INDIAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY

BOOK REVIEW ASSIGNMENT

CAMPUS: Tolani Maritime Institute

NAME OF THE CADET: DIBYANSHU SINHA

IMU ROLL NO: 1853710027

PROGRAMME: B.Sc. N.S. YEAR: THIRD Year

DIVISION: ONE

• Name of the Book: THE WAR OF ART

• Author/s: Steven Pressfield

• Publisher: Rogged Land

• Edition: First Year:2002 Place :America

Introduction:

‘Break through the blocks and win your inner battle’, quoted in the book ‘The War

of Art’ written by American author Steven Pressfield.

The War of Art, authored by American writer Steven Pressfield, is a non-fiction

book .The book was originally published in 2002 and foreword by Robert McKee.

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 Main Body:

The book follows the pattern of self-help genre and highlights the various

categories of resistance faced by artists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors or any

individual around the globe. The book says, ' Are you a writer who doesn’t write, a

painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you

now know what resistance is!!’ So according to the book what’s holding us back is

Resistance disguised as fear, denial, over rationalization, etc. If you suffer these

then Steven Pressfield’s “The Art of War” is a must read for you.

The book first defines the enemy within us, that is, the inner resistance. Then it

provides us with a rebuttal plan. And finally gives us a surge of positivity that no

matter, what I can and I will overcome every obstacle arriving in my victory path.

Pressfield lays down a three step preparation for combating resistance – define

your dreams, stay committed and accept that resistance is something you have to

face on regular basis so the best way to prevent it is to face it. “The best thing an

artist can do for another is to become an inspiration and set an example”.

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 Throughout the beginning of the book he stays the fact that resistance is the

self-sabotage, self-generated, self-perpetuated engine of destruction but at the

end of the book he practically defines the solution to it.

He says, “When we engage our-self each day and do our work, energy concentrates

around us like a magnetized rod that attracts iron fillings”. According to the book

we are supposed to sit and work hard to overcome this one enemy disguised in

about hundred varieties, standing rigidly in front of us. The book teaches us how

massive our inner resistance becomes when we try achieving something we love

more otherwise the later wouldn’t have apprehended so easily if achievement

wasn’t so important for us.

The War of Art follows a narrative reading and is like an autobiography of the

author. The book has three important take away- Resistance is what keeps us

from sitting down and doing our best, most of us have two lives: the life we live

before we turn pro and the life after and lastly, resistance hates when we turn pro

and achieve our goals. Turning pro is becoming professional, however not in our

jobs rather in defeating our inner negative force. As an example Pressfield writes

about Henry Fonda; how he suffered stage fear several times at his concerts and

how he battled every single time to overcome it.

Conclusion:

Self-help book often seems dull and monotonous. But The War of Art, unlike other

self-help books, is very crisp, clear and exciting novel. So if you want to know and

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get the better of such procrastinating forces underlying within you, The War of Art

is a perfect solution for you.

Plagiarism Declaration

I, DIBYANSHU SINHA, IMU Roll No. 1853710027 from Tolani Maritime Institute

certify that this assignment/report is my own work, based on my personal study and/or

research and that I have acknowledged all material and sources used in its preparation. I

also certify that this assignment/report has not previously been submitted for assessment,

and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarized the work of other

students and/or persons. Following is the plagiarism scan report for ready reference.

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