• Daily Rituals

  • How Artists Work
  • By: Mason Currey
  • Narrated by: Adam Verner
  • Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (1,676 ratings)

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Daily Rituals  By  cover art

Daily Rituals

By: Mason Currey
Narrated by: Adam Verner
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Publisher's summary

Franz Kafka, frustrated with his living quarters and day job, wrote in a letter to Felice Bauer in 1912, "time is short, my strength is limited, the office is a horror, the apartment is noisy, and if a pleasant, straightforward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle through by subtle maneuvers."

Kafka is one of 161 inspired - and inspiring - minds, among them, novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians, who describe how they subtly maneuver the many (self-inflicted) obstacles and (self-imposed) daily rituals to get done the work they love to do, whether by waking early or staying up late; whether by self-medicating with doughnuts or bathing, drinking vast quantities of coffee, or taking long daily walks.

Thomas Wolfe wrote standing up in the kitchen, the top of the refrigerator as his desk, dreamily fondling his "male configurations..."

Jean-Paul Sartre chewed on Corydrane tablets (a mix of amphetamine and aspirin), ingesting ten times the recommended dose each day...

Descartes liked to linger in bed, his mind wandering in sleep through woods, gardens, and enchanted palaces where he experienced "every pleasure imaginable."

Here are: Anthony Trollope, who demanded of himself that each morning he write three thousand words (250 words every fifteen minutes for three hours) before going off to his job at the postal service, which he kept for thirty-three years during the writing of more than two dozen books...Karl Marx...Woody Allen...Agatha Christie...George Balanchine, who did most of his work while ironing...Leo Tolstoy...Charles Dickens...Pablo Picasso...George Gershwin, who, said his brother Ira, worked for twelve hours a day from late morning to midnight, composing at the piano in pajamas, bathrobe, and slippers...

Here also are the daily rituals of Charles Darwin, Andy Warhol, John Updike, Twyla Tharp, Benjamin Franklin, William Faulkner, Jane Austen, Anne Rice, and Igor Stravinsky (he was never able to compose unless he was sure no one could hear him and, when blocked, stood on his head to "clear the brain").

Brilliantly compiled and edited, and filled with detail and anecdote, Daily Rituals is irresistible, addictive, and magically inspiring.

©2013 Mason Currey (P)2013 Timothy Ferriss

What listeners say about Daily Rituals

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    618
  • 4 Stars
    332
  • 3 Stars
    269
  • 2 Stars
    114
  • 1 Stars
    73

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Nothing else like this one

Dozens and dozens of daily rituals. I listened to most of them; some I skimmed over. And, I listened over a number of weeks. I think that is probably the best way to read this book, otherwise it could get monotonous. (But don't skip over Buckminster Fuller.) It was fun to come upon famous people who have working habits similar to your own, and I would think most of us have a twin somewhere in this book, habits-wise. Personally, I found it very helpful to have so many distinct working habtts laid out, because it made me see that these daily rituals are probably hard-wired, and that it's probably better to work with them rather than against them. I found some new insights, too.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very good, but doesn't transition well to audible

Superb work on a collection of the daily rituals of famous artists intended to boost creativity and efficiency. The book serves to confirm how divergent are the motivators and biorhythms for each of them: some apparently environmental and others seemingly innate, but all of them with a mystifying combination unique to that human being at that place and time.

Enjoyable for a change of pace.

BUT, I give this 3 stars overall on Audible because it doesn't transition over to an audible book too well. It's more of a book to peruse at will than one that you can follow as each chapter goes from author to author, lasting 2-5 minutes each.

I recommend buying this book in print or electronic form.

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Should have listened to a sample

By far the most disappointing purchase I've made in the 4 years I've been using Audible.

The "story" is nothing more than a collection extracts from other sources. One after the other. I fail to see any method to the madness of the order. There's certainly nothing here to help you find ways to create a better daily routine.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Jo
  • 06-16-14

Bite-sized glimpses into artist's lives

Don't expect analysis on the best way to create art & don't expect a story of an artist's life. This is simply a glimpse into many artist's work habits. Whenever an artist that I admire was announced I became so excited because I got to enter their life for just a moment. I felt as if I was able to know them just a little bit better. How many people get to see your daily rituals? I think the point of this book is to make your own decision on what is best for you and that there are many roads to creation.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Master your schedule.

If you could sum up Daily Rituals in three words, what would they be?

Master your schedule.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Daily Rituals?

Good reference to see what others do and have done.

Which character – as performed by Adam Verner – was your favorite?

Thomas Jefferson

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Seeing how meticulous people are about getting things DONE.

Any additional comments?

Should help out or give you additional ideas.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Motivating and Interesting

A simple concept, well executed. I found it very helpful and inspiring to listen to endless routines and rituals of some of the worlds greatest talents. The main thing I took from it is that there really is no ‘right way’, everyone does it different.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not a book

This is not a book; it is a list. Lists have their place, but they don't tell a story. Nor do they go into much depth. I get it that there are "list people" out there. If you are one, buy this book. If you want something with depth, look elsewhere.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The narrator detracts

Would you try another book from Mason Currey and/or Adam Verner?

The narrator detracts consistently throughout this book with mispronunciations of authors' and other names and places. If you have a lot of foreign (especially French) words, hire someone who can pronounce them or at least take the trouble to learn how to say them for the duration of the book.

Would you be willing to try another book from Mason Currey? Why or why not?

It was an easy listen, er, "read"

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Consistent mispronunciations (try Sho-pan, not Sho-PON for Chopin, for instance...it grates on the ear, causes listener to not pay attention to the subject, just the delivery). Narrator sounds like an ignoramus or arrogant American who can't be bothered to learn how to say foreign words properly. It's not rocket science, just educated. Oh, and respectful. The narrator sounds like a fool.

Do you think Daily Rituals needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no, it's just a compendium of factoids, pretty well put together, but more in depth or anecdotal stories of various authors would have been appreciated.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good book, Bad narrator

Where does Daily Rituals rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I liked the insight and while it wasn't really descriptive it was interesting enough to see patterns and know I am not alone in some rituals.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator put me to sleep several times, I've never fallen asleep reading a book, or watching a movie, but oh boy this was just awful.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Doesn't really tell you much

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If you think you will gain any insight that may be of help in your own life don't look here. It's not uninteresting but it's certainly not helpful. Just a litany of the lives of some creative people without insight.

What was most disappointing about Mason Currey’s story?

Lack of insight.

What aspect of Adam Verner’s performance would you have changed?

His performance was fine.

Any additional comments?

I stopped listening.

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11 people found this helpful