Through the years that book has helped me with my dance career, and even just personal stuff i have read it so many times and wondered when the next one would come out. The lions gate, fighting resistance and mental toughness for. An epic novel of the battle of thermopylae, on librarything. Turning pro by steven pressfield summary what you will learn. The next favorite i am currently reading, mastery by steven greene. The young squire xeones is pulled from beneath a burned battle wagon when the carnage finally ends at the narrow mountain pass where. Jan 23, 2014 last spring i read steven pressfields book, turning pro. This is a book summary of turning pro by steven pressfield. The tapes link rusty to a forgotten and forgettable homicide and add a paranoid new rippedfromtheheadlines dimension to the authors formidable range. A writer confronts his own exile and identity 3 copies the legend of bagger vance. Pressfields own life story fills a few of his short twopage chapters, revealing that he has lived everything he preaches in this book.
Available in paperback, audio and ebook from the black irish books store. Apr 19, 2011 best selling author, steven pressfield, offers insight on overcoming resistance and tips on getting things done. Do the work is structured to take the reader from a to z. Steven and i spoke for two hours about turning pro, writing, how to improve, how to achieve peak performance in any. I just reread this book and i know it will be dogeared and tattered by the time i am through with it. Steven pressfields foolscap method to write a novel once more i am loving the open universitys free online course start writing fiction on futurelearn.
Nothing new was in this book, and i was very disappointed. Whether i keep a quote of his in plain sight on my desk, discuss how he spurred me to declare when i turned pro, or wrote a book that got me to watch the legend of baggar vance with a completely new lens. Since then, ive continued to be deeply inspired and motivated by his other books including do the work, turning pro, the authentic swing, and his newest book, the artists. If the reader has a project they want to start or complete, such as a new business they want to open or a book they want to write, do the work is designed to take them from starting to shipping to hitting all the predictable resistance points along the way. Turning pro was the next step in inspiring me to become a professional. Tap your inner power and create your life s work 2012 the authentic swing 20 the lion s gate. The followup to his bestseller the war of art, turning pro navigates the passage from the amateur life to a professional practice. If i was the head superintendent of every school in the universe this would be on the. This edition contains an excerpt from steven pressfield s the profession. Do the work is a weapon against resistance a tool that will help you take action and successfully ship projects out the door. Steven pressfield has been among my greatest sources of inspiration since i committed myself to taking my call to write seriously around that time, a friend suggested i read the war of art.
His struggles to make a living as an author, including the period when he was homeless and living out of the back of his car, are detailed in his book the war of art. Steven s other books include the war of art and turning pro, both books that all writers should have on their desks. Turning pro by steven pressfield how to get out of your. We tend to pursue shadow careers jobs that are similar to our dreams, but not quite our dreams.
Nobody wants to read your sht by steven pressfield. If you took my words away from me, my ability to write even to myself im not sure how id survive. If a reader cant put your book down, its because you wrote a good story. While the foundation and core concept was laid out passionately in his first book on this topic the war of art, tangentially expounded in his book do the work, it has reached a place of mastery in what will likely be his last book on the subject turning pro. The courses five audio lessons will ground you in the principles and characteristics of the artists inner battle. These were british commandos mostly new zealanders. His book, rich dad poor dad, ranks as the longestrunning bestseller on all four of the lists that report to publishers weeklythe new york times, business week, the wall street journal and usa todayand. A triumph in historical fiction best describes this stirring account of the famous battle of thermopylae, told by the lone survivor before succumbing to his wounds, in a logical followup to pressfields homeric take on golf, the legend of bagger vance 1995.
Turning pro by steven pressfield the final empire by brandon sanderson a game of. Aug 09, 2016 steven pressfield is a bestselling author of fiction the legend of bagger vance, gates of fire, tides of war, the last of the amazons, the virtues of war, the afghan campaign, killing rommel, and the profession and nonfiction the war of art, the warrior ethos, turning pro, do the work, the authentic swing, the lion s gate, an american jew, and nobody wants to read your sht. Despite its conciseness, pressfield makes his point, and then repeats it six times from six. The knowledge by steven pressfield fantastic fiction. Steven is the author of such hugely successful books as the war of art, gates of. What i didnt realize was that it was the followup to the war of art. Turning pro book summary i wrote in the war of art that i could divide my life neatly into two parts. These books literally changed the way i approached work, relationships, life. In todays show, i interview shawn coyne about his upcoming book, the story grid, which deconstructs the most effective way to tell stories based on the books we know. The 20 professional qualities according to steven pressfield.
In high school i read one book, of mice and men, because lenny fascinated me. I am the bestselling author of five books, including the national bestsellers the art of work and real artists dont starve. If youre a fan of the war of art, pressfields new novel, the knowledge, is the story behind that story and the origin tale between its lines. But if you were to take my books away from me, id surely go mad.
Steven pressfield is a bestselling author whose ideas are constantly recycled without giving proper attribution. Pressfield was an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractortrailer driver, bartender, oilfield roustabout, attendant in a mental hospital, fruitpicker in. You already read the war of art, digested it and have thoroughly trounced resistance. Readers who can tune out all the subplots will find the kidnappers easy to spot, but coben finds room for. He is known for his work on above the law 1988, the legend of bagger vance 2000 and freejack 1992.
His historical fiction is wellresearched, but for the sake of dramatic flow, pressfield may alter some details, like the sequence of events, or make use of jarring contemporary terms and place names, his stated aim being an attempt to capture the spirit. Jan 11, 2012 steven pressfield is the author of turning pro, do the work, the warrior ethos and the international bestselling novels, the legend of bagger vance, gates of fire, tides of war, last of the amazons, the virtues of war, the afghan campaign, killing rommel, and the profession. The book is about doing the things that you love and were meant to do without giving in to any excuses, or. Nobody wants to read your sht is an odd combination of personal bragging, simple aphorisms, and insights that wont be new to anyone who has read a single howto book or even written one short story. Steven pressfield is a bestselling author of fiction the legend of bagger vance, gates of fire, tides of war, the last of the amazons, the virtues of war, the afghan campaign, killing rommel, and the profession and nonfiction the war of art, the warrior ethos, turning pro, do the work, the authentic swing, the lion s gate, an american jew, and nobody wants to read your sht. As soon as i heard the reallife name, the long range desert group, i knew i had to write about it. Im going to dedicate the next few weeks on writing wednesdays to further thoughts on this subject. I skimmed to kill a mocking bird, glanced over catcher in the. That metaphor will point you toward your true calling. Turning pro i wanted to do a followup to the war of art that got into the concepts of addictions and shadow careers as substitutes for embracing our authentic personal destinies and that dug more deeply into the differences between the amateur mindset and the professional mindset as a means of confronting and overcoming resistance. About two weeks ago when i found out his book turning pro came out, it was like my birthday i ordered it and that was it. And if a reader makes it to the end of the book and is satisfied, they are likely to buy your next book. My other all time favorite is one of his other books turning pro.
A fictionalized account of the battle of thermopylae, as seen through the eyes of one spartan. Plus continual videos, freebies, specials and new material throughout the year. Picking up where the war of art and turning pro left off, do the work takes the reader from the start to the finish of any longform projectnovel, screenplay, album, software piece, you name it. On the front lines of the six day war 2014 an american jew 2015 nobody wants to read your sht 2016 the artist s journey 2018. The book is about doing the things that you love and were meant to do without giving in to any excuses, or resistance, as pressfield calls the artists enemy. Dec 07, 2019 a couple of weeks ago my friend steve pressfields new book turning pro came out. Recently, i read three books by best selling author steven pressfield. You wish to reach your maximum potential as a human being or pursue your life calling. What does it mean for you that the artist is a warrior. This edition contains an excerpt from steven pressfields the profession. Steven pressfield was born in september 1943 in port of spain, trinidad, british west indies. Interview with steven pressfield on the lions gate, as well as talking resistance, mental toughness for writers and how to resist comparisonitis. Tap your inner power and create your lifes work 9781936891030.
Jan 17, 2017 turning pro by steven pressfield is for anyone that needs a good kick in the pants which, lets face it, is something that we all need from time to time. Steven pressfield how to go from amateur to turning pro. Mar 26, 2017 there is a wonderful book that every creative person should read and reread. A novel about alexander the greats threeyear campaign in the afghan kingdoms, 330328 bce.
Its a decision, a decision to which we must recommit every day. Steven pressfield, author of the legend of bagger vance, has won international success with his wellresearched novels set in ancient greece. Last spring i read steven pressfields book, turning pro. Ive been a fan of steven pressfields work for ages.
The lions gate, fighting resistance and mental toughness. Whether i keep a quote of his in plain sight on my desk, discuss how he spurred me to declare when i turned pro, or wrote a book that got me to watch the legend of baggar vance with a completely new lens, his work has had an impact on my work and my life. Pressfield was born in port of spain, trinidad, in 1943, while his father was stationed there, in the navy education. Picking up where the war of art and turning pro left off, do the work takes the reader from the start to the finish of any longform projectnovel, screenplay. Turning pro is like kicking a drug habit or stopping drinking. Its called the war of art, by historical fiction author, steven pressfield. Stevens other books include the war of art and turning pro, both books that all writers should have on their desks. Turning pro by steven pressfield how to get out of your own way. The war of art, turning pro, and his manifesto, do the work.
