Cirque Du Soleil: The Spark: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All

A book that I thought would be about the history and business of Cirque du Soleil, The Spark is surprisingly a book more about self-help and insights on how to be a better person, be more motivated at work, and how to reach a higher potential. It is very rare that I say this - but this book was too short and could have actually been longer. It would have been nice to learn more about the Cirque operation, background and history. As well, there are likely more of life's lessons that could have been woven into this well written book. I've been lucky enough to have seen at least five of the Cirque shows in various cities around the globe though even if you have never been to a Cirque production you will likely enjoy this book and should get some good points/reminders out of it. Overall, a whimsical and well-written book that might surprise, educate, and entertain you. I look forward to a sequel or the next in what could easily become a series.

I am a profesional magician. Let's get that out right now. As such, I am always looking for things which inspire creativity in my art. And like all artistic types, I go through slumps. I get distracted or weighed down with mundane things like paying bills, cleaning the house, fixing the car or any of a hundred other things which take up time and mental effort and leave you nothing left for your art. I had been experiencing just such a slump for several months. The annual slump I get working my way through the Thanksgiving to New Years time span which is always filled with tones of work, family and life. I know this slump comes up every year and when New Years is over I start looking for things to get me out of it. Well, this book didn't get me out of it, but only because I had managed to pull myself out on my own. However, for Valentines Day my wife took me to see "Kooza" and this book was being sold there. I looked at it before the show and thought it looked interesting. At intermission I went back out and picked up a copy. I read it in just a couple of hours the following day and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. If I had still been in my creative slump this would have certainly taken me out of it. The dedication to creativity, the inspiration, the words that point to methods of artistic integrity (and by integrity I mean "integrated into the whole") are worth every cent and every moment it took to read. Yes, the story is somewhat simplistic, but the story isn't the point. The message under the story is the point and a very valuable point it is. If you are an artist of any stripe you will find something useful in this book. If you are a performing artist of any type, you will be even more inspired. There are lessons here that any artist can apply to their art and to their efforts to make themselves better at their art. I highly recommend this book. [...]

The Spark is about what ignites the creative fire. It shadows Cirque du Soleil and what drives them to excel and gives us a small peek behind the tour de force performances of this world class performance engine. But what is it that drives these performances and takes world class athletes and makes them a creative team that inpires passion and evokes feeling from their audiences? In this fiction of a bored man, going thru the motions of his life and business, the authors lead him down the "rabbit hole" and into a world of passion, creativity, destiny and fulfillment. It is a lesson we can all learn from. This message, unlike most business books or self help tomes goes down easy and is as effortless as the graceful art of the performers. Some may find it too simple, but most truth is simple. Some may find it as a PR tool for the Circus. Yes it is, but what a tool, for in seeing the Circus as it puts it's best foot forward, (and yes I realize it is not telling me the whole "warts and all" story of this amazing group)...in glimpsing the vision, the guiding principles of this troupe, we may find a model to inspire our creative spark to ignite all over again...and this just might be transformative. Run away down the rabbit hole, and join the Circus for a while...you may never be the same again. Thank you to Cirque for this effort!! Another medium...yet still...dazzling!

This book is an excellent motivational tool. We purchased them for a Leadership Forum and a book was given to each attendee. We received positive feedback on the book and many of the attendees went on to purchase this book for members of their teams.

A very easy and entertaining book to read that left me inspired, motivated and challenged. I was so touched that I bought copies for all my team members.