Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier book cover

Excellent Advice for Living

Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier

Kevin Kelly
4.21(4611 Reviews)

Overview of Excellent Advice for Living

Kevin Kelly's "Excellent Advice for Living" distills 450 life-changing aphorisms born from wisdom shared with his children. Endorsed by thought leader Derek Sivers, these bite-sized insights transform personal growth, relationships, and work. What if your next breakthrough is hidden in a single sentence?

Key Themes in Excellent Advice for Living

  • practical aphorisms
  • radical life shifts
  • stewardship of resources
  • constructive criticism
  • mental models

Quotes from Excellent Advice for Living

  • Don’t be the best. Be the only.

  • Make them sparingly and ensure they can be comfortably kept.

  • Everyone improvises - this realization liberates us from perfectionism's paralysis.

  • Curiosity about seemingly uninteresting topics often yields unexpected rewards.

Characters in Excellent Advice for Living

  • Kevin KellyAuthor and founding editor of WIRED magazine

About the Author

About the Author of Excellent Advice for Living

Kevin Kelly, bestselling author of Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I’d Known Earlier, is a pioneering technology futurist and co-founder of WIRED magazine, where he serves as Senior Maverick.

A leading voice on innovation and long-term thinking, Kelly’s book distills 450 pragmatic proverbs for modern life, reflecting his expertise in blending philosophical insight with technological foresight. As editor of Whole Earth Review and executive editor at WIRED—which won two National Magazine Awards under his leadership—he shaped conversations on cyberculture and emergent systems.

Kelly co-founded The Long Now Foundation, promoting stewardship for future generations, and launched the Cool Tools platform, a widely trusted resource with over 1 million monthly visitors.

His influential works, including the New York Times bestseller The Inevitable and the seminal Out of Control, explore decentralized technologies and humanity’s symbiotic relationship with innovation. A frequent TED speaker and media commentator, Kelly’s radical optimism and decades of curating transformative ideas have cemented his reputation as a visionary guide to the future. Excellent Advice for Living continues his legacy of offering actionable wisdom, underscoring why his prior books have been translated into 15+ languages and embraced by global thought leaders.

Download Summary of Excellent Advice for Living

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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
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comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
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star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
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4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
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"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
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star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
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star
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"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
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201
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16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
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star
star
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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
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