But pressfields epic seems to make the opposite argument. Alexanders conquests have almost reached their extremity and his army is showing signs of psychological as. Steven pressfield is the author of turning pro, do the work, the warrior ethos and the international bestselling novels, the legend of bagger vance, gates of fire, tides of war, last of the amazons, the virtues of war, the afghan campaign, killing rommel, and the profession. The wake of the heros journey and the lifelong 22 copies the knowledge. Jun 18, 2014 interview with steven pressfield on the lion s gate, as well as talking resistance, mental toughness for writers and how to resist comparisonitis. Nov 25, 2017 the below profile is adapted from the new book, tribe of mentors. Steven pressfields book the gates of fire has done more than any other to bring awareness to the battle of thermopylae and the legendary warriors collectively known as the 300 spartans. I have pressfields book the war of art and i keep reading it over just to get the instant push to do what contributes to 80 percent of my success. In that book, he showed us that the beat way to beat it was by turning pro. Kiyosaki is an investor, entrepreneur, and educator whose perspectives on money and investing fly in the face of conventional wisdom. The knowledge is not just a writers comingofage story. Each week, i send out a free newsletter with my best tips on writing, publishing, and helping your creative work succeed. At thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern greece, the feared and admired spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong.
The honest truth about turning pro ideamensch december 7, 2019 june 18, 2012 a couple of weeks ago my friend steve pressfields new book turning pro came out. As an indication of its popularity, this book has been embraced by hundreds of thousands of readers, many of whom were previously unaware of one of ancient. Steven pressfield is the author of gates of fire, tides of war, the afghan campaign, the. Ive written about this recently on steve pressfields blog, but what the negation of the negation means is to take the story to the very, very limits of human experience.
The 20 professional qualities according to steven pressfield sonny 20150901 one of the most important figures in the realms of todays selfimprovement market is steven pressfield. As an indication of its popularity, this book has been embraced by hundreds of thousands of readers, many of whom were previously unaware of one of ancient historys most celebrated battles. Or i feel unsure if i should work on the next book. Pressfield graduated from duke university in 1965 and in 1966 joined the marine corps career. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty persian army. Jun 14, 2011 pressfields impressive research shows throughout this novel, whether in describing weapons systems and military transports or in placing the reader inside dubais 2,800foottall burj khalifa. Both books are fantastic, regardless of the order in which you read them. He is the bestselling author of the legend of bagger vance, gates of fire, the afghan campaign, and the lions gate, as well as the cult classics on creativity, the war of art, turning pro, and do. His fifth book, the virtues of war, presents alexander the greats autobiography, which the general delivers orally to his young brotherinlaw. Since the publication of turning pro a month ago, ive been doing a lot of thinking about certain concepts in the book.
This free online course is all about character, so us novice fiction writers struggle with thoughts on plot. Steven pressfield is a bestselling author of fiction the legend of bagger vance, gates of fire, tides of war, the last of the amazons, the virtues of war, the afghan campaign, killing rommel, and the profession and nonfiction the war of art, the warrior ethos, turning pro, do the work, the authentic swing, the lions gate, an american jew, and nobody wants to read your sht. There is a wonderful book that every creative person should read and reread. Steven pressfields foolscap method template mind bursts. Continue each week also free with our writing wednesdays and what it takes posts, each one like a new chapter in the war of art. He says this one picks up where the war of art takes off, which is one of my all time favorite books about writing and always gets me to sit up a little straighter when i read it. Steven pressfield is an american novelist and author of screenplays, principally of military historical fiction set in classical antiquity. Turning pro by steven pressfield is for anyone that needs a good kick in the pants which, lets face it, is something that we all need from time to time. Heres a quick look at some of my favorite big ideas from turning pro by steven pressfield. In the legend of bagger vance by steven pressfield, it is the great depression and two golf legens, bobby jones and walter hagen meet for a 36hole game on krewe island. References to consolidated news firms such as trumpcnn convey a sense of the nottoodistant future. The premise of nobody wants to read your sht is a good one.
Best selling author, steven pressfield, offers insight on overcoming resistance and tips on getting things done. Steven pressfield is the author of turning pro, do the work, the warrior ethos and the international bestselling novels, the legend of bagger vance, gates of fire, tides of war, last of the amazons, the virtues of war, the afghan campaign, killing rommel, and. Steven pressfields research post by jan tue jan 25, 2005 12. You can buy steven pressfields latest book do the work on amazon as well as the classic the war of art affiliate links. If you like steven pressfield books, youll love bernard cornwell. Steven pressfield is a bestselling author whose ideas are constantly recycled without giving. Just read his second book turning pro, which is a sequel to war of art.