Reviews - The Element: A New View of Human Capacity

209 reviews for:

The Element: A New View of Human Capacity

Ken Robinson has some excellent material out there in the TED universe, full of humor and important messages about how schools can improve. I was thrilled to find The Element and excited to read it.

It has some of those same messages in the book, if you get far enough. A lot of the book is focused on stories of people who found their passion. It also comes across as very anti-schooling, which is not quite the same as being interested in school reform. "No one recognized this talent of his in school, so school was awful, and now he's a mega-success! He didn't need school!" There are some interesting ideas here and I will reference the book when we watch the TED talks in class, but I think most people would be satisfied watching the talks without the book.

roxyc's review against another edition

3.0

It was an interesting read and i enjoyed all the personal stories. But the book is mostly about others who have found their element instead of a guide as to how to find your own element. Would've liked some tips on discovering what my element is to go along with all the great inspirational stories.

plathheart84's review against another edition

5.0

I first saw Ken Robinson when watching some ted talks on YouTube. I thought he had such an amazing, inspirational voice. His views on creativity and the current education system sucked me right in as I was busy doing a creative degree and experiencing the lack of belief a lot of people had in creativity as a viable career. After watching his talks, I discovered his books and quickly bought them. I cannot recommend them enough! I thought of people who I would recommend them to, throughout reading this. From people within creative roles to those in teaching jobs. His outlook is so forward thinking and it makes me wonder how our education system has become what it is (or the majority at least) but Ken's positive outlook and his views on how we can essentially rewire our ways of thinking have just filled me to the brim with hope for our future. Everyone should read this! Especially those who find themselves doubting their abilities or questioning their current lifestyle.

notsorrycharlie's review against another edition

4.0

If you are looking for your purpose in life and are feeling lost or stuck, this is a very helpful book to get you started back on the right path. Ken Robinson describes 'The Element' as "the place where the things we love to do and the things we're good at come together" and shares several stories about others finding their Element that help the reader relate to the abstract concepts he presents, which I found helpful and comforting (It's not just me that feels this way/had this problem!). He also describes a few different ways of opening up your mind and new ways of thinking about your future, your capabilities, and how you can find your Element by finding your people.

theatrejoel's review against another edition

4.0

It was really interesting. The book had me thinking a lot of things from an entirely new perspective. Now I feel like I understand life a lot more and the book gave me hope. It was a very good read and I enjoyed the psychology of it. Very good :)

brittany_notolux's review against another edition

5.0

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

evakonic's review against another edition

5.0

Odlična knjiga, ki odpira poti vsem svojim bralcem. Skozi branje odkrivaš zgodbe, ki te navdušujejo in napolnjujejo z željo, da bi še sam počel stvari z večjim zagonom in veseljem. Ocena: Super odlično!

kedawen's review against another edition

3.0

I really enjoyed the various stories of people doing the things they love, as well as the insights into how our education systems need to be transformed to help everyone find their passion. I realized that I need to narrow down my focus so I can get better at the things I'm really interested in (drawing and writing about nature).

I was hoping for more practical info about finding the Element for myself, but I suppose there are other books out there that fulfill that purpose (such as [b:Kick-Ass Creativity: An Energy Makeover for Artists, Explorers, and Creative Professionals|7727493|Kick-Ass Creativity An Energy Makeover for Artists, Explorers, and Creative Professionals|Mary Beth Maziarz|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348475977s/7727493.jpg|10495571]).