Further Reading — Chapter 7: Motivation and Drive

Annotated resources for deeper exploration. Items marked with ★ are especially recommended as starting points.

Foundational Books

★ Deci, E. L., & Flaste, R. (1995). Why We Do What We Do: Understanding Self-Motivation. Putnam. Edward Deci's accessible account of self-determination theory for a general audience. Covers the basic needs, intrinsic motivation, the overjustification effect, and practical applications. A clear, readable introduction to the most well-developed motivational framework in contemporary psychology.

★ Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row. The original popular account of flow — what it is, when it occurs, how it can be cultivated, and why it matters for wellbeing. Based on extensive research across cultures and activities. The book that launched the concept into public consciousness.

Pink, D. H. (2009). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books. A highly accessible account of SDT research and its implications for work and organizations. Lightly based on research compared to Deci's own writing, but an excellent popular synthesis. Particularly good on the application to management and organizational design.

Primary Sources

Deci, E. L. (1971). Effects of externally mediated rewards on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 18(1), 105–115. The original overjustification experiment. Brief, readable, and directly useful for understanding the mechanism.

Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627–668. The comprehensive meta-analysis of 128 studies on external rewards and intrinsic motivation. Settles the major empirical questions about when rewards undermine intrinsic motivation and when they don't.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717. Locke and Latham's summary of 35 years of goal-setting research. Accessible for non-specialists. The foundation for understanding when and how goals support motivation.

On Procrastination

Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. The most comprehensive meta-analytic review of procrastination research. Introduces the temporal motivation theory. Dense but foundational.

Pychyl, T. A. (2013). Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change. TarcherPerigee. A practical, evidence-based guide to procrastination by one of the leading researchers on the topic. Short, accessible, directly applicable. Goes beyond generic advice to address the emotional and motivational roots.

On Flow and Peak Experience

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997). Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life. Basic Books. A more applied follow-up to the original flow book, focused on how to cultivate flow in ordinary daily life. Particularly good on the conditions that enable and disrupt flow.

Kotler, S. (2014). The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Explores extreme flow states in action sports as a window into peak performance. More journalistic than academic but engaging and practically useful.

On Organizational Applications

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. The definitive overview of SDT and its applications. One of the most-cited papers in psychology. Accessible and comprehensive.

Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331–362. The application of SDT to workplace settings — how autonomy support and control affect work motivation, engagement, and performance. Well-organized review of empirical evidence.

On Wellbeing and Motivation

Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. Penguin Books. Draws on positive psychology and motivational research to identify what actually changes wellbeing. Particularly strong on the distinction between external circumstances and intentional activity as drivers of happiness — directly relevant to the intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation distinction.

Baumeister, R. F., & Tierney, J. (2011). Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. Penguin Press. Accessible account of self-regulatory research, including ego depletion (contested), the importance of glucose, and practical strategies for building willpower. Note: some ego depletion findings have faced replication challenges; read with appropriate critical eye.