Excellent Advice for Living

Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier

by Kevin Kelly

4.6(1,480 ratings)

9 min read

Brief overview

This book distills a lifetime of observations and insights into short, practical lessons for navigating modern life. It covers everything from how to nurture meaningful relationships to staying open-minded about new experiences. You will find both timeless wisdom and fresh perspectives to help you make better choices and live with purpose.

Introduction

Have you ever thought, “I wish someone told me this sooner?” That’s the essence of these collected lessons. They’re meant to save you from common missteps and to help you embrace a more purposeful future. Many of these principles come from mistakes and achievements shared across generations, now condensed for easy reference.

We often learn best through small, memorable pieces of guidance rather than lengthy lectures. The ideas here serve as tiny seeds—each containing a bigger idea that you can adapt to your life. While some insights may be familiar, they carry new significance once they truly resonate with your own experiences.

Welcome to a treasure chest of condensed wisdom, a cheat sheet for living. As you turn these pages, reflect on how each bit might apply to you. Keep what’s useful, set aside what’s not, and remember that growth is about discovering which approach suits you best.

Finding Your Path

Many people feel pressure to follow a straight and narrow road—pick a career and stick with it, ignore twists and turns. In reality, life is full of detours that often reveal hidden opportunities. Embracing uncertainty can open doors you never knew existed.

Explore new things often. One unexpected turn can change everything.

Remember that your first, second, or even third attempt isn’t usually your masterpiece. Let yourself try, fail, refine, and repeat. Real success follows multiple rough drafts.

Finally, never underestimate the impact of setting clear goals. A goal without a timeline is just a dream. A workable schedule, even if flexible, transforms your vague wishes into tangible milestones.

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What is Excellent Advice for Living about?

Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier is a life guide penned by Kevin Kelly, distilling a lifetime of observations and insights into a compact compendium of practical wisdom. It's a collection of 450 aphorisms, offering short, poignant lessons aimed at helping individuals navigate the complexities of modern living. Each passage invites readers to reflect, adapt, and integrate these snippets of wisdom into their personal journeys. The focus is not just on assembling well-known truths but on personalizing and transforming them into relevant guidance tailored to the reader's own story.

The core themes of this book span the breadth of human experience, from cultivating meaningful relationships to being open-minded about new experiences. Kelly encourages balancing ambition with compassion, advocating for work-life harmony and emphasizing the value of small, thoughtful choices that collectively lead to a purpose-driven life. This impressive anthology of advice has a profound impact on readers, as it serves as both a mirror reflecting the familiar and a lens through which new perspectives can be discovered.

Review of Excellent Advice for Living

Kevin Kelly’s Excellent Advice for Living stands out as a generous and accessible treasure trove of life hacks. One of its greatest strengths lies in the arrangement and delivery of age-old wisdom through a modern lens, making the advice universally applicable. Kelly seamlessly integrates relatable anecdotes and practical suggestions, offering readers concrete steps to apply these insights in their daily lives. Each piece of advice, whether about work, relationships, or personal development, invites introspection and aligns with the reader's individual journey.

Kelly’s writing style, both concise and contemplative, ensures that the advice remains accessible to a wide audience. His analogies and anecdotes, combined with easy-to-digest maxims, provide clarity and relevance, turning complex human patterns into understandable concepts. The book is rich in practical applications— from maintaining relationship health and prioritizing self-care to understanding the dynamics of decision-making. It serves as an indispensable resource for anyone looking to improve their life incrementally.

Ideal for those seeking personal growth, Kelly's advice requires no grand gestures but rather achievable adjustments. It's akin to having a wise mentor, guiding with warmth and humility so that personal and professional growth feels attainable without overwhelming the reader. This book comes highly recommended not just for those who seek self-development but also for individuals passionate about holistic well-being and lifelong learning.

Who should read Excellent Advice for Living?

Young professionals and entrepreneurs seeking guidance on balancing career and personal life.
Parents interested in gleaning practical advice on fostering nurturing family environments.
Individuals at a crossroads in life looking for thoughtful reflection on relationships and choices.
Students and young adults eager to develop a framework for personal growth and decision-making.
Self-help enthusiasts eager for new, concise insights into leading a balanced life.

About the author

Kevin Kelly is a renowned author, best known for his expansive career as the founding executive editor of Wired magazine. He has written several influential books, including "Out of Control" and "The Inevitable," and has contributed to various technology magazines. With a career spanning over four decades, he has developed a unique perspective on technology and culture, which he shares in his latest work, "Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier." He has also been involved in various other projects, including leading the All Species Foundation and serving as a writer and photographer for numerous publications.