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Mastery  By  cover art

Mastery

By: Robert Greene
Narrated by: Fred Sanders
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Publisher's summary

The eagerly anticipated new book from the author of the best-selling The 48 Laws of Power

What did Charles Darwin, middling schoolboy and underachieving second son, do to become one of the earliest and greatest naturalists the world has known? What were the similar choices made by Mozart and by Caesar Rodriguez, the U.S. Air Force's last ace fighter pilot? In Mastery, Robert Greene's fifth book, he mines the biographies of great historical figures for clues about gaining control over our own lives and destinies. Picking up where The 48 Laws of Power left off, Greene culls years of research and original interviews to blend historical anecdote and psychological insight, distilling the universal ingredients of the world's masters.

Temple Grandin, Martha Graham, Henry Ford, Buckminster Fuller - all have lessons to offer about how the love for doing one thing exceptionally well can lead to mastery. Yet the secret, Greene maintains, is already in our heads. Debunking long-held cultural myths, he demonstrates just how we, as humans, are hardwired for achievement and supremacy. Fans of Greene's earlier work and Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers will eagerly devour this canny and erudite explanation of just what it takes to be great.

©2012 Robert Greene (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Greene argues that mastery can come to anyone over time with dedication and application, which literally shape the brain to the task, and he gives frequent bios of famous achievers to underscore his tips and suggestions. Listeners may question his thinking and some of his advice, but Fred Sanders narrates Greene's assertions and arguments with conviction and without overselling, giving them an extra gloss of plausibility and credibility. His reading is clear and well paced. His tone is earnest and slightly intense, with an energetic edge, like that of a coach urging the listener to accomplishment, but controlled, giving an impression of class and intelligence. Greene would make a fine salesman; he and Sanders put the book across, doing their best to inspire the listener." (AudioFile magazine)

"Greene’s specialty is analyzing the lives and philosophies of historical figures like Sun Tzu and Napoleon, and extracting from them tips on how to manipulate people and situations - a cutthroat worldview that has earned him a devoted following among a like-minded readership of rappers, drug dealers and corporate executives." (The New York Times)

"Compelling." (Forbes)

Featured Article: The 20 Best Psychology Audiobooks


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What listeners say about Mastery

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Focus on passion=Less stress and more success

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

Clarity of purpose

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Being great at something and to truly arrive at being great takes 10,000 hours or more. This is a message that is not being presented in today's age. Students think that they can cheat their way to greatness or be distracted by their phones and think that they can delve deep enough into a subject matter to earn a great job. Shortcuts are preached by many in education and politics. We are not meant to multi-task. Success is not a quick-fix away.

What about Fred Sanders’s performance did you like?

Fred Sanders is the best narrator of a Robert Greene book. He tells the stories well and with just enough passion to keep the listener engaged. I wish that the other books were also available unabridged and read by the same performer. The reader of the abridged Power and Seduction books was too smarmy and took away the credibility of the text.

If you could give Mastery a new subtitle, what would it be?

Master your passion, or be mastered by others.

Any additional comments?

This is a great book and I will read it again. I also purchased the print copy. It is easy to become sidetracked by the media and all of the various forms of entertainment and news that is "so important." Even at work, it is easy to major in the minor things and fall prey to the tyranny of the urgent. This book encourages a person to focus on one thing. To do that separates you out from the 99.999% who dabble and waste their potential and their lives never accomplishing anything worthwhile. What sounds like sacrifice actually is a gift of time and clarity of mind. It takes less time to prioritize when there is a singular goal and less time is needed when the goal is so clear.

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107 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Classic Robert Greene

I haven't listened to or read another author that tries to teach life lessons that are relevant today through historic stories from the past. Is he always successfull? No, not always. Is it entertaining and will you learn some cool stories about great masters of the past (think Mozart, Da Vinci)? Yes!

This book may or may not change your life. The lessons are great and the stories are interesting, however, as with all these self help types of books, you will only see change if you apply it. Fred Sanders does a great job narrating this book (one of the better Narrations I've listed to on a Robert Greene book).

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62 people found this helpful

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Please write another book Mr. Greene.

I love this author. Great book. Robert Greene is truly a Master Author and researcher.

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58 people found this helpful

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Amazing

I changed my life because of this book. I was trough some depressing times but thanks to Mastery I became more productive.

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Must read

The books gives a big incentive to create. Moreover, reading this books definitely has a positive impact on the mood!
This is definitely one of my favorite books now.
Really enjoyed this audio version.

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Mastery is both a goal and a destination...

While many of the ideas have been covered in other books, this author handles the topics with a fresh sense of urgency, and a lot of good illustration. The message is an overlay of the old joke "how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!", with the idea of learning to put your passion first.

There is no magic here, but an excellent personal trainer. Its worth a listen.

Gare Henderson

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Common sense

What did you like best about Mastery? What did you like least?

The idea is common sense. Master something and you will do well. I like Robert Greene's 48 laws of power. Excellent story telling, entertaining and useful. However, mastery is somewhat similar. I did not think it was worth listening. Didn't finish until end and wish i could return for something I have not yet heard.

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Better if Half the Length

The substance of this book is great. It features stories of interesting people who have achieve mastery in their fields. It debunks the myth that masters are born and not made through hard work.

Great subject matter with interesting stories. What could be better? It would be better if it were eight hours instead of sixteen. The book simply needs a major editing (pruning might be a better word). The book is repetitive and needlessly lengthy, droning on like a politician's speech after the point has already been made.

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what it takes, beyond hard work, to really know it

Detailed and far ranging discussion of what it takes to be the best you can be. Examples of both widely known and not so widely known domain experts help illuminate what is required.
When the author starts riffing on the malevolent aspects of the mentor/mentee relationship, I think he is off base. Setting that aside, any person that has the drive to be the best will learn something from this book. Super narration.

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Too much emphasis on evolution

The author's world view is obvious and comes from the presupposition that the universe and all that it contains evolved by chance from some undefined matter. The existence of a Creator is ignored or discounted. Given these presuppositions, creativity is reduced to an accident or happenstance. I am probably not alone in seeing creativity as evidence of a Creator, who created me in His image.

I also think this book, for me, is too long and complicated to listen to. I would have to read and re-read, go back to refresh my memory. This isn't easily done in an audio book. I didn't finish.

I also wondered why he chose the masters he did.

All this said some of the steps to mastery are very interesting and are in step with what I have read elsewhere. 10,000 hours of practice, for example. Internships and finding a mentor are all good advice.

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