Presenting twelve breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, The Art of Possibility is the dynamic product of ...
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Dec 30, 2011
Dan
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The Art of Possibility is written for popular consumption, unlike many of the geeky books I read. I ran into it at work. The theme of the book is how to create a shift in the models we use to create our experience of reality.
The material is drawn from a variety of disciplines that you could drill down to if you wanted to get into underlying theory and structure. I have reviewed many such sources in the categories of psychology and thinkology here on Goodreads.
The content More...
The material is drawn from a variety of disciplines that you could drill down to if you wanted to get into underlying theory and structure. I have reviewed many such sources in the categories of psychology and thinkology here on Goodreads.
The content More...
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Jul 09, 2008
Craig
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On my flights to Belgrade the past couple of days, I finished a great book that has been influencing my thinking in several areas. The book was a thoughtful gift from Gayla Nicholson, a board member with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Park County, Wyoming, a recent client.
I referenced portions of Ros and Ben Zander's 2002 classic, The Art of Possibility, in the closing keynote I gave at last week's Department of Education mentoring conference in Seattle, as it is so consistent with my f More...
I referenced portions of Ros and Ben Zander's 2002 classic, The Art of Possibility, in the closing keynote I gave at last week's Department of Education mentoring conference in Seattle, as it is so consistent with my f More...
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Jan 11, 2008
Donna
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QUOTE: “….[I]nterpretations of the world vary from individual to individual and from group to group. This understanding may persuade us that by factoring out our own interpretations of reality, we can reach a solid truth. However, the term it’s all invented points to a more fundamental notion – that no matter how objective we try to be, it is still through the structure of the brain that we perceive the world. So, if there are absolutes, we have no direct access to their existence. The mind
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Jan 10, 2012
David
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Benjamin heads the Boston Phil and gives inspirational talks; Rosamund is a family and personal therapist. When a couple with such a combined CV write a self-hlep book it will surely tend to be either a complete nightmare or a masterpiece. Fortunately this is towards the masterpiece end of the spectrum. It actually did inspire me to utilise some of their strategies not to mention filch a couple of their excellent stories. It doesn't aim to make you more effective or a better communicator or team
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Dec 30, 2011
Mindi
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This isn't just a standard self-help type book. It's a change-your-thinking-feel-good-book-written-for-an-educator's-ear-but-can-be-translated-into-everyone-around-you type book. Written through their own accounts and experiences, the Zanders give practical advice on how to, basically, live a fuller life. Their experiences in education, though not typical (Ben was an orchestra conductor and Ros, a therapist) speak volumes to educators alike and different. I am a fourth-grade teacher and where it
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Feb 18, 2008
Kate
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A standard self-help book. No new territory. I kept thinking, this sounds like Landmark psycho babble. Sure enough...at the end they acknowledge Landmark. For a really excellent book that does offer something, read "Strangers to Ourselves" by Timothy Wilson.
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Nov 19, 2011
Cara
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Apr 13, 2011
David
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I worked with Ben for several years, bringing his talks to British audiences, and I produced a video 'Benjamin Zander: Conducting Business' (now sadly unavailable) which brought many of the stories in this book to life through Ben's inspirational ways of working with business audiences and musicians directly. Ben's wife Rosamund was kind enough to act as 'first reader' for the facilitator's guide to my video, and I returned the favour for the first draft of this book, so I have to declare my bia
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Jan 19, 2009
Aleisha Z
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Jul 16, 2011
Karen
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The authors' professional experience range from conducting world class orchestras to pyscho-therapy to leadership workshops. They offer some great techniques for working in groups. I especially like the approach of "Giving Everyone an A" where you ask the class/team to envision the end of the class/project. Each member is asked to write a letter explaining why they received the A, i.e. what did they do that was outstanding. Then each moves forward to live that plan they outlined. Anot
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Feb 05, 2012
Anne
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I read this book when it first came out, back in 2000. It was so fantastically inspiring that I bought a second book --- and lent them both to friends in Houston. When I read it again in 2011 --- a borrowed book from the university library, it was as if I was reading it for the first time. I have changed. So the way I read and interpret has changed as well. During my years studying at conservatory, one of my teachers played a video of Benjamin Zander talking to Fortune 500 executives. You can v
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Jun 03, 2009
Michael
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When I inherited my current office, the former occupant left this book on the shelf. One day I picked it up, and I read it during breaks and while riding various shuttles.
This self-help book is a collaboration between Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, and his wife Rosamund, a psychologist. It prescribes some Zen-like ideas for transformational living, and the ideas are well illustrated with some delightful stories. For example, there's the story of "Givi More...
This self-help book is a collaboration between Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, and his wife Rosamund, a psychologist. It prescribes some Zen-like ideas for transformational living, and the ideas are well illustrated with some delightful stories. For example, there's the story of "Givi More...
