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Be more than what you are taught to be.

With this line on the cover of this non-fiction book, I knew what I should be expecting from it. And I am pretty much glad that my presumptions about it have been surpassed manifolds. I am really happy to make the right pick!

The book kickstarts with a few anecdotes to highlight our discipline-centric approach to education. It begins with explaining anti-fluidity and slowly moves towards the coveted subject of Fluidity. Now you would be wondering whether what the heck is all about fluid & anti-fluid. I leave that for you to find out!

I never thought that a non-fiction book could be interesting but this one has broken my mental barriers. I was bound to love it for its unique content and fantastic narrative. It primarily deals with the education system and the reservations we have for subjects. A normal person is of the opinion that once you are into business, you should be doing only that. Once you have taken up arts, science is of no use to you. Once physics becomes your forte, why to even shed a thought to pursuing other disciplines? And this is where exactly the author hits. 

We are driven by island-centric education i.e. we converge all our energy and intelligence to move in one direction only. We believe in gaining expertise in a particular field. We are taught that Jack of all trades is good for none. That being 'Jack' is never going to do us any good. That the T-shaped structure of education is what we must be relying on. But while you are harboring these key 'learnings' in your head, Goethe's and Vinci's examples would shake the ground off your feet. Trust me, you wouldn't have ever imagined that a world-famous artist was actually a STEM expert. We live in the bubble that Non-STEM subjects have no value. But if you just look in the past, your myths would be dispelled. Very well known architects, painters, mathematicians were absolutely amazing writers, painters, and poets too.  This is the reality that challenges our rigid approach to education. The author discards the division of our brains as left and right. He lays emphasis on being open to all the disciplines simultaneously. He puts it that being Jack is a wonderful thing for your personality. Through the fluid-wheel model of specialization, he brings forth the necessary attitude we must have toward education. As he says,

Be formless, shapeless, like water. Be water, my friend.

I loved the book to the core. It has been made interesting by providing some stupefying insights into the minds of great people. This book is easy to read with unique concepts and lucid language. It busts our myths intelligently. It makes us curious to pursue the exploration. It gives us a fresh perspective which is crucial for us to sustain and thrive with abundance. 

So, for any type of reader, regardless of the fact that you read or not, pick up this book for it has some valuable thoughts to stimulate and nourish your brains!