This book would benefit if the subtitle was changed to "A Radical *Method* to Cutting Loose, Overcoming Blocks, and Writing the Best Songs of Your Life." As a frustrated songwriter, I purchased this hoping it provide various insights and multiple approaches to overcoming writer's block. As it turns out, it just gives one: set aside 12 hours (12 straight hours, not broken up) and try to write 20 songs, and do this on a twice-a-month basis or so. The rest of the book gives tips on how to do this productively, including starting a lodge as a kind of mutual support group.
I will say I did find most of the tips interesting, and will try them, but they seem aimed more for someone trying to write at a furious pace. That is, someone who is generating so many half-formed songs that they can toss out most of them. I'm deterred less by the idea trying to pound out 20 songs at a sitting than trying to free up 12 solid hours. I'm thinking it's not a coincidence that Dungeons and Dragons was mentioned at least twice in the book- a game with similar time demands and intensity and generally most popular with folks with tremendous amounts of free time.
The lodge idea is interesting. The book spends a lot of time on how to build and maintain one. They sound almost like psychotherapy support groups, requiring members to be supportive and emotionally open. I like the idea of it, but, given my personal experience with musicians and songwriters, I can't imagine how a lodge would last for more than a few sessions. After I read the book, I googled ICS, thinking perhaps there might be a few in Atlanta. It turns out that there are very few in the world, most of them clustered on the west coast. On top of that, of the lodges that have webpages, many seem defunct, or petered out years ago. Not a terrible surprise to me, given what I say above.
I don't mean to sound negative; this is a good book with a lot of great ideas. If you've ever thought "I'm gonna set aside the entire weekend to do nothing but write songs" (I know I have) in an attempt to break out of a block, this book is perfect and a must-buy. But if you do songwriting for fun, and find time is tight and inspiration low these days, this book is not that useful.