BOOK OF THE DAY: Mastery by Robert Greene

THE KEY is to read the books that prevent you from having to read other books. If you’re lucky, a good book is like getting triple- or quintuple-course credit.

Every day I read at least one book. Mastery by Robert Greene is my book of the day, and I am devouring it. What Robert Greene has done is distill and highlight the main elements of Mastery as demonstrated by the great Masters throughout human history.

“Everyone holds his fortune in his own hands, like a
sculptor the raw material he will fashion into a figure.
But it’s the same with that type of artistic activity as
with all others:

We are merely born with the capability to do it.
The skill to mold the material into what we want
must be learned and attentively cultivated.” — Goethe

Mastery synthesizes the years of research Robert Greene conducted while writing the international bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The 33 Strategies of War, and The Art of Seduction and demonstrates that the ultimate form of power is mastery itself.

By analyzing the lives of such past masters as Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Leonard da Vinci, as well as by interviewing nine contemporary masters, including tech guru Paul Graham and animal rights advocate Temple Grandin, Greene debunks our culture’s many myths about genius and distills the wisdom of the ages to reveal the secret to greatness.

Discover Your Calling: The Life’s Task

Robert Greene writes, “You possess a kind of inner force that seeks to guide you toward your Life’s Task — what you are meant to accomplish in the time that you have to live. In childhood this force was clear to you. It directed you toward activities and subjects that fit your natural inclinations, that sparked a curiosity that was deep and primal. In the intervening years, the force tends to fade in and out as you listen more to parents and peers, to the daily anxieties that wear away at you. This can be the source of your unhappiness — your lack of connection to who you are and what makes you unique.

The first move toward mastery is always inward — learning who you really are and reconnecting with that innate force. Knowing it with clarity, you will find your way to the proper career path and everything else will fall into place. It is never too late to start this process.”

This may be one of the most important books you ever consider… whether you are feeling stuck, or are blazing a path towards greater creative expression, this book is a must-read.

To your continued and inevitable evolution,

David Rainoshek, MA

David Rainoshek, MA is a regular contributor here on Medium. If you liked what you read, you may also like these Medium articles:

How Facebook is Altering Your Mind
Reading as a Revolutionary Act: 33 Reasons to Read a Book a Day
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HyperLearning: It’s Here

David Rainoshek also writes “The Book of the Day” here on Medium.

You can find all his professional work here:

David Rainoshek — Official Site
The HyperLearning Course
The Juice Feasting Program