Aug 11, 2011
Lauri
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Although I put off reading this book for several months, once I finally started it, I really enjoyed it. It is not your average "self-help" or enlightenment book, since it was written by the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and his wife, a therapist; rather, it gives you a different way to view and interact with the world and other people. One of the ideas I liked best in the book was the suggestion that you go into situations ready to "give everyone an A". You'
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May 21, 2010
Pam
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Happiness is not a state to arrive at, it is a manner of traveling.
Quiet strength is to wear power lightly, understanding that power is just like money - it is only a tool to help others.
Meekness is not weakness, it is power under control.
I love the way Ben Zander created the "white sheet" - a way for orchestra players could write down any observation or coaching for the conductor that might eneable him to empower them to play the music more beautifully. More...
Quiet strength is to wear power lightly, understanding that power is just like money - it is only a tool to help others.
Meekness is not weakness, it is power under control.
I love the way Ben Zander created the "white sheet" - a way for orchestra players could write down any observation or coaching for the conductor that might eneable him to empower them to play the music more beautifully. More...
Dec 29, 2011
Brad
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There's a handful of strategies and stories in here that will stay with me forever. Here's one of them.
A child who is recovering from cancer returns to school. She's lost all her hair from the chemo, and wears a scarf over her head to class. Predictably, one of the kid's pulls the scarf off against her will, and several of them tease her about not having any hair. The next day when the teacher comes to class, she addresses the class with a warm hello, while removing her hat. She's s More...
A child who is recovering from cancer returns to school. She's lost all her hair from the chemo, and wears a scarf over her head to class. Predictably, one of the kid's pulls the scarf off against her will, and several of them tease her about not having any hair. The next day when the teacher comes to class, she addresses the class with a warm hello, while removing her hat. She's s More...
Mar 28, 2011
MsSmartiePants
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Tedious. Boring. Slow. Very simple and well known concepts are "rediscovered" by this husband and wife team. While I found them pleasant (they did the audio version of the book, which I usually prefer), listening to the first three CD's was an exercise in patience slogging through elementary concepts as I awaited the 'new' information.
When I questioned my own efforts for the fifth or sixth time, I decided that I'd heard enough. There were no 'new' discoveries hinted at. More...
When I questioned my own efforts for the fifth or sixth time, I decided that I'd heard enough. There were no 'new' discoveries hinted at. More...
Oct 25, 2010
mim
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A friend sent me a link to Ben Zander's TED presentation (YouTube video) and I really enjoyed it so I looked him up and decided to get his little book. The nice surprise is that he's the person whose "experiment" I read about in another book. It was about giving students an A at the start of the semester. I decided to do the same except I gave everyone a B (I would never have had the backing of my department to give everyone As.) It was so terrific to do that. Anyway, this slim book w
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May 28, 2010
The Reading Countess
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An inspiring look at what life CAN be like, I enjoyed this motivational text very much. Zander's real-world examples make the book easily applicable to anyone's life. I particularly liked the chapter on how to contribute. I intend to apply the concept of contribution to our nightly dinner table conversation, in addition to our classroom climate. "How did you contribute?" is such a global statement, that it's sure to receive a wide range of answers. At the same time, the understatement
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Sep 15, 2009
April
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Some of the same themes as in "Who Moved My Cheese." I was stunned by the possibilities out there if I just change my perspective. I thought I had a lot of life figured out, but I realized I'm limiting myself through not trying to see things from different perspectives. I only see through dark glasses a sliver of life as it really is unless I open myself up to different possiblities. The major one is that someone else might just be right and I might just be wrong about things. I have a
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Jun 01, 2010
Bill
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This is another of the four books that I was asked to read prior to this summer's "Boot Camp for Profs." It is clearly the least impressive to me. I have, for whatever it matters, read quite a number of works that deal with spiritual transformation of one kind or another, and this one does not make it near the top of the list. The book is intended to be inspirational, but for me it fell flat.
This is not to say that there are not good passages, such as the chapter about playi More...
This is not to say that there are not good passages, such as the chapter about playi More...
Dec 30, 2008
Jen
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There are so many reviews of this book already that I hate to add one more to the pile, but I must at least say this: this was a fabulous read. This book should be required reading in high schools, colleges, and beyond. The basic premise being this: you should open yourself up to all possibilities, i.e. rather than viewing a mistake as a problem, view it as an opportunity to learn.
While portions of the book were a little too academic (e.g. the descriptions of the central self and More...
While portions of the book were a little too academic (e.g. the descriptions of the central self and More...
Mar 31, 2009
Kevin
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Paradigms.
They stick to us like that glue that comes with packaged toys that you pull off one finger just to find it stuck to another. The more you try to discard it, the more it seems to hang on for its life. That’s how paradigms work, they just don’t want to die or be replaced. Paradigms are necessary storage spaces for our beliefs and attitudes, but they can also blind us and take away promise and hope for something better. When I accept my paradigms as the only way of life, not o More...
