You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Robinson sends out a wonderful message--that everyone can find that point where their passions and talents intersect, and that it's important to devote as much of your life as possible to being in that "element." Unfortunately, I don't think that many people ever really get that far, or if they do, they ignore what gives them purpose because they can't do it for a living.
An easy read about pursuing what you are passionate about. It is enjoyable to read about people who didn't succeed in traditional school settings but went off to do something brilliant that they were passionate about - Bill Gates, Paul McCartney etc. The most challenging and interesting perspective has to do with the issue of school reform and the state of modern schools. His argument is essentially that the current system has a hierarchy where certain subjects (i.e. science, math) are valued more than others like art, dance and drama. Further he makes a compelling argument that the system is designed for a industrial society as opposed a post industrial one where workers are valued for their creativity and knowledge.
medium-paced
The idea of education and testing not being a true measure of intelligence I found interesting but the rest felt like oh this person discovered their element and so did this person but it doesn’t provide any real solutions to discovering it for yourself.
Like most of us , I knew Sir Robinson from his talk in TED 2006 and just like anyone of us , I was so fascinated by that talk. In fact , his talk was something that got me more interested in education ( I'm constantly saying now that I want to be a teacher).
Maybe I expected too much from this book , it's not like the title indicate anything about how to transform the current education system. So he didn't give quite any details about how-to but It really is about how finding the element(your passion). From the title , it seems like a self-help book , but for me it's more than that. It gives you more insight about some aspects in education. That's why I enjoy this book , because of the education theme and how my favorite subject , mathematic was constantly brought up ;)
So in the end , this book does encourage me a lot more for finding my passion and it does inspire me.
Maybe I expected too much from this book , it's not like the title indicate anything about how to transform the current education system. So he didn't give quite any details about how-to but It really is about how finding the element(your passion). From the title , it seems like a self-help book , but for me it's more than that. It gives you more insight about some aspects in education. That's why I enjoy this book , because of the education theme and how my favorite subject , mathematic was constantly brought up ;)
So in the end , this book does encourage me a lot more for finding my passion and it does inspire me.
Some material of this book sounds similar to others, but the story in here are interesting and encouraging. It might not answer all questions that it posted, but these questions are worth asking.
I was very disappointed with this book, especially since his TEDTalks have deeply inspired me.
I work with students who have a lot of trouble finding their element and hearing stories about artists or millionaires is not what inspires them. I would have rather have him tell us stories about the salesperson who found meaning in his daily work helping people find their exact need or the guy terrible at math who became a happy accountant because it meant working with real numbers for a real purpose. Stories of entrepreneurs and artists sound really cool but they are not the majority of students and especially not the only ones failed by the school system.
The last chapter was brilliant though.
I work with students who have a lot of trouble finding their element and hearing stories about artists or millionaires is not what inspires them. I would have rather have him tell us stories about the salesperson who found meaning in his daily work helping people find their exact need or the guy terrible at math who became a happy accountant because it meant working with real numbers for a real purpose. Stories of entrepreneurs and artists sound really cool but they are not the majority of students and especially not the only ones failed by the school system.
The last chapter was brilliant though.
I watched Ken Robinson's TED talks a while ago and I absolutely loved them. I didn't know he had written a book (oops, always late to the party!), so when I found out, I gave it a go. Needless to say, I expected it to be great. And it didn't disappoint. It was basically like watching a long TED talk - educational, inspiring, relatable and funny. I just love this man and everything that he does!
I received this book as a GoodReads giveaway and am grateful for the gift. I've enjoyed Ken Robinson's TED Talks very much. When I started reading I could clearly hear his dry humor and my reading voice took on his pacing and accent. But then it got to feel a bit too repetitious.
I'm drawn to the premise of the book, that the world benefits when we have the freedom and encouragement to find our Element. Too often schools actively discourage pursuit of passions in the hopes of guiding students to be more "productive" members of society. The book is filled with examples of bright, creative people who nearly had their brilliance doused by standardized schooling. In many ways, I want our current Secretary of Education to read this (but fear she would see it as a condemnation of public schools rather than an admonishment of standardization) But his examples become repetitive instead of inspiring.
The book was a great TED Talk, but as a printed book, needs to be cut in half.
I'm drawn to the premise of the book, that the world benefits when we have the freedom and encouragement to find our Element. Too often schools actively discourage pursuit of passions in the hopes of guiding students to be more "productive" members of society. The book is filled with examples of bright, creative people who nearly had their brilliance doused by standardized schooling. In many ways, I want our current Secretary of Education to read this (but fear she would see it as a condemnation of public schools rather than an admonishment of standardization) But his examples become repetitive instead of inspiring.
The book was a great TED Talk, but as a printed book, needs to be cut in half.
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced