THE ART OF POSSIBILITY

By

ROSAMUND STONE ZANDER AND BENJAMIN ZANDER

Four stars out of five stars

Even to the most fortunate of us, disappointments, setbacks, and heartbreaks occur frequently in life.  The authors, husband and wife, a conductor, and a family system therapist, guide us how to avoid negative reactions to these obstacles which often lead to “downward spirals”; and instead, to “possibilities”, by following 11 “practices”.  Some of the headings of these practices, such as “Rule Number Six (don’t take yourself so g…damn seriously”, and “Giving way to passion”, are easy to understand.  Most, however, are far from obvious.  For example, what does it mean when the heading says, “Getting an A”, or “Being on Board”.

For each “practice”, the authors explain what it means, why is it effective, and what does it entail?  Personal stories and experiences of the authors are shared to bring home the significance of these practices in “The Art of Possibility”. These stories are interesting and some of them inspiring.

It is fair to say that, much of the wisdom in the practices are implicit in the works of Plato, Confucious, and modern texts such as “The Power of Positive Thinking”.  It is to the credit of the authors that they synthesize them into practices which the reader can readily follow.

Finally, we should all take to heart the advice of Benjamin’s father:  “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”