2012 Gift Guide: Anything You Want by Derek Sivers

The Domino Project

Anything You Want is the type of writing I have come to describe as a “Real World Example.” It is like sitting across the table of someone as they tell their story…a story that will hopefully change your life.

Over the years I am sure we have all had moments like this. The friend who educated us about the stock market, the soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend who taught us what a relationship should be, and in Sivers’ case, the story of one business — his business — that also encompasses the nature of business as a whole.

Anything You Want is a short book – only 77 pages in printed form – and yet it illustrates a complete journey. It also details Sivers’ attitudes towards business – slow to no growth, doing it all for the customer, and knowing when to get out. In these few short pages he gives us it all, alpha to omega, and we are better for it.

I unabashedly like this book. It matches with my own beliefs about career, business and life at many points. I too believe that money should never be the sole reason for doing anything and that bigger is not always better. Sivers also touches on another important topic, success. While he doesn’t come out and say it directly, I get the sense that he understands that there are levels to success. Too often today, we believe there are only 2 levels of success – Nobody and Rich and Famous. Hopefully people will use Sivers’ example to remind themselves that supporting yourself, providing for your family and being comfortable provides unlimited gradations of success.

Settle in with Anything You Want and your favorite beverage and an hour later you will come back with ideas, plans, hope and a deeper understanding of what it is to run your own business and perhaps, your own life.

Highly recommended

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