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14th out of 18 books
—
36 voters
Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment
Drawing on Zen philosophy and his expertise in the martial art of aikido, bestselling author George Leonard shows how the process of mastery can help us attain a higher level of excellence and a deeper sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in our daily lives. Whether you're seeking to improve your career or your intimate relationships, increase self-esteem or create harmon...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
February 1st 1992
by Plume
(first published February 1st 1991)
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This was a great read: lucidly written and very insightful. I finished the book in two afternoons, and I am by no means a fast reader.
Leonard's insights about mastery may be simple, and we may "already know" many of them, but how many of us have internalized them? This book will be, at most, a powerful revelation. At the very least it will be a helpful reminder and positive reinforcement. Either way it is valuable to the reader.
One of the key themes in this book is the idea that learning happens...more
Leonard's insights about mastery may be simple, and we may "already know" many of them, but how many of us have internalized them? This book will be, at most, a powerful revelation. At the very least it will be a helpful reminder and positive reinforcement. Either way it is valuable to the reader.
One of the key themes in this book is the idea that learning happens...more
This is a fast read, a meditation on the value and nature of mastery as a life-long practice. Written in 1991, it grew out of a particularly well received article in Esquire from 1987. (The Cold War time period is palpably evident in the motivation for and cultural notes in the book.) George Leonard sketches four approaches to learning: the Dabbler (focused on novelty), the Obsessive (focused on perfection), the Hacker (focused on good-enough), and the Mastery (focused on unending improvement)....more
Why I Read this Book: In order to be truly successful I knew I had to understand how to become a master of life and those things important to me. There’s no better place to start.
Review:
There is nothing more inspiring than pure excellence. Have you ever witnessed someone do something incredibly well? How did it make you feel? Did it ever inspire you to go out and play that sport or that instrument or tackle that activity? If you’re anything like me, I bet it did. There is a funny thing about the...more
Review:
There is nothing more inspiring than pure excellence. Have you ever witnessed someone do something incredibly well? How did it make you feel? Did it ever inspire you to go out and play that sport or that instrument or tackle that activity? If you’re anything like me, I bet it did. There is a funny thing about the...more
Tools for Mastery
1. Maintain physical fitness
2. Acknowledge the negative and accentuate the positive
3. Try telling the truth
4. Honor but don't indulge your won dark side
5. Set your priorities
6. Make commitments. Take action.
7. Get on the path of mastery and stay on it
George Leonard explains these in his touchstone book, Mastery. The more that I see attempted transformations at work I realize that a big problem is that 'we' don't have a clue about learning. We just aren't in the habit of big cha...more
1. Maintain physical fitness
2. Acknowledge the negative and accentuate the positive
3. Try telling the truth
4. Honor but don't indulge your won dark side
5. Set your priorities
6. Make commitments. Take action.
7. Get on the path of mastery and stay on it
George Leonard explains these in his touchstone book, Mastery. The more that I see attempted transformations at work I realize that a big problem is that 'we' don't have a clue about learning. We just aren't in the habit of big cha...more
Video review: http://www.bookvim.com/2009/06/master...
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This book has become a classic.
And rightly so.
George Leonard draws from his mastery of Aikido to write a zen-like manual on how to master ANY skill.
If you want to get good at something, or even great - don't read this book.
However, if you really want to master your craft - then you must read this book!.
The book is divided in 3 blocks:
1)
An introduction into the most common approaches to learning a new skill: what Leonard calls the dabbler,...more
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This book has become a classic.
And rightly so.
George Leonard draws from his mastery of Aikido to write a zen-like manual on how to master ANY skill.
If you want to get good at something, or even great - don't read this book.
However, if you really want to master your craft - then you must read this book!.
The book is divided in 3 blocks:
1)
An introduction into the most common approaches to learning a new skill: what Leonard calls the dabbler,...more
I was hugely disappointed with this book.
Expecting great thing with the positive reviews.
There are a few good points that i have contemplated, re-read and absorbed.
But i felt the 90% of the content was dribble. Just simply words to fill the page and expand the size of the book to 170 pages.
For example there is an 1-2 pages wasted on explanation of how house hold air-condition system works in great detail? It is then later related to human behaviour.
3 pages dribble on mastering washing the dishe...more
Expecting great thing with the positive reviews.
