The New Yorker‘s Adam Gopnik chats with Trey Elling about THE REAL WORK: ON THE MYSTERY OF MASTERY. Topics include:
- The book’s goal (0:38)
- The importance of learning new skills (3:26)
- Defining ‘mastery’ (6:12)
- The mystery of performance (8:19)
- Jamy Ian Swiss and the real work (13:15)
- “The method is not the trick” (16:33)
- Learning about mastery from David Blaine (19:11)
- The mystery of identity and intention (23:53)
- The challenge of Adam learning to drive a car in his 50s (29:07)
- How learning to drive in NYC changed his perception of the city (32:38)
- Courtesy waves (34:54)
- The mystery of interiority (36:24)
- The mystery of meaning (40:17)
- The mystery of late style (46:22)
- Overcoming a shy bladder (49:32)
- Whether learning how to draw altered Adam’s perception as an art critic (55:13)