Name: How to Live
ISBN: 9781991152336

Derek Sivers

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.

27 Conflicting Answers and One Weird Conclusion

How to Live

This is an homage to the great book “Sum”, which has forty conflicting (and dreamy) answers to the question “What happens when you die?”

27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion

Interesting to find some pieces in every way of living which fits to one self. Not in all ways of living thoug. 

Markus

A buffet of distilled, self-contradictory words worth considering. Read like a long fortune cookie and a daily devotional had an exceedingly well-educated baby.

Matt Stein

matej yangwao

** spoiler alert **
           Definitely can notice Stoic thoughts of mortality inside. 
Some situation perspectives are well crafted. 
Remember to write your ideas off the top of your head till you become part of the cemetery which might inspire others.

Enthusiasm is common, Endurance is rare.

> Independence is a valuable gift. When you don’t care about money, social media, or other people’s opinions, you experience true happiness because it is possible only in freedom.

≥you can meditate more, limit your smartphone use, travel alone, and enjoy nature. When you free your mind, you get rid of all labels.

> You know whose opinion is critical — yours. Remember: people around you live their unique lives, and you should live yours to the fullest. The more you know, the less alone you are. So, go on a journey and make new friends. Look for new ways of income, and learn to drive cars, captain ships, and pilot planes. After all, the actual feeling of loneliness only appears when the wrong person is around

> Independence is about keeping a healthy distance from everything.

> Saturate your senses as if everything will disappear soon.

>If you are constantly searching, you do not commit enough to what you have. You try to find the best, but what if everything becomes perfect just because you chose it? Your attention makes any choice the right one, and you must dedicate yourself to this choice. Once you do this, you will never go wrong.


>Commitment gives us peace and confidence in our actions. So, dedicate yourself to one person and marry them. Let this person not want to change you, and never try to change them; you will fill each other with warmth, experience, and love. One of the greatest joys of life is the bonds of friendship, so find true friends and devote yourself to each other. Everyone needs warm hugs and words of encouragement. Also, engage in habits that make you a better person and turn them into rituals.

>New habits are the way to experience the world, and old habits show your true self.

>Practice constantly — you won't know how far you can run or how delicious your hand-made cake can be until you try. When you find new ways to improve, you will become a pioneer and open a world of new opportunities for others.

>It’s not wrong to choose the wrong path, but it's much worse not to choose at all.

>The world is chaotic, but you can accept the chaos by learning the art of spontaneity.

>When a problem is bothering you, it feels like you need to do something about it. Instead, identify what belief is really the source of your trouble. Replace that belief with one that doesn’t bother you. Then the problem is solved. Most problems are really just situations.

>Emotions reveal us more than actions.

>Wisdom is the true beauty that will not leave you as you age.

>When you try something new, always expect to make a mistake; it will teach you better than any teacher. And once you make a mistake, don't repeat it a second time.

>Let there be fewer failures in the world but share your failures with as much pride as you share your successes.

≥Prepare for the worst to be stronger than the trials you will face. The future is ruthless and unpredictable; it will test you, and you will feel bad, but it will not knock you down if you have a plan of action. So, prepare for the worst to be stronger than the trials you will face.

>When you know how to assess a situation from different angles and find the one that will make people smile, you are already invincible. Humor is a continuation of observation, creativity, and the ability to control everything. Whatever you do, humor can deal with half of it.

>To appreciate something, imagine that it has disappeared. It's called the practice of discomfort: use the stairs instead of the elevator to get to a high floor, and you will realize that your comfortable reality is beautiful.

>Money will not make you a better person or define you as a human. But the desire to earn more does not make you greedy or empty. Money is necessary because it adds value to your existence, and the desire to achieve more means your wish to improve the world. Money is the most ambitious motivator of our time.

>The cemetery is the most profitable real estate because it holds many ideas, like unwritten books and unmade films.

Cristiana Cerri Gambarelli

I never read self-help books and did not pick up this one for self-help purposes, so I can't really compare. Nonetheless, I hope all self-help books convey at least a few of the fundamental truths I found in this one.

I did not agree with everything, no one will. It is in that that lies the power of Derek Sievers' portrait of one's existence - that the right messages will resonate with you when it's the right time for you. I also found flaws in it, especially when it lacks to acknowledge that which economic situation one is born in will prevent some people to follow some (not all) of the advice on how to live. 

Nonetheless, this book made me analyse, cherish, challenge or judge how I navigate the world. I'm incredibly grateful to my sister who recommended it. 

I listened to this book on a Sunday afternoon during a session of meal-prepping for the week and finished it with barely no breaks. If you can, listen to the audiobook as it is read by Derek himself and his persona really shines through.

Keven Wang

This book has two of my favorite qualities. Short and impacted

This is an homage to the great book Sum by David Eagleman, which has forty conflicting (and dreamy) answers to the question “What happens when you die?”

How to Live includes 27 conflicting (and useful) answers to the question of how to live.

How To Live

Daniel Santos

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.

Wojciech Waśniewski

Big fan of Sivers and this couldn't be more Sivers in many ways. Brilliant stuff, but it's frustrating at the same time. Lack of narrative makes it read almost like a book of aphorisms (not my thing). The whole point of the book, conflicting advice, is fascinating, but doesn't leave much space to really digest and reflect on each chapter. Might be better idea to read each chapter separately, e.g. one a day, rather than all in a handful of sittings like I did.

Harsha G

Sivers has reached an epitome of clarity in his latest masterpiece that would make Hemingway want to come out of his grave. It’s full of contradictions by design (almost bringing clarity through confusion) and there is not one unnecessary word or article. It’s Sivers reaching his purest form in writing, with lessons that bewilder and make you think more.

Elsa Saks

my go-to book for quick and brilliant marketing advice! a book i want to read each year to remind myself what's important.

Amit Gawande

I don’t remember the last book before How to Live by Derek Sivers that made me contemplate so many times while reading. The moment I was done with the last page, I had my diary out to capture my understanding from each of the 27 answers to that one principal question, how should I live.

As Derek says in the subtitle of the book, they are all conflicting answers. But the conclusion is not weird at all — for one, Derek is a masterful and a deep thinker. Each short chapter has most knowledge presented in the least number of words possible. Wisdom to words ratio is pretty high with this gem of a book.

At the surface, the book is pretty straightforward to read. Short chapters. Short, easy sentences. But, dig deep, and it is one of the most difficult books to fathom. It will force you to question what you have believed throughout your life, and it’s that questioning that will leave your mind unclouded.

It’s easy to write long, elaborate prose. But it takes time to shorten it, and I am glad Derek took that time. In his words, it took him four years, often writing 16 hours a day, to condense it down from the first draft of 1300 pages to 115.

What results is one of the most powerful and important books ever written. Take time and read it slowly. 

---

First published at my blog.

Kevin S Perrine

Great little book packed with wisdom to pickup and re-read regularly as a reminder to live better.

Ervin Szerdocz

Some chapters are true masterpieces!
A short and to the point book, that will for sure make you wiser by the end of it. I need to read it again.

How to Live 27 Conflicting Answers and One Weird Conclusion

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