How to Live

27 Conflicting Answers and One Weird Conclusion

De: Derek Sivers

Narrado por: 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.

An incredibly succinct audiobook of profound insights. No philosophers are quoted. No -isms are named. Only actionable directives. The end result feels more like poetry than prose.

©2021 Sivers Inc (P)2021 Sivers Inc

if you get it you get it

everything in this book is a contradiction and that's the point. great presentation of the ends of a bell curve that is called life

Mark Manson brought me here

Very much enjoyed. Lots of food for thought! Derek does at great narration, it's almost like you are having an actual conversation rather than just the basic audio book vibe.

A fan of Derek but not this book

Honestly, I feel like I wasted my time. Each answer to how to live is obviously flawed. I expected his personal final take on how to combine the good in every answer.

Loved it

Love how Derek Sivers puts everything in a concise and elegant way. Loved the last chapter especially!

Unconventional ways of living that don’t seem so unconventional anymore after listening.

Very thought provoking. Easy to listen and follow. No wasted words or fluff. It made me think about my own life, decisions and the world. I recommend this book to everyone.

Thought provoking

Challenges you - makes you think. Compels you to think about your life in reverse. Listen to it multiple times for the best effect.

Odd, but interesting

I found several ideas interesting. But the many contradictions made me think it was just an odd book. This might be exactly what the author was trying to achieve. Life is full of contradictions.

Tonic for a polarised world, where nuance is out of fashion

Read this. Read this. Read this.

Honestly just read the book - brilliantly executed . Thought provoking without being condescending.

Confusing and Truly Enlightening!

I originally didn't understand this book. After rethinking it, I realized it's one of the most profound philosophies we need. Embrace paradoxes. Often, there is no right answer.

Most people will not appreciate this

A lot of our conditioning (especially in the Western world) doesn't allow advice and inspirational/self help books to have a nuanced delivery.

Most books with self help themes are commodities of polarization and lots of people are unable to digest books on thought collections like this one. I surmised that you see lots of low ratings on this book because of this fact. We are even schooled into thinking that writing opposite ideas in one sentence, without overtly explaining that's what you are doing, is bad.

But, if you understand the author's purpose in explaining the nuances and complexity of what it means to live holistically human, you'll get his point and actually enjoy it.

The only thing I was uneasy with is his narration style. I love this author and followed much of what he's written over the years, and I understand his passion and style because of that, I think. But I can see how his deep breaths and creepy sounding forcefulness with certain phrases would be off-putting and weird for lots of folks....and for that reason I wished someone else would have narrated it.

For those of us sick of the same old thing in the books we read with how to live better as a theme, this is a nice reprieve as it includes every possible truth very clearly and the author makes you the driver of when in your life to use each piece of truth.

That's why I liked it.