Book Notes: "Do the Work" by Steven Pressfield

Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


As a professional procrastinator, this short book will come in handy. It is a very quick read but it will be useful to give myself a kick-start every time I am stuck. There are a number of examples I recognise from my other reading (such as Stephen King and The New Yorker) and I squirmed as I read Pressfield's confessions of everything I feel but would die of shame if I spoke about. Pressfield's Gates of Fire is a good work so I trusted this book. I intend to read Turning Pro and The War of Art soon. I am experiencing a number of consistent themes, all relating to Stoicism, and Do the Work appears to apply some of these principles to the act of writing. Pressfield suggests that one should trust one's instinct, so after I finish my immersion in Stoicism, some critical reflection may be useful. I am worried about group think, but it is no excuse for not "doing the work".



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Book Notes: "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read this several times in a variety of translations. This version is formatted like a poem and is a quick read. Interesting that Sun Tzu echoes many of the issues raised by Thucydides. I remember an Instructor Gunnery during my Regimental Officers Basic Course, a captain from the United States artillery, beginning every lesson with: "Sun Tzu says...". And, "If a 155 round lands on a tank, the tank is toast". So much in such a short book and it was quite possibly written before Thucydides was born.

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Book Notes: "Poetics" by Aristotle

Poetics by Aristotle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Every piece has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Sounds so simple. We teach students that every essay has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. But here it is being written for the first time. Art imitates life. Much of this work sounds cliched, but it is the original!

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