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patsshelf's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
I was drawn to the main points of the book but found myself just skimming over the content because the anecdotes started running together. Great messages overall but not a fan of the read itself.
zarasecker23's review against another edition
4.0
Ken Robinson is a well known speaker, author and international speaker for the arts. He has done many talks dealing with education and living a fulfilled life. The Element is yet another example of his work and passion. When reading this book I felt I could hear him speaking just like I had seen on many video clips. What he said in his book made so much sense to me in that he truly highlighted how a person playing to their passion makes all the difference to not only their own lives but also to how easily performing all the relevant tasks for the job comes for them. To further highlight this Ken used examples of many different celebrities and how they found their element. Whilst it was good to have these examples the proliferation of them became a bit annoying and detracted from the overall feel of the book. In spite of this though it is still a worthwhile read for anybody and especially for those who are trying to find where their passion is.
annemtipton'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.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book on so many levels. It seems like another perfect bookclub book. There are so many connections to make. I'd love to hear about how people have made the leap into fulfilling work, how they blossomed with a mentor and how they figured out what their element is. I hope someone in my circle of acquaintance reads this book so we can chat it up soon.
youmekim's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this read from Ken Robinson and found some of the ideas he brought up around finding one’s passions and why that's important very enlightening. I highly recommend anyone who felt ostrisized by the education system give this book a read as it will give you some insight into why that may have been the case.
parot's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really fascinating book that starts (& ends) as a discussion of education but really looks at the wide diversity of people -- their strengths, skills & passions. It is not a how-to book for finding your own Element but you will, no doubt, find yourself thinking about it as you read. This would be a great read for educators, parents or anyone interested in children ... or adults for that matter. There are some facts but there are also a great many examples in the form of anecdotes from people who've found their Element. I started keeping a list of people, places & things I wanted to look up as well as books to find and read.
thecatwood's review against another edition
3.0
It's weighed down with so many anecdotes and interviews that it almost seems comical, but Robinson has valuable insight into education - both on a personal pursuit level and in regards to policy. Edit out all the stories and you'd be left with a PowerPoint presentation worth of concepts, that are interesting, if somewhat common sense - find what both interests you and you do well in; your Element. I would've rather read a book taking on the education system. It felt like Robinson was trying a little too hard to coin the next Self Helpism with the constant references to the simple concept of the Element.
ioanaisreading's review against another edition
4.0
If you have watched Ken Robinson's TED talks you will read this book with his voice in your head. Just be warned.