How to Live: 27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion
Not quite non-fiction, not quite self-help. It's a work of art about conflicting philosophies.
Many books believe they know how you should live. But each book disagrees with the next. In "How to Live", each chapter believes it knows how you should live. And each chapter disagrees with the next.
One chapter makes a compelling argument for why you should be completely independent, keeping all options open. The next chapter argues why you should commit to one career, one place, and one person.
One chapter persuades you to be fully present, and experience each moment. The next, to delay gratification and invest for the future.
Which one is right? Which does the author believe? All of them. It's a philosophy of conflicting philosophies.
A very unique and thought-provoking book. Meant for reflection as much as instruction.
113 incredibly succinct pages of profound insights. No philosophers are quoted. No -isms are named. Only actionable directives. The end result feels more like poetry than prose.
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"Always brilliant and succinct, I guarantee you have not read a book like this before. 27 life philosophies on how to live a good life, each feeling profound and incredibly true, yet somehow they all manage to contradict each other... you know, like life. Derek is brilliant. He's full of pithy wisdom and quirky ideas. I love his brain and love his books. If you want something different, yet still readable, check it out."
- Mark Manson, author, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
"Derek Sivers is one of my favorite humans, and I call him often for advice. Think of him as a philosopher-king programmer, master teacher, and merry prankster. I might need to do a second volume of my next book 100% dedicated to the knowledge bombs of Derek Sivers. So much good stuff. Hard to cut."
- Tim Ferriss, author, 4-Hour Workweek
"One thing 'How To Live' doesn't do is tell you how to live. Yet, after reading it, you might be closer to answering that question for yourself. Half self-help and half art, it beautifully transcends its genre. Seriously one of my favorite books."
- Johannes Wilke
"A thrilling, exhilarating, life-affirming, daring, psychedelic roller-coaster ride in a hall of mirrors through the wisdom of the ages. I initially began to highlight some phrases, but I soon realized my entire ebook was yellow. How To Live is the most unique book I've ever read and surely one of the best. And if any of this sounds like hyperbole, the book is better than anything I just said."
- Michael Colucci, theater founder and director
"Brilliant. Derek's best book yet, and for me possibly one of the best books ever. Brilliant format, actionable directives, and provides the best possible answer to the loaded question of how to live. Every chapter and every sentence is thought provoking, so much to ruminate on. Pure substance, 0% fluff, which is so rare."
- Diego Montejo
"'How to Live' is an absolute piece of art. I started hoping that it would teach me the secrets of how to live. But no, in the middle the conflicting messages led me to the real message: that there is no right way to live. There are pieces of life that we gather from everyone, to build ours. I've been re-reading almost every single day and the message keeps getting clearer, like a good wine. It is a big inspiration."
- Lucas Vilela, developer
"I absolutely LOVE this book. I've read thousands of books and I think it's my favorite. I was planning to highlight, but every sentence is so well-thought-out and important, it would just end up being a yellow book!"
- Matt Wickstrom
"Magnificently succinct. So elegantly terse that it feels utterly complete. The sheer craftsmanship/sculpting of the language is just breathtaking. I read a LOT, and my mind is bending at the sheer discipline, effort and ruthlessness it must have taken to whittle this down. Rather than lose substance it actually gains body/mass and impact. Un-frickin'-believable. Really outstanding."
- Zubin Pratap, founder
"It's deep, really deep. Just like a Buddhist koan, the more you meditate on it the more you uncover within your own mind, the more you understand. If I said any more I would spoil it. What should be a relatively simple premise made me think more, and deeper, than I have in a while. What more could you want from a book?"
- Colin Walker, writer
