Just read this after the art of war. Took a couple hours and was time well spent. So many sections highlighted!!My favourite:- The amateur believes that she must have all her ducks in a row before she can launch her start-up or compose her symphony or design her iPhone app. The professional knows better. - Has your husband just walked out on you? Has your El Dorado been repossessed? - Keep writing. - Keep composing. - Keep shooting film. - Athletes play hurt. Warriors fight scared. - The profess...

I don't remember when I first read The War of Art, but I know it changed my life. Of all of the books I have read since then, there are few I have returned to more often. Why? Because Steven Pressfield teaches you how to be an artist--a professional one.And now Pressfield is back to pick up where he left of with Turning Pro. The first words grabbing you by the collar and pulling you down the path: "I wrote in The War of Art that I could divide my life neatly into two parts: before turning pro an...

Simple and elegant.

The amateur tweets. The pro works.That pretty much sums up the book for me. In the face of uncertainty and doubt, the amateur chooses distraction, while the pro chooses to do the work instead. The pro knows: doubt won't go away by itself, one has to push it, shove it, kick it. By doing the work.What is distraction, if not self-sabotage, sabotage of one's future self? As Pressfield puts it, "lives go down the tubes one hundred and forty characters at a time." It's not only Twitter, but any distra...

Ugh. I don't normally read these kinds of books but after the third recommendation I decided to give this one a chance. It wasn't written for me. I have little patience for pop psychology and even less for self-aggrandizement. This book has both, exclusively. Don't quote your own work. Say something new or quote someone else and say something new about the quote. The ideas in this book couldn't fill a leaflet and the ones that are here are completely undeveloped. If you like watching infomercial...

I finally made the link - The Resistance is the Lizard, talked about by Seth Godin in Linchpin. It's the safe (emotional, physical, financial, or other) decision that protects you from real failure by stopping you from ever really trying. Anyway, this book is everything I liked about The War of Art, without the bits I didn't like. It's more practical, more detailed, includes more examples, and has less voodoo-spirituality and meandering philosophising (though not none; an appropriate amount of m...

Turning Pro may be a quick read, but it will quickly get to the core of suppressed dreams and unfulfilled passions. If you are an artist or writer who doesn't draw or write, this may be just what you need to face and own your talents and calling. If you are a musician who doesn't play or sing, or an entrepreneur who will write that business plan tomorrow, this book may well give you the not necessarily gentle nudge you need to Turn Pro. Now. Pressfield makes clear distinctions between the amateu...

Pressfield concludes his trilogy of works designed to hurtle you past your fear and into becoming the person you want to be. (Part one: "The War of Art"; Part two: "Do The Work") In each successive book, Pressfield pulls the camera further out, revealing more landscape. "The War of Art" is designed to teach you how to fight what he calls Resistance (aka fear, anxiety, avoidance, self-sabotage) and get started on your life's goals. "Do The Work" pulls out from there, detailing specific strategies...

Turning Pro: The symphony that creative soul is hungry for. So, so good! By creative, we don't mean just the arts. By creative, we mean anyone who sets out to create a life outside of the normal path, without a map or guidebook. Turning Pro is about taking the amateur self, looking it in the eye, and deciding that enough is enough. We are now doing this and we're doing it damn well too. We are reaching the upper realms not through addiction or avoidance or distractions, but through Labor and Lov...

This book is a serious challenge for any creative who wants to be considered a professional in their chosen sphere. Pressfield holds nothing back and this book seriously kicked my ass. He takes the excuses we all wheel out sometimes and blows them to pieces while telling of his own past, giving emotional resonance to some difficult life lessons. The book underscores the fact that turning pro is not for everyone, that there is considerable sacrifice. I was personally convicted on my habits and ho...

I don't know how long this stuff sticks with me, but every time I read one of Pressfield's books I feel like I could do anything.

I don't really know what to think of this book. If I could summary the book it would be like this "look at me, I'm a pro, here is what a pro should be, philosophy, meaningless personal anecdotes, pro is great I swear". This book has nothing of value, it doesn't really help you to turn into a pro, it just talks about how cool is it to be a pro.

On par with the War of Art, Steve enlightens readers about the vast difference between those that 'try' aka amateur, and those that are professionals. Focus, regimen, acknowledging what we resist and countless other tools are shared. Whether a writer, teacher, sales exec or parent, the principle are universal much as the elements of resistance in War of Art. A great read from an amazing author.

The beginning and the end were strong. It had sections I would rate 3 star that felt more lazy and unfinished than deliberately polished and concise, and other sections that I’d rate as 5 star or more that were power-packed and zinged with truth like electricity running through me. Overall, I think I liked the War of Art more in some ways, but I loved the parts of Turning Pro that were autobiographical. I agree with much of it; I disagree with putting work above all else, including human relatio...

Pressfield's War of Art really spoke to me, especially regarding the concept of Resistance. Turning Pro seemed to be more of the same, however. Nothing new was in this book, and I was very disappointed. The core message can be summed up thusly: Wanna be a pro? Get serious. Turn off the Internet. Stop wishing, start working. That's the message. Same message as in War of Art.Like War of Art, this is a book of sound bytes, some chapters no more than a sentence, most no more than five paragraphs. Th...

Holy Crap, Batman, this book is awesome! Until I read this book, I had no idea I hung around with, and seemed to attract, amateurs. At times, I drank their kool-aid and listened to their whiney belly-ache about how, "someday we ought to _______," and in retrospect, the too many times I bought into the procrastination and justification of, "Wouldn't it be great if we could _________."But Pressfield hit a nerve when he said you'll know the day you turn pro...and I can verify that statement when I

This book literally kicked my ass. OK, maybe not literally, but this book contains urgency, man. It's like Pressfield is standing over every would-be artist exhorting, "Fight! Write! Create! Grow!" Starting this book is power, and finishing it is life-changing if you want it to be.

7 days and 148 pages after. This book was a direct recommendation from someone who quickly became a mentor for me. So I had great expectations about it.The book is about how transform yourself into a pro, because you are a amateur right now. All the book I was expecting that the book explain how to be a pro, and that never happen... at least not very clear. The book is about habits, is about what you should do or you shouldn't.The issue with those kind of books is that wants to show you that you...

Turning Pro is concise, well-written and well argued. It came to me highly recommended by artists and professionals I respect a lot. I expected to find it useful. Right now as I read it, I'm encountering a speed bump on my writing journey and was looking for help overcoming it. Turning Pro sounded like just what I needed. Instead, I found myself exasperated. Despite its conciseness, Pressfield makes his point, and then repeats it six times from six slightly different angles to make sure you get

Some people have a serious dislike for this book. I can understand that. Some of their complaints are warranted. I haven't read "The War of Art" yet so I don't have that as a judge to go on. I have read "Do the Work" (which seems to be greatly disliked as well), but rather enjoyed that book.This books seems to be very straight and to the point. Yes, the chapters are short. Yes there is a one sentence chapter. But good writing is in brevity. If an author can get their point across in a single sen...