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This book has 10 recommendations
Seth Godin (Author & Entrepreneur)
Also hard to find on audio. I find Steve's voice to be fascinating, and even before I knew him, I was fascinated by listening to him speak his own work. The War of Art is one of those books, at least for me when I finally was exposed to it, I said, 'Why wasn't I informed? Why did it take this long for this book to land on my desk?'... You need to be clear with yourself about what you are afraid of, why you are afraid, and whether you care enough to dance with that fear because it will never go away.Ola Olusoga (Co-founder/Populum)
There was a moment where I was on a quest for self-discovery. I felt lost and wasn't sure if I was who I was because I made the decision to be me, or if my identity was programmed by culture, society and setting. Because of that, I started reading self-help books to reconstruct identity and mold who I wanted to be. This book helped me.James Altucher (Founder/StockPickr)
When a writer or an entrepreneur, or a manager, or an employee, or a…whatever…sits down to get to work, he or she is often met by “the resistance”. The excuses that come up: I can’t do this. I am too old. I don’t have enough money. I’m scared. “The War of Art” is the guide to getting through that block. The comfort zone is papered up and cemented shut by our excuses. Learn to blast through that wall. Because on the other side of the comfort zone are all the tools of success.Mike Benkovich (Founder/Anatomonics)
I'd recommend a sprinkling of business books followed by a heap of productivity and behavioural psychology books. The business books will help you with principals and the psychological books help with everything else in your life. Building your own business can really f!@# you up psychologically.Scott Perry (Author, Stoic Guitarist)
In addition to Meditations and other texts on Stoicism, Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and Seth Godin’s The Icarus Deception have had a profound impact on my life and vocation. Both provide a unique lens for identifying what it means to be a creative and what it takes to deliver work that matters to those that need it.Jessica Lauria (Co-Founder/By Karen and Jess)
I love this book. It simply lays out the difference between the true artist and the amateur. It is so inspiring and makes you understand see if you are doing something because of a real passion or just passing the time. It also makes you realize that true success is never an accident.Kaci Lambe Kai (Writer, Photographer, Designer)
I immediately thought of The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It was pivotal for me as an artist, a creative, and an entrepreneur, but it's not just for artists. It's a book about fear and how we limit ourselves. This book helped me unlock my Resistance to perceived risk in business and in my career in a way nothing else had.Anoop Anthony (CTO & Co-Founder/Sapaad)
The book introduces, among other things, the idea of 'Resistance', an oppositional force at war with human endeavor and ingenuity, a kind of near-demonic energy that 'resists' creative yield. Now, I know that sounds like 'new age' baloney and semi-spiritual psychobabble, but the War of Art is anything but vague and whimsical. It is a hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners treatise on the universal challenge of creation. It is tremendously, gloriously encouraging — it illustrates how the struggle to create, to grow, to seek discipline and rigor and progress, are fundamentally human challenges. It shines a light into the darkness of creative dearth; it puts into words the unspoken struggles of millions of artists. It was first published in 2002, and you only have to read its testimonies to understand its impact.Jules Schroeder (Founder of Unconventional Life)
War of Art is all about working through your own resistance and journey as an artist and creator in the world. It gave me permission to create and believe in my gifts in a way I hadn't before.Adam Johnston (CEO & Co-Founder/Last Call Trivia)
The last two pages of Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art gave me a swift kick in the ass. Do it or don’t do it. But if you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet. Pressfield wrote a beautiful book that you should read, but if nothing else, just read the last two pages of the book. I have them hanging on my wall in my office.This book is part of our collection:
Amazon description
A succinct, engaging, and practical guide for succeeding in any creative sphere, The War of Art is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul.
What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?
Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success. The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline. Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself. Whether an artist, writer or business person, this simple, personal, and no-nonsense book will inspire you to seize the potential of your life.
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See more books recommended by
Seth Godin, Ola Olusoga, James Altucher, Mike Benkovich, Scott Perry, Jessica Lauria, Kaci Lambe Kai, Anoop Anthony, Jules Schroeder, Adam Johnston
See more books written by
Sources
- Tools of Titans
- Interview with Ola Olusoga: How Books Have Guided His Path To Self-Discovery
- Why reading is a good guide to what makes a good day
- Book-talk with Mike Benkovich, web developer & entrepreneur
- Scott Perry, Author of The Stoic Creative, Shares the Books that Stuck with Him the Most
- Jessica Lauria, Co-Founder of By Karen and Jess, Talks About the Reads that Inspired Her on Her Journey
- Kaci Lambe Kai and the Books That Inspired Her to Become an Author
- Anoop Anthony, CTO & Co-Founder of Sapaad, Shares His Remarkable Love for Books
- Jules Schroeder, Founder of Unconventional Life, Talks About the Books That Empowered Her as a Creative
- Finding Flow & Focus in the Midst of Chaos: Book-Talk with Adam Johnston, CEO of Last Call Trivia
