Book Review: The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

Hello everyone,

Welcome to a new book review from my blog. I will be sharing my knowledge from the book using a quote that stood out to me. The quote from the book The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander is:

“The world is not a problem to be solved; it is a possibility to be invented.”

Most of the book I have been reading has put me in a profound state of thinking beyond the status quo, looking less at the presence of the problem and more at what I can make of it. Here is another book that is doing the same for me, but this time it is on a different level. It is about possibilities and not problems. As the authors from the book say, “The world is not a problem to be solved; it is a possibility to be invented.” Do not be the one that say the world is filled with problems and only quits at that.

Yes, there are numerous problems in the world, and if we are to get started on it, a part of me is more than certain that a single article will not be enough to cover them all. Rather, let us see it as an opportunity for invention. An avenue to show what we can do or how good our problem solving skill is. There is a reason why some job offers ask for problem-solving as one of the skills needed for the job and why people include it in their resume. It is hard to tell what we can get done until we give it that first shot or trial. At least get a test by first changing your mindset from seeing problems to seeing areas that need solutions; it will be more useful than you think.

The authors of the book also introduce you to a new concept, or rather, a paradigm shift in your mindset. From seeing the world as a place of problems to a place that needs invention. There should be something to be invented to solve a problem. It is more like looking at it from an inventor's mindset. The greatest form of invention sprang from the desire not to settle with what is in the world, but rather to keep questioning one's mind on how to improve the quality of life. You keep pushing to the verge of innovation. This springs up the quest for invention for the problems out there. I choose to see it as a transition from a consumer to a producer mindset. It is something more like in Economics, where people change their mind from what can I consume to what can I produce that solves this problem I am having. Trust me, this shift in thinking can be dynamic for a change.

This book brings to light the quest of finding one's possibilities rather than just fixating on your limitations. Do not be so consumed by what you cannot offer, but rather what you can do. Nothing is too small or too big beyond one's invention. You can do more exploits than you think, but first you have to change the mindset from focusing on the problems to focusing on the solution. Take the front seat on the ride of possibilities and forget the limitations that come with self-doubt. Become focused on what you can be and not what is wrong with you.

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_{I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.}

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Thanks For Reading!