Book Review: "How to Live" by Derek Sivers 5/5
Its full title describes it perfectly: “27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion”.
How to Live is an extraordinary book where each and every chapter shows us a different way of how life can be lived. Everything is presented in such a concise way that the book is little more than 115 pages.
Each chapter describes one possible way of living, and all of these possible approaches are all-in, whereby we follow them to the letter. The author describes such ways of living with all their rules that should be respected.
For me, it's a masterpiece. The ideas he discusses point in conflicting directions. For example, the first chapter “Be Independent” is how life should be lived by (among other examples) being a nomadic minimalist, yet the second chapter “Commit” is also how life should be lived, but by choosing one home and staying there for good. The book finishes with “one weird conclusion”, as promised by its title. The conclusion is great, but I won’t spoil it.
To be sure that we are heading in the right direction, we sometimes need to take on different perspectives. Reading these chapters gives us different ways on how we can approach our existence, and thanks to that it gives us something to think about. Over the last two years I’ve read it cover to cover at least 7 times, each time taking from it something new.
This is by far one of my favourite books.
Oh just in time! Seems like a great book to read, before setting new years resolutions :)