Here's what I wrote in 2012 about this read: "Good food for thought re purpose and passion, being in the Element." ( )

Interesting interviews and collected studies of individuals doing what they love and doing it very well. Plenty of valid criticism of formal education and a little about how to remedy the problems. I'd like to see more about how to find and claim individual creativity in adulthood; i.e. how to recover from the effects of years of schooling. ( )

Enjoyable read. ( )

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. ( )

Without a doubt Robinson is an exemplary communicator. In The Element he formulates the argument that if we find that thing which ignites both passion and talent (aka the element), we feel most ourselves, most inspired, learn how to "flow," and achieve our highest level of success. And he argues that if we can empower others to find their element, we will be access true human potential and empower humanity to overcome the difficulties ahead of us.

Throughout he floods the reader with countless stories of smash hit successes in a diversity of fields. Sometimes we cannot engage our element in our full time jobs but find in through serious hobbies/recreation, becoming amateurs, in the truest sense of the word.

Overall, it was a good book, and I plan on reading the follow-up book, Finding Your Element. In a sense, he is describing what feels like a similar idea as that in The Alchemist, who refers repeatedly to one's "Personal Legend." The author of The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) is one of many examples of someone who found their element and Robinson references him. Coelho was forced into a mental hospital by his parent actually for wanting to be a writer, instead of a lawyer as they preferred.

My only pushback on the overall argument is that the many many examples he gave were of people who seemed extraordinary, and incredibly talented in their respective fields. I feel like this might build unrealistic expectations on some level. The vast majority of us cannot be extraordinary. We shouldn't even desire it, but learn contentment, joy, and diligence in where we find ourselves in life. Can someone love something profoundly and be just mediocre? Of course. Does everyone have the capacity to excel at any one thing? I don't know. What if someone is just barely above average at a few things, but they love them? Enjoying what you do seems more important to me than talent and wild success. To conclude, your element may or may not be extraordinary. But it will make life rich. I'm not sure if I have "one element" or a handful of things I love to do... I'll let you know after I finish the next one. ( )