The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin Seth Godin's most inspirational book to date challenges readers to think of their work as an art form. In Greek mythology, Icarus' father gave him wings and commanded him not to fly too close to the sun. Despite this warning, he plunged into disaster anyway. The myth has been retold to generations of children, along with many others. All these stories have the same lesson: Play it safe. Obey your parents. Listen to the experts. Industrialists were thrilled with this propaganda. Which boss would not want their employees to believe that obedience and conformity are essential to success? The truth is there are other aspects of the myth that power brokers want you to forget. Likewise, Icarus was warned against flying too low, since the seawater would damage his wings. It feels safer to fly too low than too high, so it is even more dangerous. A new safety zone has been established. There has been an expose of the propaganda, and the old promises have been broken: Conformity no longer brings comfort. It is true that creativity is rare, and therefore more valuable than ever before. To make art is also an act of courage and unpredictability. It isn't a genetic disposition or a particular talent that makes someone an artist. All of us can adopt this attitude. Getting new ground, making connections, and working without a map is part of this hunger. Whether it says on your business card or not, you are an artist if you are doing those things. You can achieve your goals by bringing your best self to the workplace, no matter what your job is. It's up to you how you can improve tomorrow and how you can do that today. Gottin demonstrates how this is possible, and convinces us that it's vital.