Book Review: "The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life"

Benjamin Zander, a musician and conductor, and his wife Rosamund Stone Zander, a family therapist and painter, have teamed to write 12 practices designed to help readers take responsibility for their lives, empower themselves and the people around them, and build a world galvanized by creativity and positive action. If you are new to self-enrichment books, you'll enjoy the stories the authors tell and the simple maxims they render in, as the subtitle of the book says, transforming professional and personal life.

Some readers may not welcome the many anecdotes coming from Mr. Zander's experience as an orchestral conductor around the world, but I appreciated them greatly because of his unique perspective on classical music, his focus on interpersonal communication, and my passion for artistic endeavors. What nearly everyone will enjoy, however, is both author's belief that regardless of our station in life, we are all artists and have constantly before us a canvas we can paint to radiate beauty in our world.

If you're not sure whether The Art of Possibility is a worthwhile read, start with Mr. Zander's 20-minute lecture before an engaged live audience on Ted.com, and you'll make a bee line for the bookstore or library: www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html