Never Judge a Fish on Its Ability to Climb a Tree

Book excerpt: Never Judge a Fish on Its Ability to Climb a Tree is a paraphrased quote from Albert Einstein. In this childrens book, Michael is speaking from a child to a child. The child he is trying to reach with this easy-to-understand lesson is the artist who struggles with a sport, the athlete who struggles with literature, the writer who struggles with math, and so on. When children learn to step outside the bounds of the mental slavery that was imposed on them, they can begin to stop taking criticism personally. When they stop taking negative comments, bad grades, and labels personally, they are free to express something creative. Children with no personal history to live up to behind them and an open canvas in their present moments will be what they are from the depths of their souls. In this book, Michael is telling his peers that they are not their personal history. They are not defined by their accomplishments.