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hvogado's review against another edition
4.0
Excelent. The author motivates to search the element, combining criativity, making a reflection of each one's life.
Maybe I much more near of finding the element.
Maybe I much more near of finding the element.
trish7's review against another edition
2.0
Picked this up because of his TED Talk about creativity and education. First 80-100 pages or so were quite good (re: the antiquated heirarchy of disciplines in education (based on educating an Industrial Revolution-era workforce rather than a 21st century one), the undervaluing of creativity and different types of intelligence, etc.). But then it just drug on and on, and the writing started to feel uninspired and formulaic (point #6; anecdote sort of supporting point #6; now we see that point #6 is true). And then I just resented him by the end for not ending the book 150 pages sooner. Oh well.
laschipa's review against another edition
3.0
The information in this book was interesting in many ways. The issue I have with it is that there is not really any kind of instruction for finding your element. More of a series of stories of how others did, which mostly involved not buying into the school system. So, not much in the way of instruction. But very informative.
mfumarolo's review against another edition
5.0
In today's economy, we are constantly telling ourselves as well as our children and younger generations that when thinking of what to do with their futures, practicality is probably the best way to go. We consider the financial numbers, oftentimes convincing ourselves that it's better to play it safe and go with the path of stability. But Robinson turns that idea on its head - what is it doing to individuals, to our society, when we essentially push creativity and these other forces of passion aside that we can see time and again if we look to the great names and ages of history, if we are building a world where people's careers are merely jobs and not something they actually enjoy.
His solution isn't easy and it won't just happen over night, but I believe that he's thinking in the right direction: we must each find and embrace our Element, that thing he describes as "the meeting point between natural aptitude and personal passion."
Though I wouldn't go as far as to call this book narrative nonfiction, it is certainly filled with stories of real people to help illustrate his points. Some you may have heard of (like Paul McCartney) and others, not so much but that doesn't make their incredible contributions to the world any less extraordinary. While he does speak a lot about education and what educational reforms in recent (and not so recent) years have done to how we value creativity, do not feel like this book has nothing to offer you if you aren't a teacher or don't work in a school of some sort. This book has something for everyone. Are you passionate about math or global warming or cartoons? Then chase it. Do you have a good business sense but don't want to give up your love of music or dancing? There's a way to embrace all these parts of yourself and they can help you become the best version of yourself.
I first heard of Sir Ken Robinson when I was in undergrad working towards my teaching certificate, and after watching a video of the TED speech he gave in 2005, his thoughts blew my classmates and me away. Links to this soon popped up on our Twitter feeds and Facebook accounts, and people who have nothing to do with schools agreed whole heartedly with his concepts as well. So if there's something in your life that you LOVE but may be afraid to go after or try, I say give a listen here or read what Robinson has to say. Embrace your Element when you're lucky enough to discover it, and may it open up whole new worlds for you to explore.
His solution isn't easy and it won't just happen over night, but I believe that he's thinking in the right direction: we must each find and embrace our Element, that thing he describes as "the meeting point between natural aptitude and personal passion."
Though I wouldn't go as far as to call this book narrative nonfiction, it is certainly filled with stories of real people to help illustrate his points. Some you may have heard of (like Paul McCartney) and others, not so much but that doesn't make their incredible contributions to the world any less extraordinary. While he does speak a lot about education and what educational reforms in recent (and not so recent) years have done to how we value creativity, do not feel like this book has nothing to offer you if you aren't a teacher or don't work in a school of some sort. This book has something for everyone. Are you passionate about math or global warming or cartoons? Then chase it. Do you have a good business sense but don't want to give up your love of music or dancing? There's a way to embrace all these parts of yourself and they can help you become the best version of yourself.
