Rob Henderson's Newsletter

An article about the social psychologist Robert Cialdini. An interview with Matthew Weiner, creator of the television series Mad Men. A Science article titled “The question of animal emotions.” Google Scholar. This was my answer to economist Tyler Cowen and tech entrepreneur Daniel Gross’s current favorite interview question from their new book Talent: “What are the open tabs in your browser right now?” The authors contend that this question captures a person’s intellectual habits, level of curiosity, and how he or she spends her free time, all at once. In other words, the answer provides a direct insight into a person’s demonstrated preferences.

Talent presents new insights into the process of hiring. The book is thorough yet breezy, providing useful tips for how to develop a talent-spotting mindset with insights from psychometrics, management, economics, and sociology, among other disciplines.

Talent search, of course, is not just about hiring for jobs. It also involves decisions about who should get scholarships, auditions, athletic positions, and co-authorships. The authors note that the challenge of talent search isn’t relevant only for the selectors but also for those who hope to be selected. Just about everyone is involved, either hoping to identify talent in others or show off their own. If you hope to be “chosen,” then it’s useful to learn what others are thinking about talent in order to exhibit the desired qualities.

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