Way More than Luck: Commencement Speeches on Living with Bravery, Empathy, and Other Existential Skills by Debbie Millman


Way More than Luck: Commencement Speeches on Living with Bravery, Empathy, and Other Existential Skills
Title : Way More than Luck: Commencement Speeches on Living with Bravery, Empathy, and Other Existential Skills
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 1452135193
ISBN-10 : 9781452135199
Format Type : Hardcover
Number of Pages : 192
Publication : First published February 10, 2015

The commencement speech is the most popular public address of our time, shared every spring and remembered for years. Here, in an anthology of some of the finest of the genre, brilliant creative minds in every sector offer their wisdom: David Foster Wallace on living a compassionate life, Debbie Millman on the importance of taking risks, Michael Lewis on the responsibility that good fortune merits—and so many other greats. Some of this advice is grand (believe in the impossible), and some of it is granular enough to check off a life list (donate five percent of your money or your time). All of it is universally uplifting. Handsomely packaged with a cloth spine and energetic typography throughout, this book is a smart, special gift for graduates and anyone embarking on a new adventure.

Way More than Luck: Commencement Speeches on Living with Bravery, Empathy, and Other Existential Skills Reviews

  • David

    Maria Popova from the blog Brain Pickings calls it the reinvention of the secular sermon. The title is taken from the final exhortation of David Foster Wallace’s speech to Kenyon College, included within, that is often referred to as “This is Water” That, along with the beautiful design of the book, is worth the price of admission. I’m just sad it doesn’t have my second favourite commencement address. It’s George Saunders address to Syracuse University in 2013 on
    the power of kindness.

  • L

    While beautifully produced with colorful pages highlighting important quotes, all the commencement speeches are available online. Though it does make a thoughtful gift.

    Some of the highlights:

    Michael Lewis - On luck role and the importance of emphasizing with the less fortunate

    Michael Uslan - On perseverance

    Bradley Whitford - On writing your own story

  • siso.sofy

    A set of good and bad advice in one book. Give you chance to think and reflect back about life before graduation and after graduation. How far you have come in this life. The effort you made is way more than luck.

  • Elena

    Just a nice, quick read that fills you with all the pump up and perspective you need for moving along in life. Some really stayed with me, Debbie Millman and Michael Uslan and Michael Lewis' speeches were absolutely lovely.

  • Charlie

    Quite a mixed bag in quality and persuasiveness but s fun read and plenty to think about.

  • Kritin

    Some good commencement speeches, some not-so-good. Nevertheless, absolutely loved Michael Lewis' commencement speech, especially the following lines:

    "Don't be deceived by life's outcomes. Life's outcomes, while not entirely random, have a huge amount of luck baked into them. Above all, recognize that if you have had success, you have also had luck - and with luck comes obligation. You owe a debt, and not just to your gods. You owe a debt to the unlucky."

  • Andy

    This is a beautifully designed little book, so it looked like a good gift for young people but it is an unfortunately uneven collection. I liked Bradley Whitford, Michael Uslan, Michael Lewis, and Barbara Kingsolver. Bu the others were boring, inarticulate, sexist or just plain bad advice along the lines of "you can do anything!" It's also just very weird including advice from David Foster Wallace about how to avoid committing suicide, given that he committed suicide.

  • Victor

    Some graduation speeches are good and some are bad and it's the same with this book. The good ones talk about being deliberate and making decisions intentionally while the bad ones are very forgettable because they're boring. It's the same with life: if you're bored and boring you'll probably be forgotten real soon.

  • Shilpa

    It's also a reminder that you need Way More Than Luck to succeed. You need talent and a perseverance to go the course. Which is why this book piqued my interest. I've always wanted to learn how to write an amazing speech. I am speechless when I hear the inspiring words come out of some of the world's greatest leaders.

    Review:
    http://sukasareads.blogspot.ca/2015/0...

  • Burky Ford

    Not much new.

  • Mike

    A few really solid speeches, buried in between some less interesting or inspiring ones.

  • Emma

    Helped me write my own speech while making me think about what exactly I am going going to be doing for the next four years.

  • Rodrigo

    Os discursos costumam se repetir e, ironicamente, há um padrão na tentativa da não repetição. Mas o saldo é positivo. Um pouco de motivação não faz mal a ninguém.

  • Michelle Leduc Catlin

    The first essay and the last were the best. The ones in between varied in quality, and really weren't as inspiring as I'd hoped.

  • Brian

    Several of the speeches in here are 5-star...most are really just 3-star...Kind of hit and miss, but I really enjoyed the "Hits".

  • Yuliana

    Inspiring and insightful.