How to Live

We all live by rules: be kind, work hard, never quit. But is that all there is to a great life? Following rules? We know there must be more.

Berkun asked hundreds of people what rules they live by and discovered that it’s breaking and changing our rules that defines us most. We’re handed advice our entire lives, by parents, bosses, and motivational posters, and most of it useless when real life stops cooperating. How to Live is built for the skeptics: 26 short rules for your one finite life, written for people who distrust anyone selling easy answers.

The advice is uniquely grounded in a wide range of sources, including personal stories, scientific research, and the wisdom of thinkers, artists, and poets, all woven together into a fun, fast-paced, entertaining read.

Readers will learn how to:

Discover their own rules for life
Benefit from true wisdom without the platitudes
Become more self aware and fulfilled
Enjoy life no matter what happens
Live on their own terms, not inherited ones

Stop looking for the right rules to follow. Learn to discover your own.

Bonus Resources

“A thoughtful treatise on living mindfully that combines everyman wisdom with a healthy dose of irreverence.”
Kirkus Reviews

“A fresh, contrarian take on the big questions of life. Written for people who want more depth, humility, and true wisdom from their self-help books.”
Booklife

“I am smitten with How To Live. You’ll love Berkun’s hard-won lessons. I read all 26 rules in one sitting.”
Robert I. SuttonProfessor Emeritus at Stanford / NYTimes Bestselling Author of Eight Books Including The No Asshole Rule.

“The only rulebook worth breaking the rules for. Short, funny, and it ends in a manifesto I wanted to steal.”
Chris GuillebeauAuthor of Time Anxiety and The $100 Startup

“A practical, no-nonsense manual for navigating life on your own terms, proving that deep wisdom doesn’t require dense prose to pack a punch.”
Christopher PhillipsAuthor and Founder of the Socrate Cafe Movement