The Rise

By: Sarah Lewis

Narrated by: Sarah Lewis

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

It is one of the enduring enigmas of the human experience: many of our most iconic, creative endeavors - from Nobel Prize-winning discoveries to entrepreneurial inventions and works in the arts - are not achievements but conversions, corrections after failed attempts.

The gift of failure is a riddle. Like the number zero, it will always be both a void and the start of infinite possibility. The Rise - a soulful celebration of the determination and courage of the human spirit - makes the case that many of our greatest triumphs come from understanding the importance of this mystery.

This exquisite biography of an idea is about the improbable foundations of creative human endeavor. The Rise begins with narratives about figures past and present who range from writers to entrepreneurs; Frederick Douglass, Samuel F. B. Morse, and J. K. Rowling, for example, feature alongside choreographer Paul Taylor, Nobel Prize-winning physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, Arctic explorer Ben Saunders, and psychology professor Angela Duckworth.

The Rise explores the inestimable value of often ignored ideas - the power of surrender for fortitude, the criticality of play for innovation, the propulsion of the near win on the road to mastery, and the importance of grit and creative practice. From an uncommonly insightful writer, The Rise is a true masterwork.

©2014 Sarah Lewis (P)2014 Simon & Schuster

Inspiring and artful

To be honest, I started this book with low expectations. It isn't by a familiar business-book author, I had no peer recommendations, and the subject matter, while right up my alley, is just artsy enough that there was a reasonable likelihood of it being a tangent into la la land. Instead. This is an artful, researched and compelling study of creative excellence, touching on and teasing out many niches of sociological and psychological academia (including emerging work on grit).

I thoroughly enjoyed the book as well as the performance and I strongly recommend to anyone pursuing creative thinking in a more traditional business setting. Also, for those who need a nudge to celebrate failure as a stepping stone to success.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

outstanding

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

beautiful content, beautifully rendered.... I am very happy to have heard this material

What about Sarah Lewis’s performance did you like?

her inflection is perfect... her voice passionate but subdued... an intelligent book

What insight do you think you’ll apply from The Rise?

stay focused and grind it out

Any additional comments?

one of my all time favs.... a life changer

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

Good ideas, poor organization/editing

I wanted to like this book. Written by a classmate and covering ideas that I find are compelling and important. However I don't think this book does a good job. It is a short book but over a third of it is quotations from other sources (particularly the first few chapters), which makes it feel a bit like a Pinterest of inspirational quotes.

The stories, while somewhat engaging (particularly the last few chapters), are a bit meandering, and often lose focus from the themes the author tries to convey. Together they don't gel well into a nice narrative whole. part of that is editorial decisions, like leading with the least interesting stories of a club archery team and a modern dancer... the author fails to inspire how interesting these achievements are... and from there you really dont care about their mindset. more interesting are the latter stories about the Nobel prize winning physicists and Samuel Morse life as a professional artist before inventing the telegraph.

This book neither has the good writing of Malcolm Gladwell (I don't always agree with his ideas, but at least he writes a good story) nor the data driven knowledge of say Dan Ariely or Amy Cuddy.

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

Excellent, well worth the time!

I work with exceptional children every day. One of the greatest challenges I face in taking them to that elusive "next level" is convincing them that failure is an integral ingredient in any recipe for success.

I particularly enjoyed Lewis's perception as it relates to grit! Grit, or whatever name you give it, is crucial for long term success.

Great book! And again, well worth the time!

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

Solid body of work but...

But... What is she talking about? I often feel lost when listening. this book reads like it has been written in the other's voice and the voice of people who think like her. This book feels like a collection of thoughts not a book to challenge and change thinking. I might of just picked up the wrong book!

Had No Real Message

Every chapter is full of ART stories that are long, boring and seem to not lead to a clear message. I found myself asking, "What was the message she wanted me to take from this chapter?" Most chapters I couldn't answer it at all or was a little shady. Almost every story is based on art or dance. This is really a book about being a successful artist not a motivational book. If you don't like art don't listen to this book.

1 of 4 people found this review helpful