Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsFun, Thought Provoking, Useful
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2018
Disclaimer: I know the author a bit, and got a free copy, and was politely asked to write a review.
In summary: the book is a very enjoyable read and provides some intriguing ideas that may be valuable for being successful. His previous book Smartcuts is similar in this regard. Whereas Smartcuts focuses on individual success, Dream Teams focuses on groups.
The central idea is that teams succeed when they bring together a diverse mix of talent and are able to put it to productive use. That might seem obvious, but in practice it is not easy. Unless the group is well-managed, it can be outperformed by a more homogenous group or even a single individual. The book is about how to design a good group and get it to succeed.
The book brings these ideas to life with wonderful story telling, from the War of 1812 to the rap group the Wu-Tang Clan. I happen to know about the Wu-Tang Clan quite well, having followed their music since they first came out, but the book taught me some interesting backstory I didn't know. Good stuff.
My one criticism is that, towards the end of the book, the focus seemed to shift away from the usual sorts of team building. Some of it was on personal change, some on social movements, and some on "asynchronous" teams in which an accomplishment comes from a series of individuals building on each others' work instead of a group of people working together. It's still good content, just not quite on the main theme.