There are a few good points that i have contemplated, re-read and absorbed.
But i felt the 90% of the content was dribble. Just simply words to fill the page and expand the size of the book to 170 pages.
For example there is an 1-2 pages wasted on explanation of how house hold air-condition system works in great detail? It is then later related to human behaviour.
3 pages dribble on mastering washing the dishe...more
An Aikido master on mastery...recommended by Shaikh Hamza Yusuf....
If you have ever striven for mastery out of love, where you lose yourself in the practice and the practice, the devotional act of being is in itself its own reward...then you will love this book.
It is a book that challenges the contemporary American ideal of the superiority of only climactic moments, that challenges instant gratification, and reveals a deeper, older, and more essential truth about life. Very interesting reading....more
If you have ever striven for mastery out of love, where you lose yourself in the practice and the practice, the devotional act of being is in itself its own reward...then you will love this book.
It is a book that challenges the contemporary American ideal of the superiority of only climactic moments, that challenges instant gratification, and reveals a deeper, older, and more essential truth about life. Very interesting reading....more
I loved the way it introduces the American consumerist society, that is so insistant on having "EXCITING", "PINNACLE" moments that having plain ol' good times seem so vanilla and passe. Awareness is winning half the battle. Being alert to the messages being bombarded one can steel himself well from falling into a depressive trap. So, what's the answer, it's "Loving the Plateau". Brilliant concept. So true. As it's in the Plateau where you one lives most of his life till he gets his next high. Th...more
Jun 25, 2009
Michael
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Setians, Initiates, Athletes
Recommended to Michael by:
TOS RL
Shelves:
left-hand-path,
self-help
A rare self-help book that actually has something useful to say. Leonard's overall message is sort of a less-technical version of Csikczentmihalyi's _Flow_ (which Leonard recommends); put simply, people who do things for the sake of doing them get more out of life than those who impose expectations. This bit of wisdom would hardly need an entire book to explain (whether in Social-Psychological terminology or pop self-help language), but explaining _what_ that means, on a day-to-day basis and _ho...more
First of all I am thankful to Ashish for recommending "Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment". It is one of the most enlightening books I have ever read.
The talk of mastery conjures the imagery of being in a monastery beside the calm Zen master offering words of wisdom and instruction. This book dispels the myth about mastery being a nearly impossible feat. The author provokes the reader to be more mindful of the present rather than being limited to fetishizing future goals. Th...more
The talk of mastery conjures the imagery of being in a monastery beside the calm Zen master offering words of wisdom and instruction. This book dispels the myth about mastery being a nearly impossible feat. The author provokes the reader to be more mindful of the present rather than being limited to fetishizing future goals. Th...more
I read this book last year while I was in a relationship with someone who was not right for me. I was not happy, but I found a great deal of solace in running, and I was struggling to achieve a sense of emotional stability. George Leonard incorporates zen methodology into this book, which is kind of like a user's manual for living life.
Mastery, of course implies challenging oneself, either intentionally or through navigating through life's situations. Leonard seems to emphasize that accomplishme...more
Mastery, of course implies challenging oneself, either intentionally or through navigating through life's situations. Leonard seems to emphasize that accomplishme...more
True mastery of a skill (of any kind) doesn't happen overnight, it takes dedication and consistent practice. Much of our learning actually happens in plateaus where it FEELS like nothing is happening, but where our brain is embedding information and shifting from having to think about the actions to transforming to automatic reflexes.
Excellent antidote to the mistaken belief that success in any endeavour is a quick-results proposition. Whether you intend to master business skills, a sport, or yo...more
Excellent antidote to the mistaken belief that success in any endeavour is a quick-results proposition. Whether you intend to master business skills, a sport, or yo...more
For such a simple, straightforward book, I'm surprised that I enjoyed this so much. Leonard speaks from authority and experience, and it shows. A few of his points felt like filler, little platitudes like "get a support system" -- trying to stretch a good Esquire article into a full book. But they were easy to skip to get to the good parts. The last two chapters especially are dense with practical how-to advice that I can't wait to try. The final pages will color my view of work, relationships,...more
I do not make a habit of reading self-help books, but I read about this book in a review of a new recording by a jazz trumpeter and I thought I would give it a try. Short and to the point, the book reminded me of many other works I've read applying zen tenets to everyday living. Leonard in an Aikido master and explicates what he has learned from his years of practice to guide people on to the path to contentment and, as he says, "fulfillment." The book reminded me of the many things I know and i...more
All learning is measured not in straight line but in stages: brief spurts of progress separated by periods during which we seemed to get to nowhere. From learning to ride a bicycle,learning a new language or learning to walk as a baby.
