I wasn't in quite the right mood for this book (I've already been chewing on a lot of these ideas, and I really don't get into dance, which made up a good bit of the mastery discussion and took me back to a very uncomfortable ADF I attended in the early aughts), but I appreciate what Lewis is doing here. I also really like the concept of "nimble grit," the idea that persistence is incredibly valuable, but so is knowing when to pivot. ( )

This book couldn't have come at a better time in my life. It is strength for the journey for all creative people. "My barn having burned down / I can now see the moon" - Mizuta Masahide ( )

Sarah Lewis draws from examples across history and integrates evidence from research to illustrate how failure and resilience are necessary for mastery and creativity. Although the underlying premise is relative straightforward, the stories are fascinating, adding layers to Lewis's argument. ( )

Impeccably researched but a little overly academic for my taste. Such great quotes and interesting facts here, I'll recommend it to a certain reader (phi beta kappa would LOVE the arts chapter) but the narrative was too loosely strung to be especially compelling. I got my copy via a first reads giveaway ( )

A very well composed and immaculately researched book about the multifaceted object that is mastery. While her background is in art and art history, Sarah Lewis does a magnificent job of explaining Man's need for mastery, over his art, himself, his intellect, his curiosity has driven people to extraordinary lengths towards the extreme in human endeavor. It is not perfection, for no thing can ever be perfect, once man assumes what he has done is perfect then renewal, progress, and mastery stops. Lewis' thesis is that mastery moves beyond the artificial perfection.

The story starts innocuously enough with the Columbia University archery team. Why does anyone wish to pursue something as unrewarding and difficult as archery in this day and age. She proceeds to present their case and raises the curtain on these human's needs to be a master of their craft. She proceeds through to the pain of failure, of public rebuke and humiliation, all essential elements of moving us towards mastery, for nothing ever gets accomplished without failure, consistent and painful failure. She also takes on the very contemporary but very hot topic of grit,as a key component of success and how grit can be both invigorating and debilitating, depending on how one is able or not able to parse the grit and how one is guides towards a healthy relationship with grit.

Lewis has a writing style and knowledge that easily guides us along movingly, as the narrative is seemingly bogging down, her prose and her voice cajoles us along, promising us that there is indeed a nobility to this quest for mastery. She takes us to disparate arenas as sport, painting, dance, jazz, physics, arctic exploration, telephony, amongst others to make her points. She is able to pull the essential points of the lessons from the seemingly discordant subject matters and bring it all together nicely. She is quiet in her assertions and her conclusions, but make no mistake, she is as assertive as a raging bull in her conclusions.

I found the book to be refreshing and just the right elixir for a wandering mind, thinking about excellence in what I do. Indeed it was a refreshing read because it accomplished two things: it challenged some notions and it invigorated my reading brains by the prose. ( )