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The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle
 
 

The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle [Kindle Edition]

Steven Pressfield , Shawn Coyne
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)

Print List Price: £8.03
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Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 278 KB
  • Print Length: 198 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Black Irish Entertainment LLC (11 Nov 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B007A4SDCG
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #23,230 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 44 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Resistance is Futile 7 Aug 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The War of Art (nice title) is based on the premise that there is something called `resistance', which prevents artists or anyone doing anything to better themselves from getting on with the task. Resistance manifests itself in lots of different ways, but ultimately in work not getting done. Split into three parts, each comprised of several pages which are often nothing more than a pithy paragraph, The War of Art isn't heavy reading. The first part of the book identifies the problem; the second part of the book identifies the qualities of the professional who does not succumb to the problem. These parts are witty, concise, and quite inspirational. In common with some other reviewers here, I was expecting far more practical advice about how to overcome `resistance'. What War of Art effectively boils down to is an impassioned call to arms from a hotheaded military leader against a ruthless and bloodthirsty enemy. That's well and good, "but what about the tactics?" says the poor grunt about to charge the enemy guns. "Well, there aren't any. Good luck, give `em hell..."

If parts one and two are good as far as they go, the third part of the book jumps off a very high pier. It's largely concerned with the author's loopy religious and philosophical ideas, which, if you didn't know better, would place him somewhere around the early 20th Century, before Freud's ideas found common currency, before World War I made people rethink the idea of progress. Back then, the best explanation for irrational drives in our lives was probably something like bad demons and good angels, which is what the author of The War of Art has settled on as the most likely explanation. To be fair to Pressfield, he does say you can call it what you like; I called it `wishful thinking'. Of course the author is entitled to his beliefs, but since the book begins with a no-nonsense call to arms against irrational beliefs about the artist, you might, like me, look back from page 166 and find yourself a long way from home.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Mary Chrapliwy VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
Are you creative, yet are facing writer's block? Read this book and it'll shake your block loose and help set you free!
In this slim volume Stephen Pressfield discusses the inner naysayer we all have within us, also referred to as an inner critic by most writers.This book helps you identify and defeat the negative self talk any creative person must deal with. It does so in a serious tone, sprinkled with lots of humor. For example, the heading of one of his essays is "How To Be Miserable" - it was an essay that had me chuckling. It also had me nodding my head as I recognized myself in what he wrote.

Written using a variety of short essays, this book is easy to pick up and read at any point. I read it from the first page to the last, in order. You don't necessarily need to do that to benefit from Stephen Pressfield's wisdom about the inner struggle creative people face from day to day. Read from beginning to end does have it's advantages though -- the author takes aim at resistance, procrastination, rationalization, and finally at the end winning the war. When we win the war of art we are free to create, free to be truly happy.

This is one of the best books I've read on the subject. It helped me identify my own foibles then smash the blocks holding me back. I saw myself in each page and triumphed along with the author. This is an excellent book for any creative person. I highly recommend it.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars This is war, and war is hell. 9 Jan 2011
Format:Paperback
Any tortured artist type who flops about never finishing anything for fear it might actually expose in concrete terms the limitations of their talent will find this a slap in the face, a kick in the ass and a cold shower all at once. Your list of great excuses for why your novel/screenplay/business start up/big-project-of-any-kind remains unfinished (or unstarted) will dwindle to one line with a question mark at the end of it. Do you have what it takes or not?

And there's only one way to find out.

The War of Art might be the last diversion you take into doing something that you shouldn't be doing. After you've read it you might actually end up doing what you should be. Or you could put everything off just a little longer by writing a review of it for Amazon.

Hmmm.....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars As liberating as it is truthful
What a brilliant, brilliant book. I wish I had read it years ago. If you are a creative, read it - it helps (on many levels). Read more
Published 8 days ago by DesignerKat
5.0 out of 5 stars The War of Art - so true!
I really enjoyed this book for it's unashamed analysis of the 'blockage' process. Being creative is an essential human attribute, all too often thwarted by pressure or external... Read more
Published 10 days ago by G. Hugman
5.0 out of 5 stars Life-changing
This book is like reading a diary of my life. It's like reading answers to questions you hadn't put into words yet, but needed to ask. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Richard Gordon
5.0 out of 5 stars Break through
After reading so many books on the subject of self help, and working at weight loss and fitness gain for years, this book provided insight into the piece of information that I was... Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. J. Stone
4.0 out of 5 stars Short but sweet
I found myself finishing this book in one go so as not to be beaten by the resistance it uncovered within myself. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. P. Brannan
3.0 out of 5 stars Grind it out
There's a lot of sense and wisdom in Pressfield's book. One of the worst habits of writers and artists is procrastination. Read more
Published 2 months ago by David Dunbar
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book
This is a terrific book. It breaks down fear brilliantly and shows you how to use it for your benefit.
Published 2 months ago by MR P JF MACNAMARA
1.0 out of 5 stars I'm sorry, but I really didn't like this book
Some one recommended this book, but I could hardly get through it.

The first thing that put me off was his reference to Hitler. Read more
Published 2 months ago by A. Z. Pinkus
5.0 out of 5 stars I bought 3!!!
One for myself, and two for friends. Its a marvellous book, fulll of lovely little quotes that I remember in times of resistance.
Published 3 months ago by lilyofthevalley
2.0 out of 5 stars Not my kind of war
I am out of step with other reviewers
I have read Steven Pressfield's `Gates of Fire', and `Killing Rommel' and was very impressed. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Art Start
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Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it. &quote;
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Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it. &quote;
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The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death. &quote;
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