Part 1: Ken Robinson wrote this book because he wants us to do what we want, not what the people tell us to do. He wants us to be able to follow our dreams. He say children have creative or natural abilities, but once we get older it slips away. The element referred to in the title is the place where natural talent and personal passion converge. To be in your own element you have to love what you are doing, if you’re not then you’re not really living your life how you want it to be. The element is what he identifies as the point where the activities individuals enjoy and are naturally. We create our life according to the talents that we find within ourselves, the interests that drive us, and everybody ends up having a unique resume. If we create our life, we can recreate it.

Part 2: I think in Rachel’s experience denies Ken Robinsons idea because she is not being able to explain herself. Rachel struggles internally with growing up, even though she’s 11, she still feels like she is five years old. She expected a fabulous birthday, but ends up sad and embarrassed. For me the story was about growing up, about having everything from your past inside you but still continuing to move away from the familiar things you thought you knew about growing up. It stirs up all those frustrated emotions I had as a kid, back in the days of because-I-said-so and grownups-know-better. The idea that who you are is made up of the person you were at every stage of your life you’re still that