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From Publishers WeeklyCorporate psychologist Tasler draws on years of research and the latest findings in genetics, neurology and management theory to explore the benefits and dangerous consequences of human impulsiveness. At the heart of the author’s argument is his pioneering Impulse Factor Test, an online assessment that classifies people as risk managers or potential seekers. According to Tasler, potential seekers are quick to identify new opportunities and are comfortable making important decisions, but their tendency to shoot first and apologize later can lead to trouble if not tempered; conversely, risk managers favor careful nurturing of existing opportunities, providing the stability businesses need to survive, but they often miss opportunities for growth because they are inherently cautious. This intriguing and highly readable analysis demonstrates how both groups can enhance their decision making and is enlivened by dramatic stories of innovators from St. Francis to Bill Gates and scientific reports on impulsiveness in different species and in hyperactive children. Tasler’s pragmatic advice on leveraging the talents of both the brash and the bashful make this rewarding reading for anyone in the business world. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistThere is no better evidence that the nature-versus-nurture debate is still alive than in Tasler’s first book. Here, a group of psychological research consultants, buttressed by bioscientific studies from top institutions and intrigued by the genesis of decision making in U.S. corporations, devises a test to determine if executives/professionals are risk managers or risk takers. Yet, regardless of the test’s results, a lower level of the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO) is one indicator of the “impulsivity gene,” a condition that one-quarter of humans have—as do half of those diagnosed with ADHD/ADD. All is not lost, claims the author. Nature can be tamed by deliberately following a directionally correct path (a la Bill Gates, of Microsoft) and implementing decisions based on facts and analysis. Plenty of examples support his theory, from St. Francis of Assisi’s instinctual embrace of a leper (once thought to harbor a contagious disease) to Zach Johnson’s win over Tiger Woods in the 2007 Master’s Golf Tournament (he attributes his success to playing in the moment). Great ideas and counsel though obscured by too much academic hoo-ha. –Barbara Jacobs