Mastery resists definition yet can be instantly recognized. It comes in many varieties,yet follows certain unchanging laws. It brings rich rewards, yet is not really a goal or a destination but rather a process, a journey.
The modern world is a prodigious conspira...more
Mastery resists definition yet can be instantly recognized. It comes in many varieties,yet follows certain unchanging laws. It brings rich rewards, yet is not really a goal or a destination but rather a process, a journey.
The modern world is a prodigious conspira...more
This is exactly what a self-improvement / cognitive hacking book should be! Concise, well-written, and sharply focussed! Awesome, worth the 2 hours it takes to read it. In particular:
- The idea that mastery is a journey you can (and should) embark on in many areas of your life
- Pointing out that so much of our culture (movies, TV, etc) is specifically anti-mastery! You just get the moment of triumph without the dull hours of practice.
- The recognition of certain anti-patterns like being a dab...more
- The idea that mastery is a journey you can (and should) embark on in many areas of your life
- Pointing out that so much of our culture (movies, TV, etc) is specifically anti-mastery! You just get the moment of triumph without the dull hours of practice.
- The recognition of certain anti-patterns like being a dab...more
This book is very enlightening because it allows the reader to view learning from different vantage points. As you look at each view it is very easy to make an association with the learning style; however, the book very elegantly shows the importance of not rushing into understanding. In today's society, many individuals are forced to believe that they should always be taking steps forward, however, Mr. Leonard explains the importance of looking forward the plateaus. The plateaus are critical be...more
Excellent small book. Talks about using zen practices in the pursuit of mastery of any craft. The author comes at it thru his craft - Aikido - but says that the principles can be applied to any craft. I got a lot out of this book - there were certain phrases that really hit home. I really liked his description of the 3 personality types most people approach their crafts with - Dabbler, Obsessive and Hack. I was shocked to realize I was largely a dabbler. That said, knowing that, I can continue o...more
Recommended to me from my golf instructor.
A very short concise book of practical advice about learning new skills based on George's own experience taking up Aikido in his 40's and continuing it into his 70's. Suitable for me due to my own aging and reevaluation of life as I get older. Less about being superman and more about being persistent while challenging your own assumptions as you go, while setting yourself up as a life long learner (In my case of golf).
Influences - Japan, Buddhism, count...more
A very short concise book of practical advice about learning new skills based on George's own experience taking up Aikido in his 40's and continuing it into his 70's. Suitable for me due to my own aging and reevaluation of life as I get older. Less about being superman and more about being persistent while challenging your own assumptions as you go, while setting yourself up as a life long learner (In my case of golf).
Influences - Japan, Buddhism, count...more
The book is by an aikido instructor. It is about the path of mastery, throghout life. Anything of real value, that we learn, involves challenges - high points, plateaus, and dips, along the way.
The path of mastery understands this, and we love the path itself. Although we love the idea of achieving the goal at the end, we love the path, maybe even more.
This is a book about the path of wisdom and mastery, in any subject. It has helped me a lot, to see where I am on the path of mastery, and when...more
The path of mastery understands this, and we love the path itself. Although we love the idea of achieving the goal at the end, we love the path, maybe even more.
This is a book about the path of wisdom and mastery, in any subject. It has helped me a lot, to see where I am on the path of mastery, and when...more
Dabbler; Obsessive, Hacker or Master? I'm primarily obsessive. Tom's a hacker, I think. But I'm also on route to master teaching. Yes, American thought emphasizes product, when it's process we ought to be looking at...and we spend the majority of life on the plateau. Love it.
Key 1: instruction. Surround yourself with praise-worthy teachers - those who teach all, in the individualized way possible. Student? Or disciple, or unsurrenderable? Balance is necessary.
