopping point, it’s information. In a fixed mindset, mistakes feel personal and final. In a growth mindset, they’re data. Same setback, completely different outcome. The shift isn’t about failing less, but about responding differently when it happens.
3. Mindset is shaped by environments, not just individuals
Mindset doesn’t live in a vacuum. The way leaders give feedback, how teams talk about effort, and what gets praised or punished all influence whether people lean into growth or retreat into self-protection. This is as true in organisations and relationships as it is in classrooms or sports.
At work, what’s your default reaction to a tough challenge?
● Additional resources
Here are some great resources that align nicely with the core messages in Mindset:
► Join the conversation
What Bad Ass Bookshelf members are saying
We’re building an incredible community over on our Bad Ass Bookshelf Discord channel where over 110 of you have joined in the fun (it’s free BTW).
Here are some of the chats we’ve been having:
Some excellent book recommendations - for both fiction and non-fiction
How we’re getting on with reading this month’s book
Introductions from a diverse set of non-fiction book-fans like ourselves!
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These comments come straight from our private Discord community, where our Bad Ass Bookworms chat all month long.
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♦︎ Next book club call
We're so excited to host our next Bad Ass Bookshelf bookclub call to discuss Mindset at the beginning of January! Call details below:
Date: Tuesday 6th Jan 2026
Time: 17:00 GMT (12:00 EST / 09:00 PST)
Participation in our monthly bookclub calls is exclusive to our Bad Ass Bookworm members. Join today!
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