The Element

Where do talent and passion meet? Sir Ken Robinson, visionary educator and cultural leader, explains. Robinson is a brilliant speaker about creativity, about the many types of success and intelligence, and about his vision for education in the 21st century. In THE ELEMENT, his expansion of the themes explored in his much-viewed TED video will catapult listeners' thinking. Who but Robinson could bring his own passion to listeners? The humor and careful, clear presentation of his ideas are trademark. He liberally salts his argument with involving first-person discussions with people who found "the element"--from Paul McCartney to Vidal Sassoon to Matt Groening to Richard Feynman. This engaging audiobook can serve as an introduction to Robinson's point of view, or as the "more" to his talks, often videoed and easily shared. R.F.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

September 29, 2008
Robinson (Out of Our Minds
), renowned in the areas of creativity development, innovation and human resources, tackles the challenge of determining and pursuing work that is aligned with individual talents and passions to achieve well-being and success. The element is what he identifies as the point where the activities individuals enjoy and are naturally good at come together. Offering a wide range of stories about the creative journeys of different people with diverse paths to the element—including Paul McCartney, The Alchemist
author Paulo Coelho, and Vidal Sassoon as well as lesser-known examples—he demonstrates a rich vision of human ability and creativity. Covering such topics as the power of creativity, circles of influence, and attitude and aptitude, the author emphasizes the importance of nurturing talent along with developing an understanding of how talent expresses itself differently in every individual. Robinson emphasizes the importance of mentors and reforming and transforming education, making a convincing argument bolstered by solid strategies for honing creativity. Motivating and persuasive, this entertaining and inspiring book will appeal to a wide audience.