Great book about motivation, self-sabotage, and strategies--simple ones--to overcome these things. While I disagree with certain elements that seem far too rigid, and some of the ideas seem contradictory, overall it is a useful book. Quick read as well. ( )

http://thegrenzian.blogspot.com/2009/... ( )

Amazon paperback $9.97. Alibris $10.35.

Dove-tailing nicely with Eckhart Tolle's works, this little gem about Ego's Resistance to the creative process is informative and inspirational. He also talks about hierarchical and territorial aims; the first is to impress others, the second is what we would do if we were the only person on earth. A definite keeper to be read again and again. ( )

A great book for writers and other artists. Helps explain writer's block and how to stop it. ( )

A Great book...very inspirational. definitely made me want to go out and paint more. ( )

For anyone who can't seem to sit down and write that novel, start that business, stick to the exercise plan, this book will be the last you'll ever need. ( )

Normally, when I review non-fiction, I just post the whole of my original review from my personal LJ to review communities because there's nothing to spoil. However, in the case of Steven Pressfield's The War of Art, I'll make a special exception. It's not because I spoil anything, but because I had such a negative reaction to the book that I really don't want to inflict it on you unless you're just dying to read it.

In a nutshell, Pressfield's book is a self-help dealing with how to combat writer's block. It's actually more opinion and personal philosophy than anything, and while there's nuggets of good advice in this book, Pressfield spends a lot of time attacking the ills of the world and the psyche without very much evidence to support it in relation to the focus of the book, which is overcoming writer's block. His advice in a nutshell is you just gotta do it. You've got to take yourself seriously and write your ass off, and THEN you're a professional.

Nothing wrong with that way of thinking, especially if it sits well with your psyche, but if you find yourself cringing from those statements, or know that that particular mindset hasn't worked for you in the past and won't work for you now, I wouldn't recommend this book. And for those of you who do read it, I hope you have a far better experience with it than I did. It pissed me off in so many ways that it simply didn't have to.

My full review is in my LJ if you're really interested. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.

REVIEW: Steven Pressfield's THE WAR OF ART

Happy Reading! ( )

This book is about how to overcome resistance. ( )

REgardless of your profession or belief, this book is an absolute must-read for all human beings. As necessary as food. Cited by David Allen no less (of GTD fame) as book that really "got it right"(para). ( )

Very useful as a therapeutic guideline for struggeling artists. Especially the thoughts on Resistance are spot on. ( )

"La Guerre de l'Art" s'inspire pour son titre et sa forme de "L'Art de la Guerre" de Sun Tzu. Il est constitué de petits chapitres d'une ou deux pages rassemblés en trois parties. La première est une description de la "Resistance" qui empèche l'artiste de créer, elle contient une énumération des différentes moyens plus ou moins faciles à détecter qu'utilise la résistance pour bloquer le travail de l'artiste. La seconde partie s'occupe de la lutte contre la résistance : le professionnalisme. Dans la dernière partie, Pressfield expose sa conception de l'artiste et de son travail qu'il voit comme l'expression de soi par contraste à l'expression de l'ego qu'est la résistance.

Le parti pris stylistique d'imiter le manuel militaire est efficace, on a envie d'aller au front et de combattre sa procrastination avec les armes intellectuelles que l'on vient d'acquérir. La troisième partie contient quelques théories fumeuses comme l'existence d'entités (muses, dieu, anges...) qui provoqueraient l'inspiration. ( )

The War of Art is a short read, but I found some useful information inside. Steven Pressfield describes the "resistance" that all of us face when we try to create or do something meaningful in our lives. He describes how this resistance appears and how a professional deals with it. In the last part of the book he gets more spiritual and writes about the calling that we have to bring something from the spiritual plane into the physical.