They stick to us like that glue that comes with packaged toys that you pull off one finger just to find it stuck to another. The more you try to discard it, the more it seems to hang on for its life. That’s how paradigms work, they just don’t want to die or be replaced. Paradigms are necessary storage spaces for our beliefs and attitudes, but they can also blind us and take away promise and hope for something better. When I accept my paradigms as the only way of life, not o More...
Nov 30, 2009
Tammy
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This book appeared in my life at exactly the right moment, and I'm sure it would be the same for anyone who decides to open the cover! I found the Zanders' antecdotes and open sharing of personal experiences to be touching and comforting, a great compliment to my yoga practice, and a breath of fresh air! It is not a "self-help" book, though one may be "helped" by the reading and contemplating of these ideas. "The Art of Possibilty" opens us up to a new framework
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Nov 20, 2010
More inspiration than practical tips about creativity. It did encourage me to appreciate all the constraints our mental models put on us. I particularly liked the idea of “Rule No. 6”: (name comes from an anecdote) which is not to take yourself too seriously. Coda says book is interested in providing reader with “tools for your transformation.”
Concepts are presented in chapters with anecdotes from authors, a husband-wife team. Ben, a conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and More...
Concepts are presented in chapters with anecdotes from authors, a husband-wife team. Ben, a conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and More...
Aug 07, 2011
kelly
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One of my professors couldn’t stop talking about this book, so I got it. It’s all about how to think in terms of possibility instead of limitations, but not in some vague, head-in-the-clouds way. Though it gets a tad mawkish in places (a la Chicken Soup for the Soul), it has quite a few nuggets of wisdom, some of which are:
* When our attention is directed primarily to how wrong things are, we lose our power to act effectively.More...
* Grace comes from owning the risks we take in a world by an
Feb 11, 2012
Heather
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Inspiring book and ideas! Ben Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and motivational speaker, teaches through music and emphasizes the importance of seeing and embracing the opportunities and possibilities in life!
He starts with this quote, "A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying, 'SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES.' The other writes back triumpha More...
He starts with this quote, "A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of Africa to study the prospects for expanding business. One sends back a telegram saying, 'SITUATION HOPELESS STOP NO ONE WEARS SHOES.' The other writes back triumpha More...
Dec 04, 2010
Jaclyn
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Once again, I should have reviewed this book when I finished it in October. The specifics have become rusty as end of semester chaos envelops my brain. That said, I loved this book. It's not a perfect book, but this look at the immense possibility we have in our lives is great. I felt better about life with each subsequent chapter as Roz and Ben Zander explored different ways we can transform our personal and professional lives. It is a book that I will be picking up again come the end of g
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Jun 20, 2011
paul
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"Rule #6: Don't take yourself so goddamn seriously." (p79)
"The calculating self will never hear the whispers of compassion between people on a busy street, never feel the complex rhythms of our breathing against the swaying of the trees and the oscillations of the tide, never attune itself to the long rhythms that give us meaning. Its attention is on its own comparisons and schemes. But the central self is open and aware because it needs only be the unique voice that it More...
"The calculating self will never hear the whispers of compassion between people on a busy street, never feel the complex rhythms of our breathing against the swaying of the trees and the oscillations of the tide, never attune itself to the long rhythms that give us meaning. Its attention is on its own comparisons and schemes. But the central self is open and aware because it needs only be the unique voice that it More...
May 26, 2008
Garrett
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I've read many, many self-help type books over the years. And this was just another in the bunch, not really standing out. I've found that they all basically same the same thing anyway, from the well-known Think and Grow Rich to light-minded Transcendentalism to the supposed Secret. In fact, in my opinion, nothing new has been said since Jesus Christ said it 2000 years ago. And, following His words will bring someone more peace and happiness than anything these imitators can come up with.
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Jan 14, 2011
Elizabeth
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from the library/ hardcover
Ros Zander is a family therapist and artist. Her husband Benjamine Zander is conductor of the Boston Phil Orchestra and prof at New England Conservatory of Music Both are co-authors. Commissioned by Harvard Business School Press.
key phrases:
it's all invented, ie all life is composed as a story
new definitions allow it to all be invented all over again
In a world of measurement-the regular world- it's a zero sum game.
But its More...
Ros Zander is a family therapist and artist. Her husband Benjamine Zander is conductor of the Boston Phil Orchestra and prof at New England Conservatory of Music Both are co-authors. Commissioned by Harvard Business School Press.
key phrases:
it's all invented, ie all life is composed as a story
new definitions allow it to all be invented all over again
In a world of measurement-the regular world- it's a zero sum game.
But its More...
