5.0 out of 5 stars
OMGenius!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 March 2017
I came across this book purely by chance, and having loved his book about power, The 48 Laws of Power (Which I have also reviewed, so I won't go into it here) I bought the paperback. To my knowledge, there's an abridged (posh word for shortened) edition, but this is the whole enchilada at well over three hundred pages! It took a while to read, and the print is really small, so it's best you get the kindle version if your eyes aren't what they were! So, Monsieur Greene, on this outing, teaches some really valuable lessons on exploring the full potential of the human psyche using past and present masters of their crafts as examples, like Leonardo Da Vinci, Goethe, Faraday and Einstein. It's totally changed my perspective on life, as Greene suggests that we find our Life's Task, and not close off our minds to learning new skills and embracing change, whatever our age, instead of getting comfortable, because it's safe and reassuring. He mentions the importance of mentors, and that, in some cases, we have to mentor ourselves if no such mentors are available to us. And the important stages of learning an apprenticeship, from observation, to breaking free and striking out on your own. I found it really informative and useful, and I came away with two memorable pieces of information, one being that, when you feel you have nothing left to learn in a job or apprenticeship, it's time to leave, and a great quote by Einstein, who viewed the intuitive mind as a 'sacred gift' and the rational mind as 'a faithful servant.' He said that 'we have created a society where we honour the faithful servant and forget the gift'. There's something for everyone in this gem of a book if you stick with it, and what you can take to the bank is that Greene states that we all have it within ourselves to be masters and modern day geniuses, and that it's not merely the preserve of those who are 'naturals', He illustrates this point by referring to a pilot who was not naturally gifted, who put in the training and the hours to become one of the best, even when the odds were stacked against him, and the dedication of a top basketball player who, while not naturally gifted at the sport relentlessly displayed such dedication, passion and commitment, and the hard work paid off. Greene's message is clear, to truly get the most out of our lives, we have to push past our comfort zones and see what we are really capable of, with the right inspiration and guidance. Everyone should read this book, and I, for one, am very glad that I did. Well worth its five star rating!
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