A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)

This is by far my favorite Seth Godin book. Every time I start to lose faith in my vision and goals I re-read this and remind myself that I haven't got to the other side yet, I'm still in the dip.

If you are looking for something/someone to tell you that you are on the right path (or wrong one as the case may be) then this book is the right choice.

I first read about this book reading James Altucher's Medium platform. It is a quick, easy-to-understand message. Know when to strategically quit, if it will contribute to long term success. Don't just quit in the dip (short term pain) if the long term potential will be beneficial. Great book!

This book is REALLY SMALL. I was recommended this book by a co-worker and I found the topic to be pretty basic. Really the entire book can be summed up by this

"Being the best in pivotal to being successful. People do too many things and often quit in the middle when the going gets tough. Quitting to refocus and become the best is the key."

I would have given this a lower rating if it weren't that I think for 7 bucks having an hour read (which is about how long it takes to read this book) on something positive is a good deal. However, the idea of "the dip" is one I think half introspective person has already though of themselves. At points I found the examples he used to be very insightful, at other points I was annoyed by his juxtaposing examples that did not fit into his claims. I wouldn't write home to ma about this one but I suppose its an OK deal for 7 bucks.

This book was smaller and shorter than I expected. Seth wanders some in his writing. This book could have been an article. I heard Seth speak on NPR and enjoyed the interview and what he had to say. The book didn't live up to my expectations after that interview. It was just okay.

Helped me to see how quoting something that is not working will free up time to work on something that is more worthy. Funny was always told never quit, work harder and this book says just the opposite. Quit if you won't achieve being #1. Average sucks. Easy read

This book was wonderful. I had been feeling dissatisfied, and too afraid to take the chance on something better. It was time for a change, and Seth Godin showed me that the short-term awkward of transitioning to something new versus the long-haul of sticking it out in a job I hate was a no brainer. If you need a push toward taking the dreams you've always wanted and making them come true, this book is for you.

If you like motivational books, this is great for you. My President of my company recommended me read this book and I am glad he did. It will motivate you and put you in a different mind set on how to organize you time and efforts. Excellent read.

Once again Seth hammers home his contrarian wisdom. In past books on marketing he's told us why traditional marketing doesn't work. In The Dip he defies one of America's revered adages - "Quitters never win and Winners never quit." As he points out the foolishness of living this out in everyday situations, the truth becomes obvious - sometimes the best decision is to quit - get off the Cul-de-Sac and redirect in a position direction.

As a career coach I see this played out time and time again. People think there is merit and ultimate good in persisting in a job or business that is obviously going nowhere. I'm recommending The Dip to everyone I know. Every once in a while we need to have our clichés challenged to see if they really make sense or have just become culturally accepted.

Next he'll be telling us bumblebees really can fly --

If you like motivational books, this is great for you. My President of my company recommended me read this book and I am glad he did. It will motivate you and put you in a different mind set on how to organize you time and efforts. Excellent read.

Once again Seth hammers home his contrarian wisdom. In past books on marketing he's told us why traditional marketing doesn't work. In The Dip he defies one of America's revered adages - "Quitters never win and Winners never quit." As he points out the foolishness of living this out in everyday situations, the truth becomes obvious - sometimes the best decision is to quit - get off the Cul-de-Sac and redirect in a position direction.

As a career coach I see this played out time and time again. People think there is merit and ultimate good in persisting in a job or business that is obviously going nowhere. I'm recommending The Dip to everyone I know. Every once in a while we need to have our clichés challenged to see if they really make sense or have just become culturally accepted.

Next he'll be telling us bumblebees really can fly --

Awesome little book. After you read it you will want to buy it for all of your friends! Great book on doing the things that lead to happiness! Quiting is not the same as failing is the best part of this book for me. I learned that I was trying to do everything and not doing anything really well. Wow, awesome book!!!

In this mini-book, Godin uses his direct and engaging writing style to help us think about "success" and how we define it for ourselves. He admits in the beginning that there is nothing earth-shaking about this wisdom, but it can shake your world if the timing is right for you. The subtitle is about strategic quitting. Often our failures are in how we defined the boundaries of our goal - too small or too large. The "Dip" is that time and place between initial excitement of an endeavor and the real accomplishment of it - however you define that success. It's generally a not-so-great feeling. Godin shows us eight types of dips that we need not only to survive, but be able to make the challenges work for us in the long run. I could easily see myself in one or more of the seven reasons we quit rather than struggle through the Dips to our goals. Understanding why it is hard to quit things that aren't right is more than just being comfortable in our misery. If we can step back to see the bigger picture, we need to quit the right things or not start them to begin with. Focus. There is a powerful list of the `right' questions to ponder at any stage of a Dip. Thanks, Seth, for sharing this wisdom.

Didn't hate this, but didn't necessarily like it, either. Godin has an engaging writing style and this book is a quick read but it's more full of feel good self help style sayings than practical, applicable knowledge and tips.

Learned some interesting concepts that made the book worthwhile. Just dragged on a bit on some concepts and the examples were quite specific - job search and sales. Would’ve liked to see more varied examples.

Sometimes stating the obvious is helpful. Sometimes labeling something helps folks identify that something that they just can't put their finger on. This is one of those books. A quick read that serves as good mental floss. Enjoyable writing style. Thought provoking kick in the pants. Recommend to just about anyone who has a desire to be more than mediocre.

Seth Godin eloquently yet succinctly describes the logical reasons to quit, or not to quit. His voice is strong and direct, leading the reader to see the truth of their struggle. He separates our fear of quitting and settling for mediocre from our obligation to strive for extraordinary. He illustrates solid reasons for not settling. This book should be required reading for any small business owner who will inevitably reach The Dip. I'll be recommending it to all of my coaching clients.

An excellent monograph clarifying why one should endure the dips just before breakthroughs, but also showcasing how critical it is to quit doing things that are not leading you in the right direction.

This is a very clever book that explains why sometimes our projects and goals just don't work out and what to do about the ones you really, really want to happen. It has graph illustrations to show you where you can get stuck in your thinking and in choices. This is a great book full of advice for a great price. Lots of masters of industry and business owners and athletes pay thousands to consultants to tell them what they're doing wrong and how to fix it so they can get to their goals.

I loved this book for the insight and the clever way it presented the material. I highly recommend it.

I got this book after listening to Seth's interview with Dan Miller on the 48 Days to the Work you Love radio show. Seth Godin is a brilliant marketer and an excellent author of "brain teasers". The Dip is a quick read (I finished it in a couple of hours). Definately recommended if you are wondering if you should continue in a situation or quit. It's so refreshing to see the end of the "winner's never quit mentality".

Like some of the points he makes. And definitely worth a read.

Even though the book is short, it could have been shorter. A lot of redundant things in there. It doesn't do a very good job giving action items.

Godin, as always, brings clarity to leadership. Pushing through the dip helped me in dealing with several close relationships in my life. In fact, it might have saved one of them. I just listened to the 63 minute CD... I got what I needed - but I'm sure the book has even more relevant and effective information. I am more determined than ever to quit more often - and never give up in other areas.