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.

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“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

Questions Worth Asking.

Big ideas, unpacked one question at a time.

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The Ghost of My Father

From bestselling author Scott Berkun comes this powerful story about family, identity and self-discovery. A captivating and honest exploration of who we are, and how we must choose our own way forward in life no matter what happens to us. Berkun’s relationship with his father defined him, until he chose to try and define himself.

With thoughtful stories that explore the meaning of Darth Vader, the mysteries of Frankenstein and the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen, Berkun combines themes from his own life with famous films and legends, to help readers ask universal questions about the first adults we know in our lives.

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“A sobering, lucid memoir about the uncanny, precarious nature of family, masculinity and childhood.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS

“When I finished it, I felt more human and less alone.”

Heather Bussing

“Not only captivating, but also insightful… digs deep into many themes; family dynamics, forgiveness, grace, legacy, hope…”

Jen Moff

“Thought-provoking read, and highly recommended…”

Thomas Duff

“The author’s prose style is compelling, due in part to his interest in classical mythology and modern popular culture… Berkun’s memoir is ideally suited to an audience that’s similarly concerned with the challenges of adulthood and parenthood in the 21st century.”

Kirkus Reviews

Questions Worth Asking.

Big ideas, unpacked one question at a time.

Visit Berkun Best Of.
SubStack.June 25, 2026

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YouTube.June 25, 2026

Are deathbed regrets overrated?
Berkun Archive.April 20, 2026

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Mindfire: Big Ideas for Curious Minds

This definitive best-of collection of Berkun’s online writings, provocative and  entertaining, guaranteed to make you think & smile.

Essays include famous missives such as:

  • How to be a free thinker
  • The Cult of busy
  • Why smart people defend bad ideas
  • Street smarts vs. Book smarts
  • Hating vs. loving
  • How to make a difference
  • And more than 20 other provocations that will motivate, delight and inspire.
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“The ideas contained in the essays are persuasive and it’s a fun, well focused read.”

Simon Moore

“Some great ideas here. Can be read from middle or end or anywhere in-between, i’m glad i got it. Written well and very motivating.”

Rory Gatfield

“What’s unusual about this book is the incredible directness of the author’s ideas… Scott Berkun in this book manages the art of speaking directly into my brain.”

James Fructerman

Questions Worth Asking.

Big ideas, unpacked one question at a time.

Visit Berkun Best Of.
SubStack.June 25, 2026

Why do good ideas die slowly?
YouTube.June 25, 2026

Are deathbed regrets overrated?
Berkun Archive.April 20, 2026

Help shape my next 20 years: Berkun 2.0

Better Questions, Delivered Occasionally.

Thoughts, essays, and ideas for people who’d rather think, than scroll.
Subscribe for new writing when there’s something worth saying.