I first heard of Sir Ken Robinson when I was in undergrad working towards my teaching certificate, and after watching a video of the TED speech he gave in 2005, his thoughts blew my classmates and me away. Links to this soon popped up on our Twitter feeds and Facebook accounts, and people who have nothing to do with schools agreed whole heartedly with his concepts as well. So if there's something in your life that you LOVE but may be afraid to go after or try, I say give a listen here or read what Robinson has to say. Embrace your Element when you're lucky enough to discover it, and may it open up whole new worlds for you to explore.
expatally's review against another edition
4.0
What an eye opening book for everyone from individuals trying to discover their passion in life, to parents trying to guide our children through this process, to educators who have the even bigger task of guiding thousands of students who wander through their doors. Our oldest son just completed his Personal Project at his IB school where the students are encouraged to spend a year working on a project of their interest and choosing. As you can imagine, the concept of focusing on one project for an entire year can be daunting. What I loved about the Showcase where the students demonstrated their projects, was the breadth of ideas. There were beautifully carved musical instruments, displays of paper cranes to be sent to the Hiroshima museum in honour of the 1000 paper crane project, paintings, home built go carts...I could go on an on. Some of the students really threw themselves into the projects, some hated every minute of it, some developed skills that they will continue (a bee keeping project) while others discovered that their topic is not something that will interest them long term in a career. The overall impression and achievement was the exploration of creativity in each of the students-something that doesn't always have the time it deserves in education systems currently overloaded with heavy emphasis on testing.
alyssaht's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting look at creativity in our lives and finding that thing/those things that make us tick! Challenged me.
rbogue's review against another edition
Like most people I know, I’ve not found that “one” thing that my world revolves around. I’ve found passing interests and desires, but no central theme has emerged. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything is a series of stories designed to lead people to the discovery of that one thing. Of course, this is not the only or even first book to guide readers towards finding their passion. The ONE Thing is another example. Unlike it though, The Element’s approach isn’t a systematic decomposition of life and its facets; instead, Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica lead us down the winding path of others who’ve found their calling. It should be cautioned that all paths are winding – as was made clear in Extreme Productivity – and that not all winding paths lead to the desired destination.
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eiliux's review against another edition
4.0
Cada vez que leo a este señor, mi cabeza se llena de ideas de lo que quiero hacer por la educación en México. He leído muchos comentarios de este libro y no todos son favorecedores, muchos dicen que "El Elemento" no es más que un nombre fancy para llamar a tu pasión, otros dicen que son demasiados ejemplos y nada práctico.
Coincido en que son demasiados ejemplos pero creo que el objetivo de Sir Ken con esto era hacernos saber que SÍ se puede. No sólo para uno o para pocos sino para muchos, de diferentes maneras, en distintos lugares y momentos.
A mi me pareció un libro súper interesante, lleno de conceptos aplicables. Mi parte favorita es cuando habla sobre la definición de inteligencia que predomina en nuestro entorno y distintas maneras en que deberíamos contemplarla. También me gustó entender que el Elemento no es sólo una pasión, sino cuando aquello en lo que eres bueno es algo que amas, que además tienes interés e intención de perseguir y tienes las oportunidades adecuadas para llevarlo a cabo. Fácil no es, pero es muy satisfactorio :)
Coincido en que son demasiados ejemplos pero creo que el objetivo de Sir Ken con esto era hacernos saber que SÍ se puede. No sólo para uno o para pocos sino para muchos, de diferentes maneras, en distintos lugares y momentos.
A mi me pareció un libro súper interesante, lleno de conceptos aplicables. Mi parte favorita es cuando habla sobre la definición de inteligencia que predomina en nuestro entorno y distintas maneras en que deberíamos contemplarla. También me gustó entender que el Elemento no es sólo una pasión, sino cuando aquello en lo que eres bueno es algo que amas, que además tienes interés e intención de perseguir y tienes las oportunidades adecuadas para llevarlo a cabo. Fácil no es, pero es muy satisfactorio :)
januaryreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book was super interesting and the stories Robinson recounts of people who have found their "Element" are wonderful to read. However, all throughout the question remains of how exactly one might find their Element, and I kept wondering if really everyone would have such a passion to pursue (am I being bullied into passion?). As food for thought, this book is great, but in terms of practical worth it leaves a lot to be desired. Then again, maybe that's just me - I wasn't particularly impressed with Ken Robinson's TED talk either.
kayrencar's review against another edition
5.0
I love everything that Sir Ken Robinson says, so of course I had to give this book 5 stars. I enjoyed his many anecdotes about how and when people have found their passions in life. This book is interesting and insightful.