Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Stealing Fire summary
Steven Kotler
Jamie Wheal
How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work
28 mins
Brief summary
Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal explores how altered states of consciousness, achieved by various means, can help individuals and organizations achieve peak performance, creativity, and innovation. This book provides insights into the science and practices behind the "flow" state and its potential to transform individuals and society.
Topics
Table of Contents
Stealing Fire
Summary of 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
The quest for non-ordinary states of consciousness is thousands of years old.
Nearly two and a half thousand years ago, Alcibiades, a young Greek politician and army general, threw an unforgettable party at his Athens villa. To get his guests in the mood, he served up a special drink called kykeon, which was normally reserved for a select few of Greece’s elite.
See, this mind-expanding drink was meant to be part of an exclusive, nine-day ritual held each year called the Eleusinian Mysteries. Alcibiades wasn’t invited, but he managed to steal some kykeon anyway to ensure his own soirée was memorably wild.
Rumors spread. Alcibiades fled Athens and was sentenced to death in absentia for blaspheming the secrets of Eleusis. But just like the Greek myth of Prometheus, who was punished eternally for stealing fire from the gods of Olympus, Alcibiades’s fate didn’t deter those who came after him from seeking out ways to alter their consciousness. After all, he did get away with it.
The key message here? The quest for non-ordinary states of consciousness is thousands of years old.
We don’t know exactly what it was in kykeon that gave its drinkers such spiritual, cathartic experiences. One theory is that the barley in it was contaminated with the ergot fungus – the same one used to make LSD today. Regardless, this type of ecstasis clearly wasn’t intended for the plain Janes and average Joes of ancient Greece.
Today, twenty-first-century Prometheans are changing that, but their own versions of kykeon take many forms.
The authors met with all sorts of individuals – from military personnel and elite athletes to tech entrepreneurs and health-care providers. Their research showed that across the board, people are seeking ways to improve performance by changing their sense of reality and achieving some form of ecstasis.
Trial lawyers have experimented with psychopharmaceutical drugs. Military officers have spent weeks at meditation retreats. And stock traders on Wall Street have shocked their brains into ecstasis with electrodes.
When you add up the money we spend trying to get out of our own heads, you end up with an Altered States Economy of about $4 trillion annually. This includes legal substances like alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine; illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin; and pharmaceuticals, psychiatric counseling, video games, action sports, music, and film. Throw in pornography and social media, and there you have it.
But how well do we really understand the mechanics of ecstasis?
Want to see all full key ideas from Stealing Fire?
Key ideas in Stealing Fire
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Stealing Fire about?
Stealing Fire (2017) explores the controversial and exciting pursuit of altered states of consciousness. From tech entrepreneurs to BASE jumpers, meditators to festival-goers, it takes readers on a whirlwind tour of the revolutionary nonconformists trying to change the way they experience the world.
Stealing Fire Review
Stealing Fire (2017) explores the hidden possibilities of altered states of consciousness and their impact on creativity, performance, and well-being. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:
- By examining the use of cutting-edge technology and ancient practices, it reveals how individuals and organizations can unlock their full potential.
- With insightful interviews and fascinating case studies, the book offers a thought-provoking exploration of human potential and the quest for peak performance.
- It presents a new paradigm for understanding altered states and their practical applications in various fields, making it anything but boring.
Who should read Stealing Fire?
- Burning Man enthusiasts
- Entrepreneurs curious about performance hacks
- Psychology buffs interested in alternative therapies
Categories with Stealing Fire
Book summaries like Stealing Fire
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Stealing Fire FAQs
What is the main message of Stealing Fire?
The main message of Stealing Fire is the quest for achieving higher performance and altered states of consciousness.
How long does it take to read Stealing Fire?
The reading time for Stealing Fire varies, but it typically takes several hours to read the whole book. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Stealing Fire a good book? Is it worth reading?
Stealing Fire is worth reading for its intriguing exploration of how individuals and organizations can optimize their performance and unlock their potential.
Who is the author of Stealing Fire?
The authors of Stealing Fire are Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal.
What to read after Stealing Fire?
If you're wondering what to read next after Stealing Fire, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler
- The Art of Impossible by Steven Kotler
- The World Beyond Your Head by Matthew B. Crawford
- The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
- Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
- The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy (Ian McMahan revised)
- The Practicing Happiness Workbook by Ruth Baer
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey