On Books

In 1903 Franz Kappus (a 17 years old student) wrote the poet Rainer Maria Rilke (27 years old) asking his advice on becoming a writer. The book is a collection of Rilke’s replies over a series of 10 letters. In the letters Rilke beautifully articulates advice on topics of creativity, dealing with criticism, inspiration, love, life, and loneliness. Testimonials from famous people “For me the letters are a credo of creativity and a source of inspiration. After reading Rilke it became clear that I had no choice in the matter. I had to create.” – Dennis Hopper When asked, “What advice would I give to someone looking to make music their career?” Sarah Mclachlan responded, “I’d tell them to go read Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. Because his advice is better than any advice I could ever give.” Learn more and read the show notes @ www.on-books.com

In this episode I'll give a summary, some highlights and exceprts from the book Leading at the Speed of Growth by Katherine Catlin

What do I cover in this episode of the podcast? The main gist of the book An overview of the four main parts of the book Quotes and stories from the book At the end I’ll do a kind of oral meditation for you, contrasting an essentialist and a nonessentialist. I imagine that if you like this, you might come back to this part of the podcast and relisten to it a few times. Essentialism is one of those books that I come back to and re-read a few times a year. And the reason I say I “re-read it”, is because this book is more like a meditation. In this episode I’ll gives highlights, takeaways and read some quotes from Essentialism. In this week's On Books I'll dive into Essentialism by Greg McKeown. 

Jim Henson created a legacy around The Muppets, Sesame Street, Fragile Rock, and Labyrinth. His life is a testament to the idea that you can use art, and creativity to change the world. The book is an snapshot of Jim’s journey from the early days of creating Kermit out of his mother’s felt coat, to philosophical understandings art vs. commerce, how to run a creative business, manage working long hours, and be an amazing father. More information on Jim Henson, and his autobiography are available on my site at: http://castig.org/jim-henson-the-biography/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/castig