This is a great book about how "flow states" can revolutionize how you interact with the world. I see a lot of complaints that this book is too simple, that there's not enough detail in it. This is one case where I totally disagree. This isn't just a self-help book that can be summarized in one page - it actually earns its page count.
The plot: Stealing is an attempt to demystify and scientifically quantify what it means when an athlete or a soldier says they feel "in the zone". We've known for a long time that professionals in any field - from manufacturing workers on a production line to soldiers in a war zone - enter an odd brain state where a mixture of training and instinct seem to put their body on autopilot. Their reflexes are sharper, their movements seem choreographed even when encountering complex challenges, yet if you ask them what they're feeling at the time they may very well tell you they just "zoned out" and weren't really thinking about what they were doing. Stealing Fire poses and answers a simple question - what can we learn about these states, and can we reliably create them in our own lives to enhance our own performance? (The answers are "a lot" and "yes").
Why it's a good book: A mixture of engaging narrative and research, this book contains as many anecdotes and personal testimonies as it does footnotes to peer-reviewed literature. A lot of people complain in equal parts that the book "doesn't contain practical tips" and also that it "just tells you to do drugs to achieve this state" - that's contradictory. The truth is that this is a good book for getting your brain going. It will help you think differently about performance and accomplishment, and give you some ideas about how to get started, without giving you a diet or workout regimen.
The only catch: Yes, these guys are salesmen. Like many self-help books, there are some subtle and not-so-subtle hits given throughout the book that the reader could choose to purchase other materials and courses now that the authors have set up their own training camps to help clients learn about flow states. However, they don't "black box" much of the information. This isn't like the opening pamphlet of a meditation retreat that gives you two sentences about how nice the view is without telling you what an actual day looks like. Stealing Fire is full of plenty of practical advice, and you don't have to buy into any of the sales pitch at all. To be completely fair as well, the authors and their business partners really are on the cutting edge with these studies and - at the time of writing - their courses were some of the only ways out there to get up on the latest information.
Overall: Almost every critic of this book complains that they "just tell you do to do drugs". This is silly. Most of the examples in the book - especially from the military - deal with people who've never touched drugs in their life. One of the main points in the book is that although psychadelic drugs are a (frankly very safe when done correctly) way to get acquainted with altered brain states, almost everyone gets to a flow state through completely natural - though extreme - circumstances. Maybe your flow comes from putting on earbuds and running a 5k. Maybe your flow comes from lighting some incense and concentrating on your laptop for work. However you get there - the point is to go there, because that's where your creativity and your peak performance are waiting for you.
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A must read for anyone interested in gaining an edge for peak performance.
Stealing Fire is a thoughtful touchstone exploration of the edges of our evolution as a species. The time is now to evolve together with our amazing technologies and spiritual capacities into the next chapter of our human story. This book has the power to spark a global revolution in consciousness and assist us in having an expanded understanding of our place in the Universe. Bravo Jamie and Steven! Look forward in participating in the RL follow up work with the Stealing Fire Community that is forming at an exponential rate.Pyros will rock this world! Bring on the Revolution!"This is what it looks like when a species prepares to leave for the stars"Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work.
Top reviews from other countries
Jan
Sehr interessantes und einzigartiges Buch
Reviewed in Germany on September 12, 2022