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A review by erikars
The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson
3.0
Overall, this was a good read but not a must read. If you watched Ken Robinson's TED talks, and it left you wanting more of the same, then you'll enjoy the book. If those talks were sufficient for you, this doesn't offer much new, just more depth.
In the book, the author describes the importance of finding your passion. He doesn't describe -- and doesn't try to describe -- how to find your own passion. Rather, he describes what it feels like and looks like to live a life activated by passion. He does this with a mix of personal stories, stories of others, and reference to psychological research.
To me, the primary value of this book was the way it conveyed the energy of living a life around your passion. Such a life is not just one where you feel happy -- at times, pursuing your passion may force you to make decisions that can make you deeply unhappy for a time -- but it is a life where you feel driven to do what you do.
At a wider level, the value brought by a vision like that in The Element is that everyone's element is different. It's not music in general; it may be a particular type of music or an instrument. It's not just programming, but perhaps it's handling complex interactions or giving users a delightful experience. Because of the varieties of talent we have, the author believes that schools need reform. Schools define intelligence narrowly and demand conformity. He spends the last chapter of the book discussing this.
Although the book did not focus on how to find your element, it is possible to extract some tips. Although I used the terms "passion" and "element" interchangeably above, your element is really where your passion and your talents intersect. So looking for those things that both energize you and which you are good at is a part of finding your element.
Another key part to building your element is finding your tribe -- the group of people who share your passion. Your tribe can help you develop your skills, provide inspiration, provide role models, and more.
Taking advantage of opportunities that arise is also key. Often times, these opportunities will require adding more work to an already busy life, but the energy you get from doing the thing you really love can help you push through that and shape your life to hit the right balance.
Sometimes, what you need is not a new idea, but an old idea described well. That is what The Element gives us.
In the book, the author describes the importance of finding your passion. He doesn't describe -- and doesn't try to describe -- how to find your own passion. Rather, he describes what it feels like and looks like to live a life activated by passion. He does this with a mix of personal stories, stories of others, and reference to psychological research.
To me, the primary value of this book was the way it conveyed the energy of living a life around your passion. Such a life is not just one where you feel happy -- at times, pursuing your passion may force you to make decisions that can make you deeply unhappy for a time -- but it is a life where you feel driven to do what you do.
At a wider level, the value brought by a vision like that in The Element is that everyone's element is different. It's not music in general; it may be a particular type of music or an instrument. It's not just programming, but perhaps it's handling complex interactions or giving users a delightful experience. Because of the varieties of talent we have, the author believes that schools need reform. Schools define intelligence narrowly and demand conformity. He spends the last chapter of the book discussing this.
Although the book did not focus on how to find your element, it is possible to extract some tips. Although I used the terms "passion" and "element" interchangeably above, your element is really where your passion and your talents intersect. So looking for those things that both energize you and which you are good at is a part of finding your element.
Another key part to building your element is finding your tribe -- the group of people who share your passion. Your tribe can help you develop your skills, provide inspiration, provide role models, and more.
Taking advantage of opportunities that arise is also key. Often times, these opportunities will require adding more work to an already busy life, but the energy you get from doing the thing you really love can help you push through that and shape your life to hit the right balance.
Sometimes, what you need is not a new idea, but an old idea described well. That is what The Element gives us.