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wintrovia's review against another edition
3.0
Flow is an allusive concept but this book does a decent job of establishing the basic concepts. It's when you're completely absorbed in a project and find you lose track of yourself and time while you're so focussed.
The book helps to understanding the underlying principles but I'm dubious about whether it would actually help you acheive a state of flow. If it was that easy we'd all spend the bulk of our time compeltely lost in satisfying projects.
I've given this book three stars because I felt like it was pretty heavily padded out in places to justify putting it in a book. This could have been an excellent 60-80 page book but instead was a little bit flabby in places.
The book helps to understanding the underlying principles but I'm dubious about whether it would actually help you acheive a state of flow. If it was that easy we'd all spend the bulk of our time compeltely lost in satisfying projects.
I've given this book three stars because I felt like it was pretty heavily padded out in places to justify putting it in a book. This could have been an excellent 60-80 page book but instead was a little bit flabby in places.
hkaube's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the ideas in this bookâdefinitely worth the read. Just wasn't the simplest read.
libellum_aphrodite's review against another edition
4.0
Don't drop this book upon reading the "this is more than a self-help book" speech that comes at the beginning of all self-helps books. Occasionally, Csikszentmihalyi could get a little preachy and start to approach the realm of the self-help lecture; however, the majority of the book is full of interesting insights, studies to back them, and a variety of good examples of real life applicability.
I've been a fan of the "flow" concept since learning about it in an intro occupational therapy class in college. I think many readers will find they have experienced the phenomenon and called it something like "being in the zone." The book is useful for understanding what engenders flow, recognizing where flow is present where you might not have thought of it (for example, a conversation with friends is a less flashy manifestation of flow than supreme focus in playing a soccer game), and creating more occasions for flow in your life.
I could have done without the scattered diatribes about people who choose to squander real enjoyment for the anesthetizing conveniences of modern life. Not everyone in the US is wallowing away in front of their TV for every hour of their spare time, and those who are probably aren't reading this book, so no need to lecture at length here. I don't give much credence to panic about the world is going to hell one piece at a time because modern technology has changed the way we interact with the environment. Every generation has new challenges to face in reconciling itself with its surroundings and change does not equate to doom, in this case, lives with only shallow enjoyment and no real meaning. It is one thing to note how technology has changed human life and introduced new trends and another to sermonize on them.
I've been a fan of the "flow" concept since learning about it in an intro occupational therapy class in college. I think many readers will find they have experienced the phenomenon and called it something like "being in the zone." The book is useful for understanding what engenders flow, recognizing where flow is present where you might not have thought of it (for example, a conversation with friends is a less flashy manifestation of flow than supreme focus in playing a soccer game), and creating more occasions for flow in your life.
I could have done without the scattered diatribes about people who choose to squander real enjoyment for the anesthetizing conveniences of modern life. Not everyone in the US is wallowing away in front of their TV for every hour of their spare time, and those who are probably aren't reading this book, so no need to lecture at length here. I don't give much credence to panic about the world is going to hell one piece at a time because modern technology has changed the way we interact with the environment. Every generation has new challenges to face in reconciling itself with its surroundings and change does not equate to doom, in this case, lives with only shallow enjoyment and no real meaning. It is one thing to note how technology has changed human life and introduced new trends and another to sermonize on them.
kayleigh214's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
dalefu's review against another edition
3.0
A common issue I have with non-fiction books is after the initial idea is presented I get excited and end up anticipating a lot of the implications upfront, then the rest of the book is just confirming the exciting revelations the beginning of the book inspired.
This was an issue for this book, especially as it can get lost in tedium. For example, a chapter on using the senses to attain the state of Flow could be summarized as "make a challenge of your senses, such as a wine connoisseur does with wine, or an audiophile does with music." Instead, chapter after chapter gave several prolonged and predictable examples for each sense.
I also think I would have enjoyed this book MUCH more if I'd read it earlier in my life. The lessons this book imparts were sorely needed in my youth, but stumbled upon on my own in the past 4 years as I found my calling in the Game Industry, especially once I made the jump to Design and faced new exciting challenges every day. The value of Flow made itself known to me on its own, before reading this book.
There were still some interesting insights, especially into the practical implementation of inducing Flow in games to keep the Player engaged, but overall I found it hard to keep my attention on the book, which itself is sadly ironic.
This was an issue for this book, especially as it can get lost in tedium. For example, a chapter on using the senses to attain the state of Flow could be summarized as "make a challenge of your senses, such as a wine connoisseur does with wine, or an audiophile does with music." Instead, chapter after chapter gave several prolonged and predictable examples for each sense.
I also think I would have enjoyed this book MUCH more if I'd read it earlier in my life. The lessons this book imparts were sorely needed in my youth, but stumbled upon on my own in the past 4 years as I found my calling in the Game Industry, especially once I made the jump to Design and faced new exciting challenges every day. The value of Flow made itself known to me on its own, before reading this book.
There were still some interesting insights, especially into the practical implementation of inducing Flow in games to keep the Player engaged, but overall I found it hard to keep my attention on the book, which itself is sadly ironic.
readingwithmoonandstar's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book. I liked that he gives many examples of types of experiences that can constitute flow, as well as what is necessary for it: a match between complexity and skill. I would argue that even experiences that do not add complexity to the self can be flow experiences. Being fully present with one's surroundings, for example, can constitute a flow experience, although no special skills are being used and there isn't a great deal of complexity being explored (or is there?). Perhaps most beautiful is the realization that flow experiences are open to all, regardless of financial and material resources.
ninabina's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting ideas with some (but not enough) practical utility.