Key 2: practice. Devotion to the goa...more
Key 1: instruction. Surround yourself with praise-worthy teachers - those who teach all, in the individualized way possible. Student? Or disciple, or unsurrenderable? Balance is necessary.
Key 2: practice. Devotion to the goa...more
This book really helped me to consider the possibility of enjoying being on one position until you master it. Career wise early on I was used to being the exception and getting promoted before the year was up. Later on when I was held to the rule and no longer the exception it was tough on my confidence you may say. However after reading through this book, I enjoy the plateau and realize that repetition is the path to mastery. I feel like this book has helped me to become more a person of substa...more
Short book, powerful message -- In a nutshell: "Learn to enjoy the plateau." I decided to read this in connection with my Bar Method instructor training (the author is the father of the Bar Method's founder), but it's a good read for anyone seeking to "master" a skill, whether in a personal or professional context.
I docked a couple of stars because I thought the most valuable information was presented in the first half of the book, while the second half felt like fluff.
I docked a couple of stars because I thought the most valuable information was presented in the first half of the book, while the second half felt like fluff.
I recommend this book to everyone. Mastery is the path we occupy in pursuit of goals, and at its best when we enjoy our time on the path. Appreciating each moment for what it is. Do what you enjoy, become great at it through practice, and by this, live a good life.
The key is doing what you love, and pursuing it with focus, continuing on even when things seem boring. That's when it is most important to endure. It is in the plateaus that we eventually find our way to mastery.
A quick coffe table/inflight type of read, this book is great for a quick surge of focus and empowerment. While the advice is not completely revolutionary, the mindset shift for which Leonard advocates is the real meat and potatoes. To transition from goal-oriented practice to practice for the sake of practice is a challenging idea, and double edged. Ultimately, Leonard wants us to BE and be ok with it, now. He instructs ways in which to find peace and even pleasure in the plateaus on the journe...more
This is a quick read that I have read multiple times. Although it's written by an aikido master who uses many sports examples in his writing, quite a few of my creative friends have borrowed and really enjoyed this book.
I was originally assigned this book in a jazz improvisation class. It really resonated at the time and even today, years later, terms like 'intentionality' and 'loving the plateau' are easy and translatable to any activity.
I was originally assigned this book in a jazz improvisation class. It really resonated at the time and even today, years later, terms like 'intentionality' and 'loving the plateau' are easy and translatable to any activity.
I generally do not like self-help books, but I enjoyed this one. The premise of the work is that 'mastery' of anything comes as a result of continuous, life-long practice. And that you can't give up because your practice is not producing visible results. You should practice for the sake of practicing, even 'loving' the 'plateau' where no noticeable improvement is occurring, and that 'mastery' is a road, not a destination. Very cool.
Leonard's writing is clear, and so is the book's central message: mastery of any skill requires not only patience and dedication, but also an understanding that the key to happiness is learning to enjoy the "plateaus" in one's learning and personal growth just as much as the climactic moments. If you like self-help books, check this one out. But I can't say I had any epiphanies while reading it.
I was optimistic about the book early on, seeing phrases like "...mastery isn't reserved for the supertalented or even for those who are fortunate enough to have gotten an early start."
However, I found it gradually more discouraging, saying you'll have to be content to wait 5 years or so to get at something. It even labels people who try to do it faster as "obsessives," a personality type presented as being defective.
Personally, I prefer the mentality of "there's no speed limit" (see http://sive...more
However, I found it gradually more discouraging, saying you'll have to be content to wait 5 years or so to get at something. It even labels people who try to do it faster as "obsessives," a personality type presented as being defective.
Personally, I prefer the mentality of "there's no speed limit" (see http://sive...more
I'm almost done with this book and what I've grasped so far is that this whole Zen concept has gone beyond simple meditation practice. I can integrate it into all aspects of my life. I now understand why I never stuck to a long-term workout routine or quit Tae Kwon Do after a few months. I didn't settle into the habit of just DOING it and reaping the benefits of that in-the-momentness.
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George Burr Leonard (b. 1923) was an American writer, editor, and educator who wrote extensively about education and human potential. He was President Emeritus of the Esalen Institute, past-president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, President of ITP International, and a former editor of Look Magazine. He was also a former United States Army Air Corps pilot, and held a fifth degree bla...more
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Nov 10, 2011 12:41pm