Scan barcode
A review by amanizaha
Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment by George Leonard
3.0
What is mastery? At the heart of it, mastery is practice. Mastery is staying on the path.
To me, this book reads like a love letter — a love letter to the act of committing oneself to life-long learning of a skill. Of course, we all know the adage about practice and perfection; we don't need a book to remind us that practice is the only way to mastering a skill. But while that is essentially what Leonard tells us — over and over again, phrasing it and rephrasing it within various contexts — he does it beautifully, with great respect toward the act of learning and a sense of passion that is infectious.
Had I read this as a practical guide on how to achieve mastery with skills of my own, I would likely have found this book lacking in value and/or substance. But I went into this with an open mind and quickly realised: this is me, learning about 3D modelling; losing myself in the world of 3D graphics and its immense potential when it comes to creating art; trying to learn everything at once and struggling with the urge to quit when I inevitably encounter obstacles. This is me picking up calisthenics/strength training: experiencing elation when succeeding with goals; feeling dispirited, frustrated when there seems to be no sign of progress.
This is what Leonard writes so eloquently about: appreciating the plateau. When you are on the path of mastery, the plateau is inescapable; a necessity, even. What is mastery if not finding pleasure in the small, day-to-day acts of practice, even when progress seems slow or nonexistent? If the skill is something you love, is it not reasonable to expect you'll find value and excitement even in the simplest, most rudimentary parts of it?
He writes:
So much of his writing resonated with me, and reminded me why I picked up learning 3D modelling at all, for example. His explanations shed new light on the skills I've been trying to develop/hone, reminding me to see them for the joy and excitement they bring me in the present, independent of far-away goals and greater ambitions.
As for my lukewarm rating of 3-stars: while I connected with this book sort of on an emotional level, it was still attempting to be a guide. The final portion, titled 'Part Three: Tools For Mastery', is dedicated to providing, well, more concrete tools, on one's journey to achieving mastery; there is also a chapter describing various mind-body exercises. I mostly skimmed these parts, because I didn't find them directly useful or interesting.
Had I not been able to relate Leonard's writing in the first two parts of the book to my own personal experiences with skills (?) that I am actually passionate about mastering, I might have appreciated this slightly less. I think a reader's experience with this book depends largely on how strongly they feel about the topic of this book, and whether they have a skill/interest to relate it to.
To me, this book reads like a love letter — a love letter to the act of committing oneself to life-long learning of a skill. Of course, we all know the adage about practice and perfection; we don't need a book to remind us that practice is the only way to mastering a skill. But while that is essentially what Leonard tells us — over and over again, phrasing it and rephrasing it within various contexts — he does it beautifully, with great respect toward the act of learning and a sense of passion that is infectious.
Had I read this as a practical guide on how to achieve mastery with skills of my own, I would likely have found this book lacking in value and/or substance. But I went into this with an open mind and quickly realised: this is me, learning about 3D modelling; losing myself in the world of 3D graphics and its immense potential when it comes to creating art; trying to learn everything at once and struggling with the urge to quit when I inevitably encounter obstacles. This is me picking up calisthenics/strength training: experiencing elation when succeeding with goals; feeling dispirited, frustrated when there seems to be no sign of progress.
This is what Leonard writes so eloquently about: appreciating the plateau. When you are on the path of mastery, the plateau is inescapable; a necessity, even. What is mastery if not finding pleasure in the small, day-to-day acts of practice, even when progress seems slow or nonexistent? If the skill is something you love, is it not reasonable to expect you'll find value and excitement even in the simplest, most rudimentary parts of it?
He writes:
Practice, the path of mastery, exists only in the present. You can see it, hear it, smell it, feel it. To love the plateau is to love the eternal now, to enjoy the inevitable spurts of progress and the fruits of accomplishment, then serenely accept the new plateau that waits just beyond them. To love the plateau is to love what is most essential and enduring in your life.
So much of his writing resonated with me, and reminded me why I picked up learning 3D modelling at all, for example. His explanations shed new light on the skills I've been trying to develop/hone, reminding me to see them for the joy and excitement they bring me in the present, independent of far-away goals and greater ambitions.
As for my lukewarm rating of 3-stars: while I connected with this book sort of on an emotional level, it was still attempting to be a guide. The final portion, titled 'Part Three: Tools For Mastery', is dedicated to providing, well, more concrete tools, on one's journey to achieving mastery; there is also a chapter describing various mind-body exercises. I mostly skimmed these parts, because I didn't find them directly useful or interesting.
Had I not been able to relate Leonard's writing in the first two parts of the book to my own personal experiences with skills (?) that I am actually passionate about mastering, I might have appreciated this slightly less. I think a reader's experience with this book depends largely on how strongly they feel about the topic of this book, and whether they have a skill/interest to relate it to.