The Art of Impossible

A Peak Performance Primer

By: Steven Kotler

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

Best-selling author and peak performance expert Steven Kotler decodes the secrets of those elite performers - athletes, artists, scientists, CEOs, and more - who have changed our definition of the possible, teaching us how we too can stretch far beyond our capabilities, making impossible dreams much more attainable for all of us.

What does it take to accomplish the impossible? What does it take to shatter our limitations, exceed our expectations, and turn our biggest dreams into our most recent achievements? We are capable of so much more than we know - that’s the message at the core of The Art of Impossible. 

Building upon cutting-edge neuroscience and more than 20 years of research, best-selling author, peak performance expert and executive director of the Flow Research Collective, Steven Kotler lays out a blueprint for extreme performance improvement. If you want to aim high, here is the playbook to make it happen!

Inspirational and aspirational, pragmatic and accessible, The Art of Impossible is a life-changing experience disguised as a how-to manual for peak performance that anyone can use to shoot for the stars...space suit not included. 

©2021 Steven Kotler (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

The power of this book is IMMENSE. One of a kind.

I own a ton of self-development books and books on performance. I can honestly say that this is the most powerful and moving among them. After picking my jaw up off the floor multiple times, I stopped listening and came here to write this review. This book in powerful in ways that have to be experienced firsthand, and it is amazing to get the feeling that the mind behind this book, has lived and practiced its contents to be able to write such a compelling and powerful guide as this one. Some books are meant to be read and appreciated. Others are meant to be lived. If you're the kind of person who realizes that there is more within you, a higher version of yourself, more potential that has thus far gone untapped, this is the right book. Thankfully it is not -- at all -- about "rah rah" platitudes or empty motivational boilerplate. It's a deep, thoughtful look at what superior performance is and how to live it. I was on the fence about whether to buy yet another book on performance, and I'm glad I did. This is a book that forces you to grow, expand, improve, and to think differently. Who knew that the self-development genre still had space within it for innovation and powerful and enlightening perspectives?

Super insightful last few chapters

I came directly to this book from Mapping Cloud Nine, and my only wish is that Steven Kotler narrated it himself bc I love feeling his excitement through his energetic style of speaking.

Some of the book was repetitive from his others (but that’s bound to happen when talking about flow from SK); however, I found the last few chapters to be super insightful, in-depth, and practical. I took more notes in the last 3 chapters than I did the rest of the book combined.

Every athlete / outdoors enthusiast must read

This is everything I’ve always looked for, packaged up in one place. It details how to perform anything at the highest level that you thought you were not capable of. In the top 3 best books I’ve ever read.

Highly Recommended!

5 stars because this book has put me in a realm of multiple realities that I would’ve never experienced otherwise.

Not a fan- Impossible to Like

Obviously it's my opinion. However, many of these bills are all over the place and the author makes himself to be something bigger than they are instead of providing the information that you think you are getting. to far fetched, not enough how to.

Outstanding!

I will be listening to this book again. It is very dense with useful info.

The formula for achieving impossible

This book ties together the concepts that Steven has been investigating and writing about all into one book, it is glorious. I'm going to listen to it again and take notes this time around.

Lots of information

I love all the information but have to listen several times to retain all the information in this book. My only pet peeve is the way Fred pronounces “primer”. But I do love the practical instructions for getting in to Flow

Worth it!

Great book for those interested in hacking their focus or flow. Even if you are a beginner and are just scratching the surface, you will come away with some very solid nuggets and a framework to get started. I enjoyed the details of the biology of it all as well. Will likely listen to it again.

The self help book I’ve been looking for

I’ve been a big fan of Steven Kotler’s work for years now. Both the human performance stuff and those covering innovators and their innovations. The Art of Impossible pulls all the human performance pieces together to clearly explain the makeup of how one goes about tackling the impossible. I’ve also been very interested in flow, which is another common theme that comes up in Steven’s work. One of the four parts of the book is devoted to flow, including flow science, flow triggers and the flow cycle. This is generally interesting but particularly valuable for people (like me) who have trouble getting into or maintaining flow. The other three parts (actually the first three) are motivation, learning and creativity. Again, Steven explains the science and practice relating to these areas and, as he always does, sprinkles in many interesting anecdotes. In the end, our respective “impossibles” are achievable, Steven has provided the road map.

Generally good

I felt this book to be worth a listen, however, I didn't give it 5 stars due to an inconsistency that frustrated me a little. Early on in the book the author states that dopamine is released in the brain before a goal is achieved and not after, as previously thought. However, he then goes on to say in a later chapter that by telling someone your goal it is less likely that you will achieve it as you already have the dopamine release as your brain thinks you have already achieved it (by stating it publicly).

Not your usual self development book

No fluff, no nonsensical truisms just solid well-researched advice, I highly recommend it. On par with "Stealing Fire" which is a classic

A framework for being your best self!

If you care about living the good life, a life with meaning and purpose then you'll enjoy this book whether you chase your "impossible" or not

Masterpiece

Felt like all the self-development books I have ever read were combined into a simple, easy-to-use manual with fantastic storytelling and style of writing which I could help but to enjoy every single word. This was the first Steven Kutlers book I have listened to, but definitely not the last. If the principles laid out in this book are applied one can genuinely see himself doing the impossible! Thank you, Steven!